Sex offender registration...always appropriate?

[livendive 8]

Last week, I received another notice from our local police department about a convicted sex offender moving into my neighborhood. It was the second one in the last year. The first guy moved in across the street from me. He'd been convicted of molestation on two occasions, once while he was 17ish and the child 4, the other while he was 21ish and the child 11ish. He declined going through a "treatment" regimen and instead served his full sentence. The community notification seemed totally appropriate to me (actually, I think his punishment should have been much more severe). This most recent one was a bit different. One conviction, while he was 13 and the victim 9. The offender is now 31, with no further problems of that sort, and still having his picture, name, etc distributed wherever he goes. It does say in the notice that he's gone through a psychological evaluation and is estimated to be less likely than more to re-offend. I totally sympathize with this guy's victim and am resolute in condemning whatever his actions were, but I'm still wondering if this is the most appropriate treatment of him. In a few years he'll be three times the age he was when he committed his crime, with no further indication of pedophelia. Who thinks the benefit of community awareness of a crime committed 18 years ago outweighs the odds of this "scarlet letter" type stigma causing him to act out in some violent and/or anti-social manner?

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[Scoop 0]

The stupidity of the legal system is what makes me glad we don't have the public notification that you guys have. I think it would cause more trouble than its worth. As you say, people who are genuine predators don't deserve to see daylight and deserve all they get but someone whos fallen foul of the law on a technicality shouldn't be named and shamed, such as someone marginally underage having consensual sex with someone slightly over the age or a malicious accusation from an ex-partner. That doesn't make them a sex offender in my book

[Richards 0]

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The stupidity of the legal system is what makes me glad we don't have the public notification that you guys have. I think it would cause more trouble than its worth. As you say, people who are genuine predators don't deserve to see daylight and deserve all they get but someone whos fallen foul of the law on a technicality shouldn't be named and shamed, such as someone marginally underage having consensual sex with someone slightly over the age or a malicious accusation from an ex-partner. That doesn't make them a sex offender in my book

While there are some unique cases that may merit consideration, I would normally prefer the option of knowing if one moved into my neighborhood, particularly if I had children of my own.

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[Scoop 0]

The reality is, despite what the media portray, is that these 'monsters' are very few and far between. I wish there could be a line of discretion applied where thosed deemed to be a serious risk were identified but those that are no longer deemed a risk were able to get on with their lives without some horrible community witch hunt, the likes of which we saw over here when a newspaper published details of so called paedophiles.

[lawrocket 3]

I do think that it has been taken too far. I do think that there should be standards that may be used to get a person off of the registry.

What strikes me as bad abotu this one is that it was when the guy was 13. I think that most of the mistakes of our youth should be forgiven and forgotten about.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[steveorino 7]

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The reality is, despite what the media portray, is that these 'monsters' are very few and far between. I wish there could be a line of discretion applied where thosed deemed to be a serious risk were identified but those that are no longer deemed a risk were able to get on with their lives without some horrible community witch hunt, the likes of which we saw over here when a newspaper published details of so called paedophiles.

With the afore mentioned definition that may not be true. I looked at a map of sex crime offenders in my area, and while there were none in my subdivision there were 20+ within a 4 square mile radius. This is a "nice" part of south Tulsa. I find it good info to have, especially when my two granddaughters are around.

steveOrino

[ryoder 1,590]

The whole registration thing is idiotic. If he is a danger to the public, then keep him locked up. If he is not, then release without ridiculous restrictions.

One of the stupidest restrictions is that they can't live withing X feet of a school, etc. Do they really think these people can't walk/ride/drive?

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[Andy9o8 2]

I think they go too far.

Good example is a guy I represented in a civil case in State A seeking a court declaration that he did not have to register as a sex offender under State A's Megan's Law.

While age 22, my client went to a summer beach party at a frat house in State B. He met a girl there; and while they were both very, very drunk & stoned, they went into a bedroom to get it on. Well, the host kid's parents show up, go into the bedroom, and catch my client (with his pants still up, mind you) giving this girl oral sex (she wasn't complaining).

