Wrongfully Imprisoned Man Posed As Drug Runner For Safety

[Champ]

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Not even murderers and rapists can stand child molesters. Behind bars, they are the marked men, constantly living in fear.

Found guilty of child molestation, John Stoll knew he would never survive with that stigma. So he lied, posing as a drug runner for 20 long years, and managed to avoid attack until his conviction was overturned last week.

"I was terrified," he said. "I knew the odds weren't real good that I wasn't going to get stabbed going to prison as a convicted child molester."

Stoll walked free on Tuesday after most of his alleged victims recanted and said they lied about being molested back in 1984. Prosecutors maintain Stoll is guilty but said they would not refile charges because of a lack of evidence and the recanted testimony.

WFTV