Just hours before his wedding, a man with a history of sexual offenses was arrested by the police.
Bradley D. Armstrong, aged 66, was taken into custody as he was preparing to tie the knot. Law enforcement officers intervened due to Armstrong’s failure to disclose his status as a sexual violent predator on his marriage license application. This omission is considered a serious offense in Indiana, where Armstrong was planning to wed, leading to a level 6 felony charge.
Following Armstrong’s arrest, concerns arose regarding his impending marriage to a 22-year-old woman with multiple disabilities. A court took action to prevent the union, particularly after learning that the bride, deemed legally incompetent, was pregnant. Heather Stevens, a county clerk, spearheaded the move to halt the wedding ceremony.
Stevens expressed confidence in the court’s decision-making process, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the vulnerable woman. The unnamed bride, who suffers from various medical conditions such as autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, ADHD, functional movement disorder, delayed speech, and depression, was at the center of the legal intervention.
While typically uninvolved in such matters, Stevens felt compelled to act given the complexities and potential risks associated with the couple’s marriage plans. Apart from Armstrong’s deception regarding his criminal background, other warning signs prompted the court’s intervention.
In a prior ruling, the woman was declared “incompetent,” leading to her parents being appointed as legal guardians, as reported by PEOPLE magazine in 2021.
Regarding the parents’ stance on the relationship, Stevens indicated uncertainty but stressed the court’s authority in overriding parental decisions in such cases, asserting the court’s ultimate guardianship role.
Currently, Armstrong and the 22-year-old woman are barred from obtaining a marriage license, as per state regulations prohibiting the issuance of licenses to individuals legally deemed incompetent.
Armstrong, who posted a $750 (£553) bond, was released a day after the scheduled wedding on 17 March.
Make Daily Mirror your ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for instant access to the news that matters to you.
At Reach and across our entities , we and our partners utilize cookies and other identifiers to enhance your site experience, analyze usage patterns, and deliver personalized ads. You can opt out of data sharing or sales by clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of our webpage. Note that preferences are browser-specific. Your use of our site and services indicates acceptance of our use of cookies and agreement with the practices outlined in our Privacy Notice and <a data-testid="cipa-terms-and-conditions-notice-link" href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/terms