Well, - surprise!! - turns out she was only 16. The host's parents tell the girl's parents; and of course she then claimed to her parents that she was unconscious and didn't consent to being the eatee. The parents go to the cops to defend their virginal (ha!) daughter's honor. My client is charged with misdemeanor unlawful sexual contact. After being (correctly) advised by his criminal lawyer that this conviction wouldn't require him to register as a sex offender in State B, he pled guilty and got probation.

Ah, but he was a resident of State A, and guess what? - the authorities in State A told him that he did have to register as a convicted child molester because if he'd been convicted of the same facts under State A's laws, he'd have to register.

So, he registered. And everywhere he got a place to live, the neighbors would be notified, and he'd get threatened and harrassed out of the neighborhood. He lost 3 places to live and 1 job because of this. That's when he came to me.

Epilogue: after 2 years of pretrial litigation and a 2-day non-jury trial, the judge ruled that my client did not have to register.

[Scoop 0]

Good for you. The law goes too far sometimes

[Lindsey 0]

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The stupidity of the legal system is what makes me glad we don't have the public notification that you guys have. I think it would cause more trouble than its worth. As you say, people who are genuine predators don't deserve to see daylight and deserve all they get but someone whos fallen foul of the law on a technicality shouldn't be named and shamed, such as someone marginally underage having consensual sex with someone slightly over the age or a malicious accusation from an ex-partner. That doesn't make them a sex offender in my book

While there are some unique cases that may merit consideration, I would normally prefer the option of knowing if one moved into my neighborhood, particularly if I had children of my own.

I don't care to know if someone moves into my neighborhood who, at age 13, messed around with a 9 y/o in some way. It's unfortunate that someone in this situation has to have this follow him around. The good thing, though, is that most people probably look at it and think, "What a joke." I bet that more people than not empathize with this guy and don't consider him to be a sexual predator.

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[Amazon 7]

ALWAYS... and then ship them off to balmy Kiska or Attu( Or some other wonderful place set up in the Aluetian Islands for ALL of them...)
FOR the rest of their unnatural lives... let them molest each other there instead of the rest of us or our kids.

[Scoop 0]

Is this a case of "WHY WONT SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!"

Its because of stupid over reaction that we (you!) have bullshit rules like this anyway. Knee jerk reactions to unfortunate events.

[Richards 0]

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I don't care to know if someone moves into my neighborhood who, at age 13, messed around with a 9 y/o in some way. It's unfortunate that someone in this situation has to have this follow him around. The good thing, though, is that most people probably look at it and think, "What a joke." I bet that more people than not empathize with this guy and don't consider him to be a sexual predator.

[narcimund 0]

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ALWAYS... and then ship them off to balmy Kiska or Attu( Or some other wonderful place set up in the Aluetian Islands for ALL of them...)
FOR the rest of their unnatural lives... let them molest each other there instead of the rest of us or our kids.

Yeah. ESPECIALLY the 18 year old whose 16-year-old girlfriend's parents ratted him out -- or the 13 year old kid who's pubescent fantasies got out of hand -- or the grandma who took pictures of her infant grandson in the bath.

Kill 'em all!

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Amazon 7]

I guess you have to be one of those on the recieving end of one of these guys who is oh so loving to his love interests to understand how one of these PREDATORS affects people for the rest of their lives... worse part is many of them have FAR more than just one victim...

Added
REMOVE them... and no Narci dont kill them.. REMOVE them to where they can have all the fun they want.. with each other.

[Richards 0]

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get on with their lives without some horrible community witch hunt, the likes of which we saw over here when a newspaper published details of so called paedophiles.

[narcimund 0]

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REMOVE them... and no Narci dont kill them.. REMOVE them to where they can have all the fun they want.. with each other.

I have to admit I'm shocked. I expected a measure of nonsense, but are you ACTUALLY advocating exiling the grandmother who's convicted of taking pictures of her infant grandson in the bath to an arctic island?

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Amazon 7]

Narci.. you know that is not who I am referring to here.... and the grandmother thing is a huge RED HERRING.....

