A Douglas County judge Thursday sentenced a 20-year-old Lawrence man to serve more than four years in prison for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old Lawrence girl.
District Judge Sally Pokorny also ordered Christopher G. Melott to register as a sex-offender for 25 years, said Cheryl Wright, a spokeswoman for District Attorney Charles Branson’s office.
Melott in September pleaded no contest to one count of indecent liberties with a child. Prosecutors accused him of having a sexual relationship with the underage girl, whom police said he was acquainted with, in May in Lawrence. Lawrence police arrested him in June after a parent of the girl called officers.
Prosecutors said Melott told police the incident occurred at Burcham Park.
Melott had been on parole since February after serving a one-year prison sentence on several theft and burglary convictions in Douglas County.
Comments
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LadyJ (anonymous) says…
Sigh.
Did_I_say_that (DIST) replies…
Interesting comment on comments ... I reply but not make a new comment.
LadyJ (anonymous) replies…
Ah, the prorvervbial loop hole, they'll be up all night closing that one.
LadyJ (anonymous) replies…
JK used to post a blog telling us about new changes and how it would work. How about a little infomation please.
sad_lawrencian (anonymous) says…
Registering as a sex offender for 25 years seems a bit excessive... so does the four years in prison.
Frightwig (anonymous) replies…
Having sex with children seems a bit excessive to me.
sad_lawrencian (anonymous) replies…
He's 20, she's 15. Hardly seems worth four years in prison. If he was 30 that would be another story.
Liberty275 (anonymous) replies…
Sorry, the equal protection clause means 18 year olds and 30 year olds play by the same rules, regardless of the crime. Look at the link.
RE: Appeal No. 85,898: State v. Limon
The Supreme Court today unanimously ruled that the so-called Kansas "Romeo and Juliet" statute, which specifies significantly less punishment for unlawful sex acts between heterosexual minors compared to same sex acts involving minors, violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
http://www.kscourts.org/cases-and-opi...
Horace (anonymous) replies…
Liberty, you might want to review Limon. What it says is that different sentences for homos and heteros are unconstitutional.
Liberty275 (anonymous) replies…
Excessive for a 50 year old, not necessarily for a 20 year old. I mean, outside of the 14th amendment thing. Something about equal protection.
Yeoman2 (anonymous) replies…
This sort of thing was not unusual when I was younger, but today our legislators need to make these grandstanding laws that destroy young lives with their political pandering and show trials. 30 years ago, there would be some discipline and lectures. Today the kid goes to prison. We are destroying our young people with our crazy notions foist upon us by pandering lawmakers.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) replies…
Odd. I can make a reply but not a new comment. Even though I'm already verified...
LadyJ (anonymous) replies…
Maybe they're afaid you will open the back door and let us in.
punkrockmom (Nikki May) replies…
i'm not verified, but my name is by my user name. I can't get day time phone calls. I'll never be verified! I'm not against it, just can't do it. I tried once.
Gandalf (anonymous) replies…
I suspect extenuating circumstances, alcohol.
xcstar02 (anonymous) replies…
I see that you ignored the fact that he was already on felony parole when he commited this crime. I gurantee that his criminal history had alot to do with the severity of the sentencing. The Judges in Lawrence do take individual situations into accout and if this was truely a Romeo and Juliet story he would have gotten off with probation.