6 YEARS AGO
Six years ago, a young woman’s life was irrevocably changed when a college fraternity president raped her while she was blacked out at a party. Despite the gravity of his crime, he faced no jail time. Instead, his legal team negotiated a plea deal granting him deferred probation.
While the judge deliberated on the plea, I wrote an open letter urging accountability. It was published in our local newspaper, shining a spotlight on the injustice. You can read it here.
But the plea deal was accepted—A strict set of probationary terms, that if violated, the offender would have probation revoked and the full consequence of guilt would be implied. Nonetheless, the offender walked away, free to live his life. He even went so far as to have a celebratory party at a local bar in our city surrounded by friends and loved ones. I mean, he beat the consequences of rape—that surely deserves a party, right?
The survivor, on the other hand, was left with a lifetime of trauma—a life sentence without any semblance of justice.
In her own words,
“When I was completely unconscious, he dumped me face down in the dirt and left me there to die. He had taken what he wanted, had proven his power over my body. He then walked home and went to bed without a second thought to the ravaged, half-dead woman he had left behind.”
No party or weight lifted, just a subtle affirmation that if one is rich, responsibility is negotiable.
The News Alert
Yesterday, I received a news alert that stopped me cold: this same offender’s probation has been revoked. He’s now in jail after violating multiple probation terms, including:
Sexual contact with an infant
Viewing sexually explicit materials
Faillng to avoid contact with minors
It’s horrifying to write those words. More victims. More lives damaged. Read the news alert here.
His bond has been set at $250K and his legal team is now requesting it be reduced.
According to the offender’s treatment provider,
“Mr. Anderson’s almost indiscriminate arousal to behaviors involving power and control, degradation and violence, reflect a person who would be a significant threat to the community, especially those with whom he has a relationship, if left unmonitored.”
As I said in 2018 and will say now 6 years later, I’m not an attorney or an expert in law. I cannot begin to understand the complexities involved in our legal system surrounding criminal justice. But I firmly believe this offender should have faced real consequences six years ago. Instead, the system allowed him to walk away, and now more people are paying the price. For the original survivor, this news is likely re-traumatizing—a cruel reminder that justice was never served. Her life sentence continues, while the system's failure has led to more lives harmed.
A Systemic Failure
This case illustrates deep failures within our justice system:
A survivor denied justice.
New victims harmed because leniency allowed a predator to reoffend.
A legal system that seemed to prioritize convenience over accountability.
Has justice come to political pandering to ensure the votes to keep one’s legal or judicial office? Or is justice measured by administrative wins in saving tax payer’s dollars by reducing jail populations or trial dockets? Justice should not be negotiable in cases of sexual violence. Plea deals like this one don’t just dismiss the gravity of these crimes—they create opportunities for more to occur.
We cannot undo the harm that has been done, but we can demand better from those in power. Sexual assault survivors should not have to bear the weight of a system that chooses leniency over accountability.
At Lovely Village
We stand with survivors, offering them more than words or temporary solutions—We refuse to let them face a lifetime of pain without support.
This case highlights why Lovely Village exists. Survivors often face failed systems, leaving them with deep, lasting wounds and no justice. Our work is a response to this gap. We focus on:
Hope through stability: Survivors need a safe place to process their trauma, find strength, and reclaim their lives. We provide this weekly through Space For Love support groups.
Prevention through education: Healthy conversations about consent, boundaries, and respect are essential to stopping cycles of abuse. Our Live Talks are a great way to begin these conversations.
Empowering accountability: We advocate for justice, not only through the courts but in our communities. Stop Demand: Restore Lives is our approach to restorative justice educating offenders on the harms of commercial sex and it’s complicit nature in sexual violence.
We can’t change the past, but we can create a better future.
Lovely Village is ringing the bell for a healthier, safer world—one that starts with education and is grounded in accountability and restoration. If this case resonates with you, know that at Lovely Village, we’re working every day to ensure that survivors are not abandoned, their voices are heard, and their healing is supported.
Love Is a Village!
Brett Mills | Lovely Village, CEO