Sebastian – Just a few months ago, state prosecutors offered Kaitlyn Hunt a plea deal that would have placed her on community control. But just before Hunt’s 19th birthday, on August 14, they had a change of heart.
Former Sebastian River High School student Kaitlyn Hunt is accused of having sexual relations in her senior year with her then 14-year-old freshman girlfriend. Prosecutors charged Hunt with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior on a child 12-16 years old.
The new deal includes two counts of misdemeanor battery and one count of felony interference with child custody, which would require her to serve three years of probation and complete 150 hours of community service. She would serve no jail time and would not have to register as a sex offender.
The original plea offer was to felony child abuse, requiring two years of community control, plus one more year of probation. Many community leaders deemed the original charges and subsequent plea deal too harsh.
At the time, Indian River State Attorney Bruce Colton said the deal had taken into account Hunt’s clean record and the circumstances of the case. It’s unclear why the prosecution decided to offer Hunt a new deal.
Hunt’s defense attorney has not yet responded, but Hunt’s mother Kelley Hunt Smith let her feelings be known on a Facebook post.
“Here is my statement in regards to the State Attorney’s new plea offer. It is still a FELONY plea. They are adding a charge, Kate was charged with 2 Lewd and Lascivious batteries that the state is now saying they will drop to misdemeanor batteries, which is GREAT, however then they want to ADD a FELONY interfering with child custody charge? NO WAY!! Kate didn’t interfere with custody that is ludicrous and that particular charge can NOT be expunged per Florida state statue. They are wanting THREE years of a felony type probation to include curfews, 500 feet away from the other girl, including the school where her sister attends, so she wouldn’t be able to attend any family functions, or her sisters graduation. All the other stipulations like random search or access to Kate’s entire personal life, we don’t even care bout, no contact, all of that we don’t feel is ‘fair’ but Kate would be willing to except it. If the state would offer the plea WITHOUT the felony we 100% would advise Kate to take it, so she can move on with her life. The other parents here want Kate punished for THREE years so their daughter will then be 18, we have even offered to sign a civil injunction to make it where the girls have no contact at all until the other girl reaches 18. We just want Kate to be able to move on with her life, and not have it ruined any further with a felony charge. IF the parents and state are really looking to do the right thing, then pleading Kate to a misdemeanor would be no problem, they will still have a no contact in place and EVERYONE can move on and try to heal from this. But I feel like the real motives here are being shown, they want to ruin Kate’s life, its NOT about protecting their daughter, its about punishing and hurting Kate, and that is wrong.”
Hunt’s case has received international attention with local and national LGBT leaders weighing in on the case. Hunt’s family accused the younger girl’s family and the prosecution of coming after them because it was a lesbian relationship. The girl’s family, however, said they were concerned parents who were left with no choice when Hunt ignored their requests to stay away from their daughter. The prosecution has prosecuted similar heterosexual cases in the past.
No matter how generous the plea deal offered by the prosecution, Hunt may still spend time in jail.
Court records show she is accused of violating a “no contact” order put into place by the judge in the case at the request of the younger girl’s parents. Prosecutors say that Hunt has contacted the underage girl almost daily since March 1, a violation that could land her in jail.
A court motion shows Hunt contacted the girl online through Facebook and sent her more than 20,000 text messages. Prosecutors also say Hunt sent the girl “25 lewd and lascivious photographs.”
Though Hunt and the younger girl said they were in a consensual romantic relationship. Florida law says a child under 16 cannot consent to sexual activity.
Susan Clary contributed to this story.
