SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — A Sarasota man who was originally sentenced to 45 years in prison for acts of murder and rape in the early 1990s is set to be released, according to multiple local reports.
WWSB-TV reports, during a Tuesday court hearing, doctors determined that John Waterman, now 54, is unlikely to re-offend. His initial conviction was in the rape and murder of a 36-year-old woman and the rape of a second woman who survived in 1991.
For charges related to the crime, court documents show Waterman was set to serve 45 years for second-degree murder and burglary. But in 2011, 20 years after the initial crime, he was involuntarily committed under the Jimmy Ryce Act of 1998.
Under the Jimmy Ryce Act of 1998-- named for a Florida child who was raped and murdered by a known sex offender-- Waterman was sent to a rehabilitation center for "sexual offender treatment" until he was determined to be safe for release, determined his condition had changed as of treatment and was not a risk of engaging in acts of sexual violence, according to court documents.
A doctor's evaluation was required prior to release.
Now, 9 years later, SNN-TV reports two psychologists testified that Waterman had successfully completed his treatment program, granting him eligibility to be released.
Dr. Karen C. Parker, a psychologist, told the court Waterman is “safe to be released to the community," according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Waterman's release means he will have only served 44.4 percent of his sentence.
Under his release, Waterman will not be allowed to live in Sarasota again, is being sent to an outpatient program for sexual offenders in Orlando and will be registered as a sexual predator, according to WWSB-TV.
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