Stacey Barchenger

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

A former Vanderbilt University football player found guilty of raping an unconscious woman has been charged with two felony counts of violating the state's sex offender registration law.

Court records state Cory Batey refused to register as a sex offender even though Davidson County sheriff's officials and Metro police asked him to do so multiple times after he was found guilty of aggravated rape and other crimes. Batey's lawyer, Worrick Robinson, said it seemed like officials were taking an unusual step and rushing the registration despite the fact Batey is facing a long prison term.

Batey, 22, was immediately taken into custody April 8 after a week-long trial. His sentencing is scheduled for May 20.

Tennessee law requires Batey to register as a violent sex offender. Because Batey's trial was high profile, officials noticed he had not registered after a jury found him guilty, starting a chain of events that led to the new charges.

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Employees of the Davidson County Sheriff's Office typically place a hold on inmates who need to register as sex offenders, department spokeswoman Karla West said. That hold — marked in the jail's computer system — alerts staff that registration must be done before a person is transferred. The registering, West said, is otherwise done "as time allows."

A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent familiar with the trial saw last week that Batey had not been registered and contacted Metro police's sex crimes unit, TBI spokeswoman Susan Niland said. That happened April 15, one week after Batey was found guilty, Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said.

Warrant affidavits state a sheriff's office employee asked Batey to register that same day, but Batey refused, saying, "I'm not signing anything without talking to my attorney first."

TBI maintains the statewide sex offender registry, which is a public list. Niland said offenders have to register within 48 hours of conviction. She said that is based on two sections of the law that require registration after a guilty verdict and within 48 hours of "establishing or changing a primary or secondary residence."

Metro police Sgt. David Slessinger and Detective David Elliott went to talk to Batey a day later and he again refused to register, according to the affidavits. They sought the new charges of violating the registration law on Monday. TBI officials added Batey's name to the registry on Monday even though he still had not signed the registration forms.

Niland said that is a rare measure taken when there is a public safety risk. It is done to increase public awareness and in case someone gets out of custody, she said.

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Robinson said the attempts to register Batey so quickly were unusual. Batey also stood trial and was found guilty in January 2015. He spent months in jail before a mistrial was declared, leading to his second trial this month.

"This seems very odd from the standpoint that he was in jail for five months after the first trial and was never approached or asked to sign any paperwork associated with the registry," Robinson said. "And now he has been in for a week and approached about signing paperwork, and I think the confusion here is he really wants to speak with counsel before he signs anything, and he’s been directed to do that."

Batey is facing 15 to 25 years in prison for his convictions.

"He is in jail and has no way of getting out at this point, so the rush to complete the paperwork is what I’m interested to find out (about)," Robinson said. "He will comply with any and all state statutes and requirements. I just don’t understand the rush."

Jim Todd, a Nashville lawyer who has analyzed the case for The Tennessean, said prosecutors could use the additional charges to argue Batey should get more prison time.

"I’m sure the state will argue that his failure to register shows a disregard for the court and a disregard for the amenability to treatment and rehabilitation, and consequently argue for a stiffer sentence," Todd said. But Todd also said it could be a tough argument to win if Judge Monte Watkins believes Batey wanted more time to talk to his lawyer.

Todd also said it seemed unusual to require registration now when Batey is facing the long prison term.

"It sure doesn't seem relevant that the sex offender registry would be a pressing requirement for someone who has been convicted of a crime that carries 15 to 25 years in prison," he said.

Reach Stacey Barchenger at 615-726-8968 or on Twitter @sbarchenger.