Kaitlyn Hunt, the Florida teen who
faces felony charges in connection with an alleged underage
relationship, says she is scared of losing her life.
On Friday, Hunt, 18, rejected a plea
deal that would have allowed her to avoid jail time and registering
as a sex offender if she pled guilty to a charge of child abuse.
She now will stand trial on two counts
of lewd and lascivious battery of a child 12 to 16 for allegedly
having a relationship with a 14-year-old female classmate. Each
charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.
“I'm scared of losing the rest of my
life, not being able to go to college, and be around kids, and my
sisters, and my family,” Hunt said during a press conference
conducted outside Sebastian River High School in Sebastian, Florida,
where both girls attended school.
Julia Graves, Hunt's attorney,
attempted to lessen the charges. On Thursday, she presented a case
to prosecutors involving an 18-year-old male who allegedly had sex
with a 15-year-old female. His final charge was lessened to a
misdemeanor battery case and he was sentenced to one year probation.
Appearing on CNN, Sunny Hostin, a
former federal prosecutor, concluded that Hunt should have taken the
plea deal.
“Proving statutory rape, or proving
non-consensual sex, is very easy for the government in a case like
this,” Hostin said. “All you've got to do is prove the age
difference and the fact that this occurred, that sex occurred. We
know that Kate has admitted to having this relationship with this
14-year-old. And the bottom line is a 14-year-old 'under the law'
cannot consent.”
Kelley Hunt Smith, Hunt's mother, said
that the decision to go to trial appeared to be the “lesser of two
evils.”
“You know, her life has been
destroyed already,” she told CNN.
A preliminary hearing is set for June
20.