Markeem Chaplin leaves County Court after sentencing for felony sex act.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A former special needs counselor who admitted having oral sex with a group home resident later denied responsibility before changing his mind again at sentencing today.
Markeem Chaplin's sentencing took three tries and more than an hour before Onondaga County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller this morning.
But eventually, Chaplin was sentenced to 10 years of probation and became a registered Level II sex offender.
Chaplin, 22, of South Avenue, Syracuse, admitted to having oral sex with a 16-year-old girl at a Camillus group home run by Toomey Residential Services. He was arrested Oct. 5. Prosecutors said Chaplin had sex with a second girl, but he was not charged with that crime.
Toomey, an affiliate of Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, houses at-risk people for a number of reasons. The victim in this case did not appear to be mentally disabled, Chaplin's lawyer, Marcus Stornelli, said.
Miller expressed concern with Chaplin's plea today, noting that Chaplin later said that he was "an innocent man basically being accused of false accusations."
The judge noted he wasn't in the habit of taking pleas from innocent people. "Are you an innocent man?" Miller asked the defendant.
"No, I want to plea," Chaplin replied, not knowing that he had already pleaded guilty Dec. 4.
"You previously pleaded," the judge told him. "I'm giving you the opportunity to withdraw that plea. What appears in this ...report is disturbing to me."
Chaplin then insisted that he wanted to go forward with sentencing. The judge gave him 10 years of probation.
Afterward, a hearing was held to determine what level of sex offender he should be. Based on a series of factors, the prosecution said Chaplin should be a Level II sex offender, appearing in the statewide public database.
Chaplin protested again, saying that he was under the impression that he would be a Level I sex offender (and not appear in the database) if he pleaded guilty.
The judge and prosecution noted that no promise was ever made. Chaplin said a family member told him that.
The judge again asked Chaplin if he wanted to withdraw his guilty plea. Chaplin said no.
Afterward, Chaplin stopped for short interview outside court. "This is crazy," he repeated to a reporter.
But when asked where he goes from here, Chaplin responded: "To the top."