Groom arrested moments before wedding for failing to disclose he was registered pedophile
A wedding ceremony at the La Porte County Courthouse in Indiana was abruptly interrupted Tuesday when police arrested the groom just before the vows were about to begin.
Bradley D. Armstrong, 66, had arrived at the courthouse to get married when two officers entered the room and stopped the ceremony moments before it started. Authorities took Armstrong into custody on the spot.
The La Porte County Sheriff’s Office later compared the scene to something out of the comedy film “Wedding Crashers,” though the circumstances were far more serious. Armstrong was charged with falsifying a marriage license application, a felony offense.
Investigators say Armstrong failed to disclose on the application that he is a convicted sex offender who is required to remain on Indiana’s Sex and Violent Offender Registry for life.
Police have not released the identity of the person he intended to marry, and it is unknown whether that individual was aware of his criminal history.
Armstrong was convicted in May 2002 of molesting a child. He received a seven-year prison sentence that was suspended, along with an additional seven years of probation.
Despite the sentence, he was released in March 2004, less than two years after the conviction. Authorities have not explained why he was freed so early.
Following his arrest at the courthouse, Armstrong was taken to the La Porte County Jail. His bail was set at $755, and jail records indicate he has since been released. It remains unclear whether the planned marriage will still take place.
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