POUGHKEEPSIE – A 56-year-old man who was sentenced to up to life in prison for sexually assaulting and murdering an eight-year-old girl when he was 15, lost his appeal to have his lifetime level three violent sex offender status overturned.
In 1979, David Putland was convicted of sodomy and murder. He was sentenced in Dutchess County Court to 3 ½ to 10 years in prison on the sodomy charge and nine years to life for the murder with both sentences to run concurrently.
He was later granted discretionary parole release by the State Parole Board. He was also designated a sexually violent offender because he killed his victim.
On appeal, Putland argued that his lifetime designation was cruel and unusual punishment because of his age at the time of the crime.
The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court rejected his argument and upheld his designation as a sexually violent offender or his classification as a level three sex offender.
