In a shocking display of judicial leniency, a man convicted of raping a minor was required to enter rehabilitation and subsequently released on probation. Disturbingly, Beau Maurice Gormley, 33, committed the same vile act just days after completing his program, yet the judge handling the case believed prison was not warranted.
Gormley, while acting as the manager of a now-defunct restaurant in Ozark, Missouri, raped a 16-year-old girl, exploiting his position of power. He manipulated the girl into sex, using her fear of job loss as leverage, an act repugnant to any right-thinking individual.
In any typical circumstance, rape, especially involving a minor, is seen as a crime beyond redemption. It is looked upon with revulsion even within the criminal fraternity. But in an act that defies comprehension, the presiding judge thought otherwise.
Gormley was ordered to a 120-day sex offender program and subsequently released on probation. However, he was far from reformed. Barely 34 days after release from the sex offender assessment unit, he committed the same heinous act, this time against the mother of his children.
Despite the gravity of the repeated offense, Green County Circuit Court Judge Calvin R. Holden decided that Gormley didn’t belong in prison. Persuaded by the feedback from the probation officer and sex abuse program counselor, who vouched for Gormley’s “progress in his counseling”, Judge Holden gave him a mere five-year probation sentence.
This misguided leniency came despite the chilling fact that Gormley’s second offense happened right after he had supposedly ‘rehabilitated’ from a similar program. Prosecutor Elizabeth Fax voiced her strong disapproval of this lax punishment, pointing out that he reoffended while on probation and likely to do so again.
The lenient sentencing sparked public outrage, encapsulated by a quote from Ronald Reagan shared by Greene Co. prosecutor Dan Patterson, “We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It’s time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.”
But the defense attorney, Jason Coatney, seemed to turn a blind eye to the potential threat his client poses, arguing that Gormley was yet to undergo the specific counseling program when he committed his second offense. He further assured skeptics that Gormley would face a long prison sentence if he violated probation again.
The judgment has been widely criticized for endangering the public and discouraging victims from seeking justice. Brandi Bartel, the executive director of the Victim Center, expressed concern that victims might stay silent, considering the frustrating reality that the justice system does not always deliver.
For now, Gormley walks free, which is not just an affront to his victims but a slap in the face for every law-abiding citizen. This ruling sets a dangerous precedent, sending a message to offenders that their crimes might merely earn them a ‘slap on the wrist.’
This case is a grim reminder that there are two victims out there who have witnessed first-hand that justice can, indeed, fail. Meanwhile, Gormley, having faced little more than a soft rebuke for his atrocious actions, continues to pose a potential threat to society.
Sources: Taphaps, KY 3, Springfield News-Leader