South Carolina high school and basketball star has been arrested and sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to having sexual relationships with two students..
Former deputy and basketball star awaits registration as a sexual offender but faces no jail time.
After entering a guilty plea to having sex with two kids, a former high school police officer in South Carolina and standout basketball player at the University of South Carolina was placed on probation.
After admitting guilt to having intercourse with two kids, a former high school police officer who broke records as a basketball player at the University of South Carolina twenty years ago was placed on probation.
Jamel Bradley, a former Richland County deputy, was spared jail time on Tuesday, but the judge ordered him to register as a sexual offender. According to media accounts, prosecutors had simply requested that he receive counseling specifically for sexual offenders.
Bradley, 45, worked as a school police officer at Columbia’s Spring Valley High School for ten years until being fired for interfering with an internal inquiry. He served as a deputy from 2007 to 2019. It was subsequently that criminal charges were brought.
Bradley also competed in basketball from 1998 to 2002 at the University of South Carolina. With 264 3-pointers made, he still holds the Gamecocks record and was the team’s top scorer in his junior and senior years.
Bradley entered a guilty plea to charges of sexual assault with a pupil and third-degree criminal sexual behavior. Although Bradley might have received a sentence of up to 15 years in jail, his attorney and the prosecution decided to request probation and to have him removed from the sex offender registry.
Bradley was given a five-year prison term by Circuit Judge Daniel Coble, but if he successfully completes three years of probation, he won’t have to serve that time.
In one instance, according to the prosecution, Bradley went to the home of a teenage pupil on several occasions. He finally led her to a dead end street where he kissed her and made other inappropriate advances. When she told him to stop, he drove her home.
In the other instance, a student said she consented to a sexual connection with Bradley, which involved a meeting in the parking lot of a shopping center while he was on patrol. Students in South Carolina are not allowed to consent to sexual behavior with an individual in a position of authority, such as a teacher or police officer.
Bradley’s escape from prison was acceptable to the attorney for one of the victims, as he accepted guilt and had little children.
Bradley said in court that he truly apologized to his parents and wife, as well as to everyone else who was affected by his misdeeds.
“I sincerely apologize to everyone I let down and disappointed, and I’m sorry you had to go through this. Bradley expressed his hope that the hearing will provide closure and enable everyone to proceed.
following the hearing. Bradley’s legal representative stated that he intends to request that Coble reevaluate his choice to list Bradley as a sexual offender.
Unless they are able to successfully petition a judge to be removed, offenders must register for life. Other than members of their immediate family, they are not permitted to interact with anyone younger than 18. In addition to not being allowed to reside 1,000 feet (305 meters) from any school, daycare, shopping center, or other place where kids congregate, they also have to let probation officers know their address and any nights they aren’t at home.
He is punishing his kids more severely than everyone else. He will no longer be taking his children to ball games. “He won’t be able to go out and enjoy himself with them at social gatherings,” lawyer Gill Bell stated to The State newspaper.
Bell stated that rather than relying on a psychiatric assessment that indicated Bradley was unlikely to conduct another sex offense, the judge’s decision seemed excessively harsh and was based on his notoriety, which included a Washington Post article that detailed his case on Monday.
Although he wasn’t there in the courtroom on Tuesday, the sheriff who encouraged Bradley to become a deputy stated in a statement that Bradley had abused both his and the community’s confidence and that he should have done time in jail.
“I appreciate that he took ownership of his disgusting behavior at last. Leon Lott, the sheriff for Richland County, said, “I apologize to the victims, their families, and our community. I will do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again.”
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