To the editor,

I am writing in response to Jeff Lysiak’s June 22nd article entitled “Islander arrested, charged in lewd behavior act with minor.”

While I do not in any way condone the actions of Marvin Charles Bradley Jr. and the young lady, I must say that I am offended that this is considered to be a headline story. Had Mr. Lysiak taken his research a bit further, perhaps in contacting the young girl’s family or even the Bradley family, he would have easily discovered that this young girl was allegedly living with her own cousin and Marvin at the time. Why an underaged teenage girl was allowed to reside with a random 22-year-old man is a question well worth investigating in and of itself. Maybe then it would have contained a more thorough report of the events in their entirety.

Although the relationship they had is inexcusable and repercussions are completely warranted, I feel that the fact it was published as a top story was undue and objectionable. Marvin Bradley Jr. has not even lived at the listed Sanibel address for at least four years. He comes from a very respectable household, headed by two very hardworking and reputable island business owners.

While I can appreciate the purpose of the press to release pertinent information to members of the community, I feel that the placement of this article was completely wrong. I can’t even count how many islanders have been charged with DUIs, drug charges, mischief and other crimes, yet I can’t recall even a fraction of these incidents making the front page. The News-Press didn’t post a picture of the Sanibel resident indicted on charges of operating a $16 million Ponzi scheme when they ran that story a few weeks ago, yet the story was just as effective in getting the news out.

I don’t want to desensitize the incidents in question, but I do want to testify to the character of the Bradley family and ask that the mistakes of one family member will not reflect upon the other members of the family, who are in much greater need of prayers and community support at this time than for speculation.

Alicia M. Jordan

Sanibel