Charmaine Dennis: Why let child abuser take a plea deal?

Re “Turlock man stops trial to take plea deal in sex abuse of two boys” (Page 3A, Oct. 31): Why would anyone think victims of child sexual abuse are going to come forward and tell what happened when you let someone like Elton Boyd Kelley plead no contest and in exchange prosecutors dropped charges of committing lewd acts with a child, including sodomy of a drugged victim.

Prosecutors said Kelley repeatedly abused John Doe 1, a relative of the defendant. The boy was abused from 2003 through 2010; abuse that started when the boy was 7 didn’t end until he was 13. Kelley sexually abused John Doe 2 in 2011 through 2013. The boy was 15 when the abuse began and 17 when it ended.

I called the DA’s office and told the lady I wanted Deputy DA Erin Peck’s email because the plea deal was asinine. I was asked my name and phone number and told someone would call me. I mentioned I had a website – somesecretsshouldbetold.com. When I did not hear from anyone from the DA’s office after two days, I called back and was told I probably would not hear from anyone but that I could write a complaint. That’s when I decided to write this letter to the editor.

This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Charmaine Dennis: Why let child abuser take a plea deal?."