NFL Star Lawrence Taylor Is Branded

Former NFL star and Super Bowl Champion from the New York Giants Lawrence Taylor is now a branded man. He must wear the scarlet S of sex offender.

LT as the fans new him and the media dubbed him has plead guilty to to sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute.

Taylor received a sentence of 6 years probation and must register as a sex offender. No jail time was included in the sentence. Since his arrest on May 6, 2010 LT had been cooperating with several jurisdictions and Federal authorities in human trafficking cases. Taylor's cooperation in these other crimes helped police arrest other defendants including the man "pimping" the 16 year old girl that he paid $300.00 to for sexual favors.

In court Taylor claimed he believed the girl to be 19 as told to him by her pimp and the girl herself. I have no reason to doubt Taylor's accounting of the events. The Ramapo police Chief Peter Brower said after Taylor’s arrest that ignorance of a minor’s age is not a defense to third-degree rape. That with the guilty plea is why Lawrence Taylor must register as a level 1 sex offender. Level 1 means Taylor must check in the with police once a year.

There is no delight in seeing the troubled Lawrence Taylor brought to justice, just sadness. L.T. it seems has always had a troubled life off the gridiron, he has struggled with alcohol and substance abuse problems for years. His attorney assured reporters that his client has been sober for years.

For those that are to young to remember the football hero Lawrence Taylor, he was the linebacker that changed how the position was played while leading his team the New York Giants to Super Bowl Victories in 1987 and 1991.

This year we have seen two football greats forever tarnish their reputations in such a way that what they did off the field will be remembered as much as what they did on the field.

Football's Iron Man Brett Favre is being sued by two former Jets employees and their could be more. He owns that he left another lady that brought his off field exploits to the public eye, unacceptable voice mails. Favre denies sending the lady in question pictures of himself and baby Brett. I don't know if he did or did not. I don't know if because of his celebrity he is a target of some women trying to cash in.

What I do know is Favre and Taylor had substance abuse problems off the field and both say they have overcome these addictions. I know the public can and does forgive these character defects in our sports heroes. I also know they are targets for people to exploit for big cash ins. In the case of Favre and Lawrence Taylor, they appear to the targets, targets of their own stupidity. Stupidity and arrogance have a price and for these too fallen gridiron heroes it seems the bill has just come due and will follow them the rest of their lives.

Sexual misconduct is one thing many fans, sports writers and the public at large will not forgive, it leaves a searing brand on the character of those found guilty and today Lawrence Taylor received his branding as sex offender level 1.