HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. — A man given a pardon by former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Dayton Jones was convicted of sodomizing a teenage boy at a party in 2014. He was one of six people charged in the disturbing act which was filmed and shared. The victim, a 15-year-old boy, was incapacitated after the attack and suffered life-threatening injuries but survived.
Governor Andy Beshear’s legal team, along with the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, determined Dayton Jones did not receive a pardon but rather a commutation. A pardon is full forgiveness, but a commutation is a reduction in sentence.
The case came down to the interpretation of Bevin’s order by Beshear’s legal team.
Jones will keep his freedom, but he must register as a sex offender for life. He has been ordered to report to the Hopkinsville Probation and Parole Office as soon as possible. He will be assigned an officer, placed on a five year supervision and entered into the sex offender registry.
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