Republished April 03, 2018 - 11:58 AM
Original Publication Date April 03, 2018 - 10:51 AM
MILWAUKEE - A registered sex offender will have limited rights to see his severely ill 9-year-old son, a Milwaukee judge ruled — one month after Wisconsin Children's Hospital began blocking the father's visits.
The ruling Monday from Milwaukee County Judge William Pocan restricts 49-year-old Stuart Yates' visits to two hours, three times a week. The visits will be supervised by a court-appointed guardian who will recommend what the child's best interests are in a follow-up hearing April 17.
"This is not really sufficient for our client," said Yates' attorney, Adele Nicholas. "Mr. yates is used to spending the night with his son there so he doesn't have to be alone and their other children can have their mom at home with them."
Hospital attorney Todd Weir declined to comment because the case is pending.
Yates was convicted of second-degree sexual assault of a child in 1998 and was sentenced to six months' in jail served under a deal with prosecutors. Yates said he didn't know the victim's age and that the incident happened at a house party where there were strippers.
Yates told The Associated Press last month that he's served his time.
"I've been transparent about it," he said then.
Hospital security escorted Yates from the hospital March 6 after learning he was a registered sex offender — five days after his son was hospitalized with a blood infection caused by E. coli. The boy has had several serious medical conditions since birth, according to a lawsuit Yates filed against the hospital.
It's unclear how long the policy of barring registered sex offenders from visiting patients has been in place, but Yates' attorney has said she's unaware of another hospital with similar restrictions.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018