A Sebastian teen, whose arrest for sexual activity with an underage girl sparked a worldwide movement on the internet, has agreed to a plea deal that will have her out of jail by Christmas.
With a black jacket over her orange prison jumpsuit, Kaitlyn Hunt was back in Judge Robert Pegg's courtroom Thursday.
"Do you believe the plea is in your best interest is that true?" asked the judge.
"Yes sir," was the barely audible reply from Hunt.
Hunt was an 18-year-old senior when she was arrested and charged for having sex with a then 14 year-old schoolmate at Sebastian River High School.
"All it had to do was somebody coming down to us. If they had a problem with something our daughter did. It did not have to come down to this, my daughter is sitting in jail," said Charles Smith, Hunt's stepfather.
Hunt pleaded no contest to five criminal counts including battery, interference with child custody and contributing to the dependency of a child.
"This offer was the least lenient of the three offers that were made. None of the prior orders considered a provision of jail time," said Assistant State Attorney Brian Workman.
Through their attorney, the family of the younger girl said this case was never about gender or sexual orientation but about age appropriate relationships.
"She's coping," Hunt's mother Laurie Smith replied softly.
As part of the plea deal, Hunt will not have to register as a sex offender and if she follows all the terms of her three year felony probation, which includes two years of wearing an ankle monitor, this case will be expunged from her record. She is expected to be released from jail on December 20th.
This was the third plea deal offered to Hunt. The first was rejected and the second was rescinded in August after it was discovered Hunt had violated a no-contact order with the victim.
