Travis Blankenship is marked with what one judge describes as an undeserved “scarlet letter” — that of a sex offender. Blankenship was 21, working part time at a department store and a few hours away from receiving his associate’s degree at Clark State Community College in Springfield when he had an affair with a 15-year-old girl. But the illicit relationship did not remain secret, and he was arrested. A psychologist found he was not a sex offender, did not require treatment and was unlikely to commit another offense. A judge likewise did...
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