DENVER, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- A Denver man who was imprisoned after entering a common-law marriage with a 14-year-old girl has reunited with his young wife.
Willis Rouse, who was initially charged with sexual assault by someone in a position of trust but pleaded down to stalking in 2005, said he plans to sue the state of Colorado for keeping him away from his wife, Jaime, and 4-year-old son, Alex, the Denver Post reported Monday.
"They robbed something from my wife and me," Rouse said a few days after he was released from prison. "I didn't get to see my son's first steps or hear his first words. They subjected me with the stigma of being a sex offender, depriving me of the right to provide for my family."
Rouse's marriage led the Colorado legislature to hold an emergency session Sept. 1, 2006, that resulted in making common law marriages illegal for anyone under the age of 18.
Rouse said the marriage was based on friendship, not sex.
"It stood the test of time even when we were apart," he said. "How many people can say that? I hope people see our relationship for what it is."
