Rapist gets probation for attack on 13-year-old at Baptist church camp in Oklahoma

[Judi Lynn]

Source: NewsOK


Randy Ellis by Randy Ellis Published: January 30, 2018 5:00 AM CDT Updated: January 30, 2018 5:00 AM CDT


SULPHUR — In an unusual plea deal, a Spencer man has been sentenced to 15 years on probation after pleading guilty to brutally raping and sodomizing a 13-year-old girl at Falls Creek church camp.

Benjamin Lawrence Petty, 36, tied rope around the girl's wrists, raped her and then threatened her with physical harm if she told anyone, according to the criminal charge. He was at the camp as a cook at the time of the 2016 offense.

Murray County Assistant District Attorney David Pyle, who negotiated the guilty plea, said Petty is "legally blind" and that was a major factor in his decision not to insist on prison time.

Petty was given the suspended sentence by District Judge Wallace Coppedge on Jan. 19 after entering a negotiated guilty plea to first-degree rape, forcible sodomy and rape by instrumentation. All three are felonies.

Read more: http://newsok.com/rapist-gets-probation-for-attack-on-13-year-old-at-baptist-church-camp-in-oklahoma/article/5581413

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Man who brutally raped 13-year-old girl at church camp gets no prison time

BRAD REED
30 JAN 2018 AT 12:26 ET     

A man who raped and sodomized a 13-year-old girl at a church camp is avoiding serving any prison time because he is legally blind.

NewsOK.com reports that 36-year-old Benjamin Lawrence Petty of Spencer, Oklahoma has been given 15 years of probation after he pleaded guilty to raping a young teenage girl who was attending the Falls Creek church camp in 2016.

Petty was given the suspended sentence by District Judge Wallace Coppedge on Jan. 19 after entering a negotiated guilty plea to first-degree rape, forcible sodomy and rape by instrumentation. All three are felonies.

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/01/man-brutally-raped-13-year-old-girl-church-camp-gets-no-prison-time/

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. "Legally blind" - but still able to work as a cook, and violently assault a 13 year old

in a complicated way. I really can't see how the "legally blind" thing comes into letting him off. Maybe he can't see well enough to drive, but he seems quite capable of negotiating life in prison.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. That's a sorry excuse. He needs to go away for a while.

[Cracklin Charlie]

11. Cant get away with good Christian man any longer?

They make me want to



Parents, brothers, sisters, girlfriends, grandparents...I beg you!

Please teach your girls that it’s okay to fight! And I don’t mean just “run away”.

I am taking shovel, rake, or two by four upside the head. Some girls are taught to never fight, or stand up for themselves from birth. These guys know that. Sometimes you can’t just talk your way out. Teaching your female loved ones to defend themselves, even in incredibly drastic situations, can mean their very life!

[Ligyron]

13. I would recommend "The Butterfly Manual" by Donald S. Batanga

Effective use of the Manila Folder.

[Cold War Spook]

15. Before he can bind your arms,

if possible, thrust your thumbs as hard as you can into his eyes. Do what ever you can including biting off his penis or testicles. Kill him if possible. Your life is worth more than his.

[Cracklin Charlie]

30. My brother told me...

Punch the nose
Stomp the feet
Knee to groin

I opted for the last one, when my time came. It was effective.

[hotrod0808]

2. Utterly revolting (nt)

[Lonestarblue]

3. Sad to see a church playing the blame the victim game.

“Currently pending in the civil case is a request by attorneys for the Midwest City church to question the rape victim about her ‘prior history of voluntary sexual activity.’” She was 13—and even if she had a prior history, how does that excuse rape? So now after a couple of years of wearing an electronic monitor, this guy will be free to go out and rape another child.

[janterry]

6. I've never been on probation

but I worked with lots of guys who were......If they heard of a 15 year probation they'd all shake their heads and laugh. They'd say it was a set up (for failure).

I doubt very much he'll make it all 15 years. My guys would take extra years in prison just to get out w/o probation.

OTOH, in the time that he is out......he's a really big risk (past hx is best predictor of future behavior.......and this was way violent).

[AtheistCrusader]

12. This solution guarantees one more victim.

AT LEAST one more victim.

[TeapotInATempest]

14. Exactly. I have a "prior history" of spending money

Does that give someone the right to rob me?

[janterry]

5. That's really shocking

and just for the record.......There are many old men in prison - old, disabled, sick - in wheelchairs - even blind - folks, serving time

There is a place for this man in a secure setting. I'm guessing that his PO will be looking hard at every opportunity to send this guy back to where he belongs.........

