PIKEVILLE, Ky. — Prosecutors have filed their objection to a sex offender’s request that he be released from prison nine years early.
Earnest Bradley Hall, 50, of Saltville, Va., is currently serving a 15-year sentence after pleading guilty to receiving child pornography from a Floyd County, Ky., teenager.
Federal court records indicate he was arrested in 2013, after a police officer found him having sexual contact with a 17-year-old in a Floyd County park and discovered the picture on his phone during the investigation.
Two weeks ago, Hall filed a motion for “compassionate release,” saying he needs to take care of his mother, who has lung cancer, and that his obesity and high blood pressure put him at increased risk for COVID-19.
Prosecutors objected to the early release, saying Hall hasn’t exhausted required administrative remedies, and that he hasn’t provided compelling reasons for his release. They also note that the prison where he is incarcerated currently has no active cases of COVID-19.
The matter is now being reviewed by a federal judge.