Black woman falsely accused father of rape; He’s still serving time 15 years later

Navy veteran Daryl Kelly has spent nearly 16 years in prison. He was falsely accused of molestation in October 1997 by his then pre-teen daughter Chaneya, who claims her drug- and alcohol-addicted mother, Charade, forced her to make this horrendous claim. The 24-year-old is seeking forgiveness and tells NBC, “I’m 24-years-old and I made this mistake when I was nine-years-old, but it’s never too late to try and right your wrong.”

Daryl was sentenced to serve 2o to 40 years in prison and barred from having any contact with his five children after he was convicted of multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. He’s now being held in the Green Haven Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in New York. He tells reporters, “All I think is, one day the truth will set me free. All I have to do is hold on.”

  

There was never any forensic evidence of rape. His questionable answers and Chaneya and her mother Charade’s claim, were enough for the jury. He refused to plea which would have made him for parole after six years. Chaneya actually confessed to her grandmother, Pat Thomas, six months later that her father didn’t commit this crime. Thomas went to Daryl’s attorney who presented a videotaped recantation and a sworn affadavit by Charade that she forced her daughter to lie with threats of a beating  to the judge who refused to vacate the sentencing citing it appeared forced.

At age 15, Chaneya was allowed to visit her dad in prison who told her he didn’t blame her.  The district attorney is reinvestigating the case.