[nycbos]

7. I wish I could say I was surprised.

But I am not.

[Angry Dragon]

8. very poor decision

[gibraltar72]

9. And justice for all?

[MineralMan]

10. Looks like raping kids is OK in OK.

Feh! And in a church camp of all places. So a 36 year old man does all kinds of nasty stuff to a 13 year old girl and doesn't get prison time. Not OK, OK! Not OK at all.

[not fooled]

17. Who needs regulations?

I'll bet the camp was exempt from running background checks that should have been required for anyone working around children. The story says the guy had no prior felony convictions but maybe a background check would have turned up other information that would have precluded him from being hired.

We don't want no stinkin' government regulation of our church camp. Because jeebus.

[MineralMan]

19. Religious organizations get all kinds of exemptions from all

kinds of things. The First Amendment is much misused in that way, sadly. We're very careful not to interfere with religious organizations, and that can lead to all sorts of abuses that might have been prevented.

On the other hand, churches and other organizations count on responses from all sorts of government organizations. They pay fewer taxes, but expect full or even extraordinary services from the government.

Unfortunately, that's unlikely to change much. And, as we have seen so often, people will pay for that through suffering and abuse in some cases.

[shenmue]

16. NO WORDS

[withoutapaddle]

18. Evil bastards

The man who raped her, as well as a system that let him off that easy

[LiberalLovinLug]

20. Why would they hire a "legally blind" person as cook for the camp?

If this wasn't such a tragedy it would be almost comical. A blind cook? Pots and pans crashing to the floor all the time. Shouts of "Ow" every 5 minutes from inadvertent burns.

Something doesn't connect with that. He obviously had enough sight to grab her, and tie her arms together. Shouldn't that act, and the ability to do that act, in itself be reason to dismiss the "legally blind" pity defense?

[AtheistCrusader]

22. Please try and separate your venom against the rapist in the OP, and your assessment of the

utility/employability of visually impaired workers.

'Legally blind' is a well defined boundary. It is possible to be legally blind and still retain a license and ability to operate a motor vehicle on public roads, for instance.

[sinkingfeeling]

21. One word: Oklahoma

[WhiteTara]

23. This is so vile.

I am sickened by the violence and cruelty of men and then other men covering up and letting that cruelty go by.

[struggle4progress]

24. It was a plea deal, negotiated with permission:

"... the parents (of the victim) live out of state and this little girl lives out of state and didn't want to make all the travels back and forth," <Murray County Assistant District Attorney David Pyle, who negotiated the guilty plea> said ...
Rapist gets probation for attack on 13-year-old at Baptist church camp in Oklahoma
Randy Ellis by Randy Ellis
Published: January 30, 2018 5:00 AM CDT
Updated: January 30, 2018 5:00 AM CDT
http://newsok.com/rapist-gets-probation-for-attack-on-13-year-old-at-baptist-church-camp-in-oklahoma/article/5581413

[Judi Lynn]

25. Oklahoma prosecutor resigns after plea deal in rape case

Updated 1:12 pm, Thursday, February 1, 2018

SULPHUR, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma prosecutor has resigned after negotiating a plea deal that gave probation to a man accused of raping a 13-year-old Texas girl at a church camp.

Murray County District Attorney Craig Ladd said he disliked the way the case was handled. On Wednesday, he announced the resignation of the assistant prosecutor who handled the case, David Pyle.

Pyle said Monday that a major factor in his decision not to insist on prison time was that the defendant was legally blind. Instead, 36-year-old Benjamin Lawrence Petty was sentenced to 15 years' probation after pleading guilty to first-degree rape and other charges.

Investigators say Petty attacked the girl in 2016 at the Falls Creek church camp, where Perry was a cook.

http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Oklahoma-prosecutor-resigns-after-plea-deal-in-12543619.php

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

26. I am sure that all those involved in this plea deal

would be equally happy if someone did that to their own 13 year old daughter and got probation instead of prison time.

There needs to be a thing that shows total disgust.

[bobbieinok]

27. Was at Falls Creek with church for 1 week in mid-50s

There were separate hours for girls to swim and for boys. SBC was adamently opposed to 'mixed bathing.'

IIRC some refugees from Katrina stayed there.

[democrank]

28. Blind or not

Benjamin Petty should be behind bars. Let him start his probation after he serves time. Shameful.

[MustLoveBeagles]

29. ...