A convicted sex offender who won the lottery can spend his winnings however he likes, a Florida judge ruled Friday according to WFTV.
Timothy Poole, of Mount Dora, won a $3 million scratch-off game last December, leading to controversy over whether criminals should have the right to keep lottery money.
Lawyers for the alleged victims, two adult brothers, filed a lawsuit against Poole in late December and requested a judge freeze Poole's assets out of fear he would spend it all or hide it before the lawsuit was settled.
But the matter was laid to rest on Friday when an Orange County judge ruled there is no state law allowing her to restrict Poole's access to the money, WFTV reported.
The brothers claim Poole sexually abused them for over a year when they were ages 5 and 9. Poole pleaded guilty in 1999 to sexual battery on the 9-year-old but was never charged with abusing the other brother, the Associated Press previously reported. He is registered as a sex offender in Mount Dora.
The lawsuit against Poole, which is still pending, seeks damages for the brothers' pain and suffering. Attempts to reach Poole's lawyer for comment were unsuccessful, WFTV reported.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs told the station the brothers are disappointed with the ruling but are not surprised. They are now working with Florida Senator Darren Soto to introduce legislation barring sex offenders from their lottery winnings for up to a year to give victims the chance to file lawsuits.
Soto is expected to file the bill next week.
