Chris Yager Legal Defense Fund

I am trying to fight a very controversial and unique criminal case in which I had a consensual relationship with another adult. In 2013, I had a brief and inappropriate relationship with a woman who was on probation at the office where I worked as a probation officer. I was not her probation officer when the relationship occurred. I did not have authority over her case. Nor did I intimidate or coerce her into doing anything. She is on audio tape telling investigators in was consensual. Despite this, I was charged with sexual assault and accepted a plea agreement to avoid prison. The law did not require any form of mens rea to be proved which is supposed to be the case in serious offenses. It did not require the actor to be in any position of authority over the victim and it did not require any element of the actor misusing any perceived power. The law only required that the actor be an employee who knew the victim was on probation. This should have been an employment issue, not a legal one. The government has no business regulating consensual, private conduct between two consenting adults. I have not been able to locate any case in the nation in which someone has been convicted under these same circumstances. I am also required to register as a sex offender, despite the fact I have no history of violence and am in no way a risk to the community. I strongly feel the law was written is unconstitutional and violates my due process. I also believe the sex offender registry as applied to my situation is overly harsh and unconstitutional. Due to my situation, I am unable to find any meaningful employment. I am deeply in debt and have no ability to afford an attorney to assist me in this matter. Previous to all of this, I had been a probation officer for thirteen years who protected the community from dangerous and violent offenders. I had no criminal history and a history of community service and helping to promote public safety. I would ask you consider sharing this and donating anything you can to this cause. If you want to read more of my story, please go to: www.justiceforyager.com.