MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A middle-aged man charged with raping a child almost 30 years ago has asked a judge to treat him as a youthful offender because he was still a teenager at the time of the alleged assault.
WALA-TV reports a defense attorney made the request in Mobile County on behalf of Timothy Lee Robinson, 46.
Robinson was arrested earlier this month on charges of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl in 1989. The defense said Robinson was 17 at the time.
Robinson's lawyer is citing his client's age at the time of the alleged assault in asking a court to grant him youthful offender status. If approved, that would limit any time Robinson must spend in jail and seal court records on his case.
The district attorney's office says it will oppose the request.
Mobile police arrested Robinson last week after federal grant money was used to conduct forensic testing on backlogged evidence from old assault cases. DNA from a case involving the child matched Robinson, who was a friend of the child's family, authorities said.
The alleged victim, who now lives out of state, was contacted by police and decided to move forward in the case.
Robinson had been serving a 10-year sentence for sexual abuse in a 2011 case involving an 8-year-old girl, but was released from prison early on Oct. 31. He was arrested on a new warrant while taking steps to register as a sex offender at the sheriff's office.
Robinson is in jail with bond set at $100,000.