A teen who pleaded guilty to sexual battery on a 4-year-old girl may do no jail time, and the victim’s family is upset about that possibility.
Cameron Hunter, 18, Goshen, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery Thursday in Kosciusko County Superior Court I. Judge David Cates took the plea under advisement and set sentencing for Sept. 21.
Under the plea agreement made between Chief Deputy Prosecutor Katy Hampton and Hunter’s attorney, Dana Leon, Hunter will receive a suspended sentence of 2-1/2 years. The agreement also requires him to register as a sex offender for 10 years and forbids him for being alone with someone under the age of 18.
The crime occurred in September 2016 in Syracuse when Hunter was 17.
The case was transferred to adult court in May.
On Sept. 8, 2016, the girl told her parents that she was scared to go inside because Hunter might touch her again, according to a police report from the Syracuse Police Department.
When the girl’s mother asked what she meant, the girl said Hunter touched her on the side of her private area, and then slapped her and told her she would be in trouble if she told anyone, the report states.
Family and friends of the victim showed up in court Thursday with T-shirts that said “Justice for (victim’s name).” They also wore purple bractlets in support of the victim.
The mother of the girl cried throughout the short plea hearing. She spoke with the Times-Union about the plea.
The victim’s mother said she was upset with the plea deal.
“We begged and pleaded with her (Hampton),” the mother said.
Kosciusko County Prosecutor Dan Hampton said his office can’t comment on the case while it’s pending.
The mother said her daughter has not been the same since the crime.
“She’s in counseling, she doesn’t sleep,” she said.
The father contrasted the case with another man who was sentenced Thursday.
Timothy Pratt was sentenced to three years in the Indiana Department Of Corrections for sending nude pictures to a minor earlier in the day.
“(Pratt) gets three years in prison for sending pictures and (Hunter), who admitted to touching my daughter, walks out a free man,” the father said. “How is that justice?”
Cates has the option of rejecting the plea agreement under Indiana law.
Such instances are rare, according to local attorney Jay Rigdon.
“I’ve been practicing for 32 years, and I could probably count the number of times I’ve seen it happen on one hand,” Rigdon said.
