Molestation Victim Speaks out before Abuser's Parole Hearing

By Mike McClanahan
CBS 42
January 31, 2012

http://www.cbs42.com/content/localnews/story/Molestation-victim-speaks-out-before-abusers/n9TCrnAEyUmvJYMdm4goWw.cspx

[with video]

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (WIAT) - Jason Lee now lives out of state, but he will be at the parole hearing for Donald Corley tomorrow morning in Montgomery. For Lee, every day is a reminder of what happened decades ago involving the former scout leader, church leader, and mentor who was convicted of sexually abusing him and two other children.

"I wake up every day and I have to say okay- I'm not who I was then. I'm not going to believe anything he told me. I'm going to be my own person. I am an adult now," said Lee.

It is that impact on Jason Lee's life, and those of other victims, that spawned a movement to keep Corley locked up: the 30-is-30 campaign.

"Three boys pressed charges. He received a total of 30 years in jail. That's 10 years per child. That's 10 years for me that he's in jail for. I'm worth more than 10 years, I can't change the law, I can't change the sentence he was given, but I'll be damned if I'm going to willingly let him get out before he has served his full ten years for me," said Lee.

Criminal defense lawyer Tommy Spina represented Donald Corley during his 1995 trial. He says the timing of the parole hearing couldn't be worse for his former client, with the recent sex abuse scandals at Penn State and closer to home in Shelby County.

Spina believes sex offenders in general need more treatment while they are incarcerated, for their own sake and for the safety of the general public.

"I think there's a flaw in our system in the sense that there's no treatment offered for offenders that are incarcerated. The system used to provide for treatment, however they closed it down due to budget cuts," said Tommy Spina. "My fear is that if we don't address treatment issues while they are in custody, that the risk of harm will be greater when they are ultimately released, because one day they will ultimately be released, Because it's not a capital case and they're not going to be put to death so we need to address the underlying problem at some point while these individuals are in custody."

Charles Donald Corley was convicted of multiple counts of sexual abuse and sodomy in 1995.