Man Sues Over Mistaken Sex Offender ID
Richard Bryan Smith happens to share the same name and date of birth as a convicted sex offender. And that has led to several cases of mistaken identity, despite the fact that there is a reported three-inch height difference between the two men, their eye colors are different from each other’s, as well as other distinctions.
After his neighbors in Sweet Home, Ore., Ray and Tracy Kelly, not only mistook him for the sex offender but, he believes, publicized this information around town, Smith sued in Linn County Circuit Court for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, reports the Albany Democrat-Herald. “Smith is accusing the Kellys of, among other things, distributing the actual offender’s photograph and sex offender registration information, telling people they refer to him,” the newspaper writes
Local police say they have investigated and confirmed that there are actually two different men with the same name, same birth date and a superficial resemblance living in different states at this time. One, who is living in Reno, Nev., is a convicted sex offender, and the other, who is the plaintiff in the lawsuit, is not.
