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Jerry Lee Brock, 55, was convicted in 1995 of first-degree
molestation charges stemming from the accusations of an
11-year-old girl who said she was sexually assaulted in her
sleep, according to court records.
He was given a life sentence under Washington's persistent
offender law, in which individuals convicted of three serious
crimes are incarcerated without the possibility of parole. Brock
had two previous felony convictions for burglary and promotion
of prostitution, court records show.
The woman who accused Brock of molesting her as a child came
forward in 2012 and said she had made the story up to get her
mother's attention, according to court documents.
Last week, Thurston County Judge Erik Price held a motion
hearing on the new evidence and on Thursday released Brock based
on the woman's latest statement and ordered a new trial in 90
days, court records show.
Prosecutors could choose to drop Brock's case ahead of a new
trial in February.
Brock had previously appealed his case, records indicate.
His public defender could not immediately be reached for
comment.
(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere in Seattle; Editing by Curtis
Skinner & Kim Coghill)
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