JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A convicted sexual predator fighting for his freedom explained to a Jacksonville court on Wednesday why he believes he should be released from a sexual treatment center.

In the early 1990s, Roger Roark admitted to sexually assaulting two of his young relatives. He served a long prison sentence for those crimes, but after his release, he was arrested in Kentucky and confessed to sexually assaulting another girl.

Under the Jimmy Ryce Act, which calls for sexual predators be evaluated to determine the likelihood of reoffending, Roark has been held in the Florida Civil Commitment Center for treatment since his release by the Department of Corrections in 2006.

He has been in court this week because he wants his freedom back.

In court on Tuesday, Roark’s now-adult victims took the stand and asked that the man remain in the treatment facility for sexual offenders.

On Wednesday, prosecutors called Roark to the stand to talk about his past. Roark told the court he knows what he did was wrong, but said he has served his time and deserves to be released.

During questioning, Roark admitted that he molested his family members in Middleburg but said that happened in 1990, and said now he’s a different person.

“I was a very sick individual then, sir,” Roark said.

When questioned by his defense attorney, Roark took responsibility but blamed his disturbing actions in the past in part on drug addiction.

He said he doesn’t think he would have committed the crimes had he not been on drugs.

Roark also told the jury that as a child he was molested by a neighbor and claimed although he’s been diagnosed as a pedophile, he’s been helped by counseling and is no longer a threat to others.

Roark’s wife of seven years also took the stand on Wednesday to say she feels her husband has changed and should be released from the treatment facility. She said she would welcome her husband home to live their 5-year-old daughter.

“He’s always been very open with me about his crime and the situation he was in. The only change that I’ve seen is that he got more open and more honest and seems more remorseful to the crimes he’s committed,” Roark’s wife told the court.

Roark’s trial is expected to conclude on Thursday, and then his fate will be in the hands of the jury.