The Man Who Raped A Toddler Walks Free Due To A Technicality, Will Serve No Time In Prison
A man who raped a toddler decades ago, leaving his victim permanently psychologically damaged, has walked free from court. And, the reason why will leave you speechless!
John Mason, 51, was a teenager when he abused a little boy in England in the 1980s. The man confessed to the sexual abuse, which now would be classified as oral rape, which could carry a life prison sentence, according to Mirror.
The catch is the offender has to be punished under the law at the time of the crime was committed. In the 80s, the maximum sentence for this offense was only three months.
Judge Denis Watson said he had to give Mason credit for his guilty plea, adding that if he would spend any time in jail, it would only be for a few weeks. The judge stated that he saw no sense in imposing such a sentence, as it is “ridiculously short” for the crime. Instead, the judge handed the father of five three years of community service and had to register with the Sex Offenders Registry for five years.
While Judge Watson realized that the victim’s family would like to see a harsher sentence, the law won’t allow him to impose such a prison term the, Independent reported.
Man who raped toddler walks free from court because judge can't send him to prison https://t.co/lZqYQSrb2s pic.twitter.com/BoTIa3Khcr
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) September 16, 2017
“When dealing with non-recent offenses, no sentence can be passed on an offender which is greater than could be passed had you been dealt with at the time,” Watson stated.
“The maximum sentence I can pass on you is one of three months in prison.”
When Mason was a teenager, he confessed to the crime. However, the victim’s family never reported the incident, so no charges were filed. In 2010, the victim’s mother contacted the police to say that John Mason was a danger to young children. The mother filed another complaint about Mason’s abuse in 2015, which led to the police bringing him in to be interviewed a year later. The dad to five refused to comment or talk about what happened.
Man who raped toddler walks free because judge says there is 'no real purpose' in imprisoning him https://t.co/f73LG1OqXG #Liverpool Court
— JobCentreSUCKS (@DWPscumbags) September 16, 2017
The victim told the court that Mason told him to get naked and said he would do “it” to him, then he can do it to him. The incident left the boy scared and confused. He has frequent nightmares and wets the bed. The victim has suffered from depression and later told his doctor that he had been molested as a young child. It left him feeling “scared and frightened.”
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Mason told his ex-wife two decades ago that he forced a young child to perform oral sex on him and he deeply regretted his actions. Mason’s attorney asked the judge to spare him jail time, considering that he could only give him a few weeks according to the law.
Judge Watson said that even though he committed a horrible crime that had a lasting impact on the victim, he believed that Mason was remorseful. For that reason, he handed him a sentence of community service and ordered him to register with the Sex Offenders Registry.
Even though the victim’s family wished the judge could have given him a prison sentence, they understand the reasons why that wasn’t possible.
[Featured Image by Izzet Ugutmen /Shutterstock Images]
