Hutch Post

 

HUTCHINSON — A former Buhler teacher who was convicted of molesting a 15-year-old South Korean foreign exchange student entered a “no contest” plea Thursday after the case was sent back to District Court for a possible new trial.

However, even with that, his sentence has been completed and he will be released from custody.

In October of 2008, Richard Young was convicted of two counts of indecent liberties with a child, one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, and one count of indecent solicitation of a child.

The crimes occurred in August 2007. The victim was staying at Young’s home at the time of the sexual abuse.

Young appealed his convictions to the Kansas Court of Appeals. District Attorney Keith Schroeder explained the mistake made when they instructed the jury at the trial.

He says they instructed the jury that they could only consider the evidence of the abuse of his son’s years before for the limited purpose of determining intent.

Schroeder said they should have told the jury they could consider the evidence for whatever they wanted.

Young was sentenced to the original six years and eight months and has served the time.

He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

He’s expected to be released from the Reno County Jail as early as Friday.

The victim is still in the U.S, attending Harvard University where he’s seeking his Ph.D. in Physics.