Sex Offender Issues

LA - Former Orleans deputy arrested in Internet sex sting

2009-11-25T15:17:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/25/2009

By Michael Luke

METAIRIE – A former deputy with the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office was arrested by State Police for soliciting what he believed to be a minor via the Internet, after he was caught in an on-line sting, according to a statement by State Police spokesman Trooper Melissa Matey.

Michael Chatellier, 38, was arrested Tuesday for “engaging in a sexually explicit manner with undercover agents over the internet. State Police Detectives received information about the indecent behavior of Chatellier with, what he believed was a 14-year-old female in an internet chat room,” said Matey.

Police discovered that Chatellier had been recently released from prison, after serving a two-year sentence for child pornography and computer-aided solicitation of a juvenile, said Matey.

“During the search warrant,” said Matey, “detectives located 116 pornographic images involving juveniles. Chatellier was arrested and booked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on five counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, two counts of computer aided solicitation of a minor, three counts of sex offender registration violations and 116 counts of possession of pornography involving juveniles.”

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

WA - Tent City 4 will return in January (A so called "Church Ministry" is denying people who may be sex offenders, shelter! Is that what Jesus would do?)

2009-11-25T13:50:00.001-05:00

View the article here

11/24/2009

By Warren Kagarise

Homeless encampment last visited Community Church in 2007

Tent City 4 will return in late January, when the homeless encampment sets up at Community Church of Issaquah.

Organizers announced a plan last week to welcome the encampment from Jan. 23 to April 23 on the Community Church property where the community settled in late 2007. The complex includes up to 100 homeless residents, and moves between Eastside churches. Residents leave the camp for work during the day. Applicants undergo sex offender and warrant checks.

Elizabeth Maupin, coordinator of the Issaquah Sammamish Interfaith Coalition, recalled how Issaquah welcomed the roving camp then — and predicted the community would do so again.

“We anticipate that even in these very difficult times, Tent City 4 will again find that Issaquah is a community of kind, generous people who want to reach out to those in dire straits,” she said.

Tent City 4 will come to Issaquah after a stint at a Bellevue church. Maupin said organizers would secure the necessary city permits in order to host the encampment at Community Church, 205 Mountain Park Blvd. S.W.

The church last hosted Tent City 4 from August to November 2007. When the city permit was issued then, staffers from most city departments had comments. Organizers were required to maintain the site and address security issues.The camp will again be required to adhere to local fire, health and safety codes. Community Church will be responsible for electricity, sanitation and water.

“Staff throughout the city government, from the permit department to the police department were all very helpful, not only as public servants, but as private citizens who collected donations to keep Tent City residents dry, warm and fed,” Maupin said.

Community Church representative Earle Jones joined Maupin to present the Tent City 4 plan to City Council members Nov. 16.

Jones noted how the city supported the church when Tent City 4 last arrived in Issaquah. Because the Community Church congregation is small — with about 50 members, most of whom are seniors — the church will seek help from other churches and civic groups.

Maupin said the interfaith coalition would raise money and organize volunteers to coordinate meals and donations for camp residents.

A committee made up of representatives from churches will organize the Tent City 4 return.

Maupin said the encampment “provides a safe place for people to sleep and keep their belongings as long as they are able to abide by the camp rules.”

When the encampment last set up in Issaquah, the fenced complex included a food service tent, a security tent, community areas and a shower housed in a trailer.

Maupin recalled how Tent City 4 residents volunteered at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery and the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank during the 2007 stop.

“Some found employment that eventually enabled them to move into housing,” she said.

Despite the smooth run the encampment experienced in Issaquah, Tent City 4 has produced opposition and legal battles in other cities. The first Tent City was established in Seattle in 1990.

A group of Mercer Island residents attempted to halt the encampment last summer, but a King County Superior Court judge intervened and allowed the camp to set up at a Mercer Island church. Woodinville officials filed a lawsuit against the encampment related to damages the city said occurred during a 2004 visit.

During the last legislative session, state lawmakers attempted to override local zoning rules and prohibit cities from intervening if a church wanted to host homeless people, but the bill fizzled.

The challenges contrast with the treatment Tent City 4 organizers and residents received in Issaquah. Maupin said business owners welcomed residents, and schools used the encampment as a learning tool for students.

“It was, in fact, such a successful event that I have often been asked by those who got to know the encampment how soon they would return,” Maupin said.

And my response sent to them, here:

I recently read this article:

http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/11/24/tent-city-4-will-return-in-january/

And I noticed you do sex offender and warrant checks.

I have just one question, "What would Jesus do?"

You claim to be a church ministry, yet I do not think Jesus would turn ANYBODY away.

