MI - Judge Removes Man From Sex Offender Registry (Poll)

Original Article

He should have never been sent to prison in the first place.

08/24/2011

DETROIT -- An 18-year-old man was sent to prison in 2005 for having sex with his 14-year-old girlfriend.

[name withheld] was released from prison two weeks ago after spending six years behind bars.

He also was placed on Michigan's registered sex offenders list. However, after petitioning in court Wednesday, a judge agreed to remove [name withheld]'s name from the list.

The petition was first denied until [name withheld]'s ex-girlfriend testified that the relationship was consensual.

"I'm just relieved," [name withheld] said. "I look forward to my future now, and that was in question before. I think it will help a lot of other people in this scenario."

Earlier this year, Gov. Rick Snyder signed the sex offender registry bills to comply with federal law.

Under the measures, youthful offenders won't be listed for having consensual sex with partners who were between the ages of 13 and 16, provided the offender was not more than four years older than the victim.