The Iowa Court of Appeals has overturned a district court ruling that required man convicted of prostitution to complete a sex offender treatment course as part of his parole. Dale Stringer pled guilty to prostitution after being arrested during a police sting in Black Hawk County. He was given a one-year suspended sentence, and two years probation with a condition of the probation that he complete a sex offender treatment program.
Stringer contended prostitution is not one of the sex offenses that requires the sex offender course and his past criminal history did not justify the requirement. Stringer had been accused of rape on two occasions, one of those charges was dismissed completely and the other one 30 years ago was dropped down to false imprisonment.
Stringer brought in a psychologist who administered a personality inventory and reached the conclusion that to require Stringer to attend sex offender treatment based on charges from thirty years ago or an interest in being with prostitutes would not help him. Dr. Luis Rosell said,”Men have been paying for sexual favors since the beginning of time. This behavior may not be moral but it is not a sexual offense nor should men who choose to engage in these behaviors be treated as one.”
The Appeals Court agreed, saying it its ruling “Based on the record before us, we cannot say that sex offender treatment relates to the defendant’s circumstances in a reasonable manner and is justified by the defendant’s circumstances.” The appeals court found the district court abused its discretion by requiring Stringer to complete the sex offender program as a condition of his parole and reversed that condition.
See the full court ruling here: Stringer ruling PDF