The former high school cheerleader in Florida who was facing felony sex offender charges for a consensual relationship with her then-14-year-old girlfriend has been offered another plea deal by prosecutors, reports CNN.
Kaitlyn Hunt was 18 when she began dating a 14-year-old female student and teammate on her varsity basketball team. The younger girl's parents didn't approve of the relationship, and after Hunt ignored their requests to leave their daughter alone, filed felony sex abuse charges. Hunt and her family launched a massive social media campaign chanting "Stop the Hate, Free Kate," and contending Hunt was being unfairly targeted because she was in a same-sex relationship.
Hunt was arrested in February, and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12-16 years old, a felony offense.
Florida prosecutors originally offered Hunt a plea deal in May that would have spared the teenager jail time, but still required her to register as a sex offender and placed her under house arrest for two years. Hunt rejected that plea deal.
But this week, prosecutors offered another, less harsh plea deal, reports CNN. The new deal would require Hunt to plead guilty to two misdemeanor battery charges and one felony count of interference of child custody. After three years of probation, the felony would be expunged from Hunt's record. Hunt, who reportedly turned 19 the day prosecutors offered the new deal, would not be required to serve jail time, nor register as a sex offender. While on probation, Hunt would be subject to an 11 p.m. curfew and have to complete community service.
CNN notes that Hunt has not yet stated whether she'd accept this new plea deal, offered in July, though her attorney told CNN that her client would not accept any conviction. But the state prosecutor asked Hunt's attorney for written confirmation that Hunt had seen and formally rejected the deal — which has yet to be returned, according to CNN.
<p>Sunnivie is an award-winning journalist and the managing editor at <em>The Advocate</em>. A proud spouse and puppy-parent, Sunnivie strives to queer up the world of reporting while covering the politics of equality daily.</p>
<p>Sunnivie is an award-winning journalist and the managing editor at <em>The Advocate</em>. A proud spouse and puppy-parent, Sunnivie strives to queer up the world of reporting while covering the politics of equality daily.</p>