[rehmwa 2]

Go ahead and list them, but the terms are definitely escalatory. No one reads the term:

"Level __ Sex Offender"
and sees and understands the term "Level __"
all they see is "Sex Offender"

That term should be reserved for the truly offensive types (if they are even remotely lucky enough to survive their prison term - hoping not). The lesser degress should have a different callout.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[narcimund 0]

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and the grandmother thing is a huge RED HERRING.....

I recognize that you have reason to be emotional about this -- but the grandmother is not a red herring. Nor is the teenager who boned his slightly underage girlfriend. Nor is the child who acted childishly with another child.

You have to make a proposal for how to avoid destroying the lives of these essentially innocent people alongside your call to destroy the lives of those who are not innocent.

Well, you don't have to. You can just accept that innocent people will be destroyed by the legal system. That IS how society works after all.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[D22369 0]

I hardly think it should be a label he should carry for decades...he was 13, she 9. Dont get me wrong, its still a crime, but he wasnt an adult or even close to it, so the term pedophile doesnt apply. I am not sure if even calling him a sexual predator is even correct.... if it were a violent assault then he should carry the social stigma, but they coulda been playing "doctor" and got carried away...


the other one though, 17 and victims 4 and 11 he definately deserves the term and if the judicial system were just, he wouldnt ever have seen the light of day again.
As soon as I got my hands on him I would gut him like a fish if that were my son.

Roy

They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

[Amazon 7]

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I recognize that you have reason to be emotional about this -- but the grandmother is not a red herring. Nor is the teenager who boned his slightly underage girlfriend. Nor is the child who acted childishly with another child.

Those instances should never be labeled the same way by our "legal" system as the myriad of REAL honest to god predators we have in this society. I label it part of the whole stupidity that is a system that sees sex as something that no one can talk about in our schools.. because its seen as somethign dirty by the religeous whack jobs that would rather keep their offspring totally STUPID about their sexuality AS IF that is going to prevent them from finding out one way or another. If little Johnnny was taught something about it in a sex ed class perhaps that forbidden fruit would not be so damn enticing now wouldnt it. ALSO it would be a GREAT place to teach little Johnny and his friends that to get caught doing something like the 13 year old molesting the 9 year old that is completely and utterly WRONG.. and to do so will get him put in a horrible place for a VERY LONG time. This way he is not ignorant of what the consequences are.

[tigra 0]

A 13 year old who abused a 9 year old?? I'm not sure I'm comfortable writing that off as adolescent fantasies gone wrong or just a "mistake". When an older kid abuses a much younger child, that tends to be indicative of other problems, doesn't it? Just because he completed a treatment program and has managed to stay out of trouble all this time doesn't mean he shouldn't still be classified as a sex offender. Sucks for him if it didn't really happen and he has to live with the label forever, but if he did molest or abuse the 9 year old why shouldn't he? Its sort of a grey area for me, depending on what the guy actually did. One would hope the courts understood the consequences of labelling a 13 year old as a sex offender and didn't do it without justification.

Now an 18 year old with "caught" with his willing 16 year old girlfriend? Entirely different story.

[Amazon 7]

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A 13 year old who abused a 9 year old?? I'm not sure I'm comfortable writing that off as adolescent fantasies gone wrong or just a "mistake". When an older kid abuses a much younger child, that tends to be indicative of other problems, doesn't it? Just because he completed a treatment program and has managed to stay out of trouble all this time doesn't mean he shouldn't still be classified as a sex offender. Sucks for him if it didn't really happen and he has to live with the label forever, but if he did molest or abuse the 9 year old why shouldn't he?

I think that most of them think that is just no big deal....

She certainly has had to live with it ever since .. now hasnt she.

[crotalus01 0]

the registration laws go way overboard. There is a huge difference between some age 20+ dude who molests a sub-teen girl and a couple of teens who get caught up in all the stat rape laws. Huge difference between some age 20+ dude who molests a sub-teen girl and a 13 year old who is peeping in the hot neighbors window.

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...