In 2001, an 11-year-old girl told a judge that her father raped her, sending the man to prison for nine years. Today, she admits that she lied.

Now 23-years-old, Cassandra Ann Kennedy says she made up the story because she was upset with her father following her parents' divorce, The Daily News reports.

Last week, authorities in Washington state finally released the father, Thomas Edward Kennedy, who was serving a 15 year prison term. All charges have been dropped thanks to the daughter's statement, made in January.

According to The Daily News:

"Reached Friday, Thomas Kennedy, now 43, declined to comment, saying he's simply trying to get on with his life. Longview police, who investigated both the initial allegations in 2001 and the details that later exonerated Kennedy, also declined to comment and referred questions to Baur."

Cassandra Kennedy told authorities that guilt prompted her to reveal the truth, according to the Seattle Times.

Cowlitz County Prosecutor Sue Baur says that the county will not take legal action against Kennedy, partly because authorities do not want to discourage individuals who have, in fact, suffered from sexual harassment from stepping forward.

For more on this story, visit The Daily News.

Clarification: Language has been changed to clarify that the prosecutor did not want to discourage other rape victims from coming forward, as opposed to persons in "similar circumstances" to Kennedy's.