Last summer, middle-school art teacher Aaron Mohanial was convicted of 13 counts of child abuse, molestation and lewd battery after a jury found him guilty of repeatedly raping a seventh-grade boy over a two-year period. He was sentenced to 43 years in jail.
Now, a year later, Mohanial still hasn't seen the inside of a jail cell. Broward Circuit Judge Marc Gold, in a rare and surprising decision, has allowed him to remain free while his case is being appealed - and we all know how long the appeals process can drag on. In the meantime, Mohanial is allowed to work his job as a construction worker, go to church, and travel, as long as he stays in South Florida. Judge Gold prohibited him from contacting his victim, but did not direct him to stay away from other children.
Although Judge Gold was technically within the parameters of the law when he released Mohanial, experts are still shocked. CNN polled "a dozen legal experts," none of whom "could recall a single case of a
violent offender receiving the same kind of treatment."
Now, following the two-month CNN investigation and the furor Mohanial's case has understandably caused, Prosecutor Anita White is asking that Mohanial be taken back into custody to "reassess" whether he should be out on bond.
Duh - no. This guy is a predator, who was in the process of ingratiating himself with other children through massages and gifts when his crimes were discovered. Who knows what he's been up to this past year? Although he's required to file daily schedules with the Broward Sheriff's Office, they're hardly informative. Many just report that Mohanial left the house in the morning, and returned in the evening.
All I can say is, if Mohanial has hurt any other children, Judge Gold should serve time right along with him.
