Prosecutors: Keep Richmond on Ohio sex-offender registry
Associated Press
COLUMBUS
A man convicted as a juvenile of raping a 16-year-old girl has consistently tried to minimize his involvement in the crime and should remain on Ohio’s sex-offender registry, state prosecutors argue.
At issue is a request by former Steubenville High School football player Malik Richmond to be removed from the list with his prison time and parole completed.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office says Richmond tried to escape responsibility for his actions from the beginning when he lied to police about not having a cellphone. Only a search of other phones led to evidence of Richmond’s guilt, the state said.
Richmond has portrayed himself as a victim of the criminal justice system and sought the lowest possible punishment for his actions, including categories on the sex-offender list, said Angela Canepa, an assistant attorney general working as a special prosecutor.
Richmond, now 21, was convicted in 2013 of raping the West Virginia girl at a party that followed a football scrimmage the previous year. He served nine months in detention, nine months on parole, and later rejoined the Steubenville football team. He went on to play at Youngstown State University.