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Innocent man cleared after serving 20 year sentence - Submitted by Chuck Lynch - Winston-Salem, NC See Chuck's listing on polygraphplace.com to inquire about his services
On Tuesday September
21, 2004, I was administering a Post Conviction Sex Offender Polygraph
Examinations for one of the treatment clinics that contracts with my
company. A man we will call "Bobby" came in for his first
polygraph examination. "Bobby" was paroled to family in North
Carolina after serving 20 years in Ohio for 1st degree statutory rape.
He was registered as a sex offender in NC and put under the supervision
a parole officer in NC. Bobby was ordered into the sex offender treatment
program.
The reported victim,
now 33, was a 13 year old daughter of Bobby's girlfriend. The accusation
came to her mother's attention when her daughter became pregnant. The
girl accused Bobby. Bobby was arrested by Ohio police and placed in
jail without bail. He received a court appointed
lawyer. Bobby insisted he was innocent and asked his court appointed
lawyer to get him a polygraph examination. The lawyer never came back
to visit Bobby again. The next time Bobby saw his lawyer was in the
courtroom when a jury was being selected. The only prosecution witness
was the 13 year old. There was no physical evidence, no evidence from
a rape kit that was never administered to the victim by the police.
The prosecution gave the girl permission to have an
abortion. The prosecution never asked for or obtained any fetal fluids
or tissue to compare to Bobby's blood to prove paternity. It was a 'he
said' 'she said' trial. The jury came back in 20 minutes with a guilty
verdict. Bobby received life in prison.
As a condition
of treatment, all convicted offenders must admit their guilt to the
treatment provider to continue in treatment. To be released from treatment
was grounds for revocation of his parole. Bobby was scheduled for a
polygraph as a 'client in denial'. Bobby passed his polygraph of ever
engaging in any sexual acts with the victim in this case. Bobby, now
a battered and broken man
from 20 years in prison wept uncontrollably in my office in the presence
of his treatment provider and his parole officer. The parole officer
went to Ohio and interviewed the victim now 33 years old. She admitted
to lying about Bobby because she was protecting the identity of the
person who got her pregnant with consensual sex.
Bobby was given a second polygraph examination by another polygraph
examiner who did not know the evaluation of my polygraph examination.
Bobby passed his second polygraph
examination. As a result, Bobby was removed from the internet as a convicted
sex offender and released from his parole. After 20 years Bobby was
able to prove to other professionals that he was indeed innocent. Bobby
is trying to put the lost time in his life behind him because he can
not get that part of his life back.
I want to point out that most of the inmates in prison are guilty but
it is alarming how many convicted people are indeed innocent.
Innocent man cleared after serving 20 year sentence - Submitted by Chuck Lynch - Winston-Salem, NC See Chuck's listing on polygraphplace.com to inquire about his services
Polygraph Examiners can email us their stories unedited to support@polygraphplace.com.
Please remember that these are being read by lay persons so try to avoid
technical terminology in the story.