The man with the most convictions for child sexual assaults in Kansas will get a new trial because the prosecutor chose to repeatedly point to the man’s homosexuality at trial.
The Kansas Court of Appeals overturned a 78-count conviction against William James Blomquist (pictured left), citing the Anderson County Attorney Fred Campbell with “gross and flagrant misconduct” in repeatedly bringing up homosexuality, because that had nothing to do with the charges against him.
The court ruled “it was unreasonable for the State to assume that a sexual desire for children is among those desires which define a homosexual orientation.”
In other words, straight men can, and do, molest boys. Calling attention to sexual orientation served no purpose but to inflame emotions and prejudice the jury, the court said in its ruling.
Blomquist, 34, will get a new trial on charges of molesting and sodomizing a 12-year-old, mentally retarded boy.