Naples Band Director Sentenced to 30 Years for Sex with Teen Girl

The 53-year-old band director at Gulf Coast High School in Naples, Florida was sentenced to 30 years behind bars for having a sexual relationship with a student. Upon his release from prison, he has been ordered to serve 15 years on sex offender probation.

According to the Naples Daily News, the man supposedly had sex with a 17-year-old student between February and May of 2009. He faced eight counts of lewd and lascivious battery.

Under Florida sentencing guidelines, the man faced a minimum of 60 years. It is unknown why the Collier Circuit Judge imposed a lesser sentence.

Forensic techniques that have yet to be subject to meticulous scientific evaluation are one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions throughout the United States for sex-related crimes. Invalidated or improper forensic science was reported as a result of about 50 percent of wrongful convictions eventually overturned by DNA tests. Many forensic techniques like hair microscopy, bite mark comparisons and shoe mark comparisons have never undergone scrupulous scientific scrutiny. Likewise, properly validated techniques like blood typing and DNA analysis are oftentimes improperly conducted or inaccurately conveyed in trial testimony. Even more shocking, other types of wrongful convictions have resulted from misconduct amongst forensic scientists. According to the Innocence Project, there have been 271 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the United States to date.

Any person convicted of a sex crime has the legal right to appeal the conviction or the sentence. If you are under the impression that errors were made in the midst of your trial or are not satisfied with the outcome of your case, you can appeal the decision and can continue your case in either Florida or federal appellate courts.

If you feel you have been the victim of a wrongful sex crime conviction anywhere in Florida, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyers online or reach us toll-free at 866-608-5529.