Lawrence Taylor Sentenced
Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor sentenced to probation for sex crime
Hall of Fame NFL linebacker Lawrence Taylor was sentenced to six years probation during a court hearing Tuesday after pleading guilty to sexual misconduct with an underage girl.
Taylor, who pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges in the case in January, will also have to pay a $2,000 fine, Judge William Kelly said.
Kelly will also determine which sex-offender level status Taylor is expected to receive -- which could range from low to high risk -- during a separate hearing set for April 12.
Taylor was arrested last May on charges of "improper sexual conduct involving an underage girl in a Rockland County hotel," the district attorney's office said. Prosecutors said Taylor paid the teen $300 after "sexual acts."
The girl, who was 16 years old at the time of the incident, denied allegations that she was a prostitute.
"I'm very upset about what Mr. Taylor did to me," she said. "I did not want to go to his hotel."
The teenager said she was glad Taylor had been prosecuted though disappointed that the former New York Giant won't receive jail time.
"He took something very special from me," she said. "I'm not a prostitute. I'm a victim, and I'm hurting."
Taylor entered a guilty plea to one count of sexual misconduct and one count of patronizing a prostitute in the third degree, both misdemeanor charges, prosecutors said.
He was arrested in a Ramapo, New York, Holiday Inn room on May 6, a few hours after the encounter took place, authorities said. Ramapo is about 30 miles northwest of New York City.
Ramapo police applauded a plea agreement Taylor entered into with prosecutors at the time.
"This department believes that the resolution reached in this case is fair and appropriate," Ramapo Police Chief Peter Brower said at the time.
"Mr. Taylor wants to publicly apologize to his wife and family and fans," said his attorney Arthur Aidala. "Mr. Taylor accepts responsibility for what he did and he did intend to patronize a prostitute. He did not intend to patronize an underage person."
Aidala added that Taylor was "deceived."
In July, Taylor's wife vehemently denied that the famous linebacker had sex with the underage prostitute.
"He didn't rape anyone. He didn't have sex with anyone. He didn't call a pimp," Lynette Taylor said on "Larry King Live."
Lynette Taylor told King that the girl snuck into her husband's hotel room because many people knew Taylor was in town for an autograph signing.
Taylor gave her $300 because she was going through bad times, Lynette Taylor said.
"So I mean for him, $300, here -- here is $300. Will this help you out any? It was very much that," said Lynette Taylor. "Yes, he should have told her to get the heck out of my room. But I cannot explain why men do what they do."
Source:
CNN
