False allegations of sex crimes are a nightmare for anyone; they are among the worst kinds of character assassination. The situation becomes worse, however, if any of the parties involved are especially young. Punishments for sex crimes are more severe when the defendants are adults and the victims are below the age of consent, and the younger the victim, the harsher the penalty. Greg Kelley’s case, however, contains another twist, in that he was only 18 years old when he was charged with child sexual abuse, a crime that carries a long prison sentence. For a while, it seemed like his adult life was over almost as soon as it had begun.
Greg Kelley and the Sexual Abuse Allegations
In 2013, a student at Leander High School in Texas, where he played football. In August 2013, as the school year was beginning, the 18-year-old was arrested on the campus of his school on suspicion of having molested a 4-year-old boy at a home day care center run by the family of a friend and teammate. In July 2014, the student was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
There were problems with the case from the beginning. No physical evidence was present that could point to his guilt. Two boys, both age 4, accused him, but one of them recanted his accusations before the trial even ended. Thus, the evidence consisted entirely of testimony by one alleged victim. The daycare owner where the abuse allegedly happened testified that she believed that he was innocent, and the detective who questioned the alleged victim admitted that the victim’s testimony might not be reliable, as some of the questions could be considered leading questions. Despite this, the court found himguilty and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
Another Suspect
The young man and his attorneys worked tirelessly from the beginning to get him a new trial, citing several unfair practices in the investigation and trial. By 2017, he received a new trial, as suspicions had begun to gather around his friend. It was not clear whether the victim’s testimony implicated him or his friend. It is unlikely that such a young victim would be able to describe differences in appearance between either. At the time of the incident, they were both in their late teens with brown eyes and short brown hair, both with the stocky, athletic build of football players. One would have to be much older than four to give a more nuanced description than that. In August 2017, he was finally released on bond.
Contact Madrid Law About False Accusations of Sex Crimes
It is thanks to his criminal defense attorneys that the young man is now free, instead of spending his entire young adult life behind bars for a crime he did not commit. If you are facing allegations of sex crimes, the right defense attorney can end your nightmare before it begins. Contact Madrid Law in Houston for a consultation.
