Kansas AG wants new law after judge labeled child victim the 'aggressor' in sex case

A Leavenworth County judge’s decision calling a child victim an “aggressor” in a sex crime committed by a 67-year-old man has prompted the Kansas attorney general to call for a change in state sentencing law.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Monday that the proposed new law would prevent a judge from lowering an offender’s prison sentence due to finding a child victim younger than 14 an aggressor.

“No matter the child’s behavior, child victims are not responsible for the criminal conduct of adults who commit sex crimes against them,” Schmidt said. “In my view, the law should reflect that simple principle.”

The proposal stems from the case of Raymond Soden, a Leavenworth man who was sentenced in December for soliciting sex from teens online. The Star published a story about the case earlier this month.

Read more: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article226092735.html