Vt. sex offender who sparked sentence debate freed

BURLINGTON, Vt. – A Vermont man whose sentence for sexually molesting a child sparked a debate about the treatment and sentencing of sex offenders has been released from prison.

Mark Hulett of Williston was freed on Wednesday after serving five years for sexually assaulting a young girl between 2001 and 2005.

WCAX-TV said the Corrections Department will monitor Hulett with a GPS-tracking bracelet until June of 2012.

Hulett was originally sentenced to 60 days to life in prison, which the judge said was necessary so he could receive treatment. A public outcry over Hulett's sentence in 2006 led Vermont to crack down on punishment for sex crimes, including new mandatory minimum sentences for some offenders. The changes allowed Hulett to get treatment in prison, and the judge imposed a three-year-to-life sentence.

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Information from: WCAX-TV, http://www.wcax.com