JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A Duval County jury has voted to free a convicted sexual predator confined to a sexual treatment center for nearly two years since his release from prison.

Roger Roark, who admitted to sexually assaulting two young relatives in Clay County in the early 1990s and served a long prison sentence, had sued the state for his release.

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

Since the Department of Corrections deemed Roark was likely to reoffend, the state was allowed to hold him indefinitely in treatment under provisions of the Jimmy Ryce Act.

After a final defense witness Thursday morning, both sides gave closing arguments.

"It's critically important that you not commit Roger Roark because of the heinous, atrocious, unspeakable things he did to innocent women and children. You should commit him ... because he meets the criteria as a sexually violent offender," Assistant State Attorney Phil Bavington told the jury.

The defense said the crimes Roark committed that landed him in indefinite confinement occurred 18 years ago, and the counseling he has received since then make it unlikely he would offend again.

"That's what he did. He's not proud of it, but he's not in denial," said Roark's attorney, Kelly Pappa.

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 now-adult victims also testified during the three-day civil trial and asked that the man remain in the treatment facility for sexual offenders.

After just over one hour of deliberations, the jury vote 5 to 1 to grant Roark's request for freedom -- a verdict that surprised even Roark.

"For a sex offender like myself, or whatever, to get out, 'cause society looks so hard on us," Roark told Channel 4's Dan Leveton.

Roark praise his attorneys for their hard work in earning his release.

Throughout the trial Roark said the therapy he has received has helped ensure he will not commit another crime. After the verdict, he said he will continue voluntarily in counseling.

After the trial, Roark was immediately released. He said he was anxious to return home to care for his wife and child.