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Local chemical castration case raises ethical, medical issues

http://cc.ingham.org/

In the last thirty years, a Lansing resident by the name of David Lee Arnold has been convicted of indecent exposure 17 times, that’s according to the Lansing State Journal. Today, Arnold will appear in Ingham County Circuit Court to receive his sentencing for exposing his genitals at three different coffee shops in East Lansing and Meridian Township since 2013. Current State has learned that it’s expected that part of his sentencing agreement with Judge Rosemarie Aquilina today will include the requirement that Arnold must be injected with a medication called Depo-Lupron. Both Arnold’s attorney and the Ingham County Prosecutor’s office declined to comment.Depo-Lupron, which is also used to treat prostate cancer, lowers testosterone levels and is supposed to greatly reduce sexual urges. Essentially, the court is requiring Arnold to undergo chemical castration.

This treatment, which is rarely, if ever, used in mid-Michigan, brings up a host of questions, including just how effective is chemical castration on someone who repeatedly exposes themselves in public?

Current State speaks with Dr. Doug Ruben, a forensic and clinical psychologist based in Okemos who has completed more than 2,000 evaluations of sex offenders.

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