Steubenville's Ma'Lik Richmond first game back, beat JFK 49-12

Steubenville's Ma'Lik Richmond returned to the football field this year after serving a youth prison sentence for rape. This week he had his sex offender registration requirement lowered.

(Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A judge today agreed to lower the sex offender registration requirements for Steubenville football player Ma'Lik Richmond, according to court officials.

Visiting Judge Thomas Lipps last year found Richmond and another teen, Trent Mays, delinquent of raping a 16-year-old West Virginia girl after a party.

The case, largely because of social media, garnered international attention.

In January, Richmond was released from a state youth prison completing his sentence of one year. He also followed all the conditions of parole and was released from that in October, according to Fred Abdalla Jr., the Chief Juvenile Probation officer in Jefferson County.

Mays, who got a longer sentence because he also was convicted of taking nude photos of the victim is scheduled to be released early next year.

At the time he was sentenced, Lipps ordered Richmond to register his address every six months for the next 20 years.

Lipps on Friday reduced that requirement ordering Richmond instead to register his address with authorities once a year for the next decade.

Richmond's public defender pointed out that he had completed sex offender programming while in state custody and an assessment showed he was a "low risk" to reoffend, according to WTOV 9.

The mother of his victim argued that he should remain under the more serious classification because her daughter didn't get a second chance, according to WTRF 7 reporter Sara Yingling, who was Tweeting from courtroom.

Richmond was the subject of debate earlier this year when he was allowed to rejoin the Steubenville football team. Head Coach Reno Saccoccia said he felt Richmond had earned his spot. Others said they felt it sent the wrong message to allow a convicted rapist to play on the team.