A majority of sex offenders are trying everything in their power to get on with their lives, yet society continually knocks them back down again, and I find it appalling that a "Church Ministry" is also doing this.

I think it's wonderful to help people in need, but sex offenders are people as well.

So, are you a true religious person, or a hypocrite? I think the latter

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

MI - Suicide at Washtenaw County Jail under investigation

2009-11-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/24/2009

A man charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct committed suicide Monday at the Washtenaw County Jail, authorities said.

_____, 36, was found by a correctional officer about 4:55 p.m., who reported that _____ had hanged himself, Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies said.

He was taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators have interviewed the inmates on the cell block, said Derrick Jackson, the sheriff's department's director of community engagement. An internal investigation, which is considered routine in such a case, is also under way, Jackson said.

Jackson did not know whether _____ shared a cell with anyone and did not have details about the charge he was facing. Michigan State Police at the Ypsilanti post confirmed they are investigating the case and arrested _____ in October, but no further details were available this afternoon.

"There's nothing that would lead us to believe it wasn't a suicide," Jackson said.

_____ was booked at the jail on Nov. 12 and hadn't been convicted of anything, Jackson said.

Mental health support is being offered to staff and inmates, officials said.

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

GA - Facing rape charge, colonel commits suicide

2009-11-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/23/2009

By Trista Talton

Fit and with chiseled good looks, he was the picture of a “squared-away” Marine Corps officer.

A reservist, he parlayed an Ivy League degree into corporate success.

He had respect, friends and family.

It all unraveled suddenly after he had sex with his daughter’s college acquaintance.

He said it was consensual. She said it was rape.

Four days after pleading innocent to related charges, Col. _____, 50, was found dead of an apparent suicide at the Residence Inn Marriott in Norcross, Ga.

A maid discovered his body. He was dressed in his Marine dress “D” uniform — short-sleeve khaki shirt with blue trousers. _____ had duct-taped a plastic bag around his head and asphyxiated himself with helium, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department.

_____, a logistician in the Individual Ready Reserve who commanded a Kansas City, Mo.-based unit responsible for mustering and mobilizing IRR Marines, was a vice president at United Parcel Service. He was suspended from his civilian job, however, after his employers learned about the rape allegation.

_____ faced up to 20 years in prison. He was visiting his daughter, a student at Indiana University in Bloomington, on Oct. 18 when he had sex with one of her acquaintances in an off-campus apartment, according to police and his attorney, Megan Lewis.

The 21-year-old woman told police that she had been drinking before she went to sleep, and that she woke up as _____ was having sex with her, said Capt. Joe Qualters, a Bloomington police spokesman. _____ told authorities that he had sex with the woman, but called it consensual, Qualters said.

“He was remorseful that he had sex with her and also indicated that he was remorseful that he hadn’t used a condom,” Qualters said.

_____ was married, but separated from his wife, his attorney said. He is survived by his two children and two stepchildren. Efforts to contact his family were unsuccessful.

On Nov. 2, _____ appeared in court, pleaded not guilty, and agreed to give a blood sample so he could be tested for communicable diseases. He posted a $20,000 bond and was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim.

A prosperous career

_____ was the picture of success — a Harvard-educated executive at UPS and a longtime Marine officer, serving on active duty from 1982 to 1991 before moving to the Reserve. His booking photo, released by Bloomington police, shows his chiseled jawline and a quintessentially Marine hairstyle.

He lived in a gated community in Johns Creek, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta along the shores of the Chattahoochee River. The street on which he lived is lined with three-story luxury town houses, some of which are currently selling for close to $500,000.

_____’s home of record is Atlanta, according to information provided by Marine Corps Mobilization Command in Kansas City. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of San Francisco and later picked up a master’s in business administration from Harvard.

In May, he took command of Peacetime/Wartime Support Team Midwest in Kansas City. Before that, _____ was deputy rear area operations group commander with III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, a position he held from May 2004 until April 2009.

Throughout his Marine career, _____ held numerous assignments, including stints as a platoon commander with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and, later, as a logistics officer with the 13th MEU, both out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

He was hired by UPS in 1994 and initially worked in Tokyo, a company spokesman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. _____ then went on to become the company’s highest-ranking supply chain manager in Japan and South Korea. At the time of his suspension, he worked at UPS’ corporate headquarters in Sandy Springs, Ga., as a vice president of supply chain and logistics.

Mike Healy said he met _____ when the future colonel was a junior in college. They became friends, then roommates and stayed in touch through mutual friends over the years.

Healy described _____ as “squared away,” a “genius” who would file complicated tax returns for his friends during college and helped his friends live on slim budgets. He said _____ was athletic. He was someone who could “outrun a deer,” Healy said.

He said _____’s death and the allegations against him. The decision to have sex with a college student was “poor judgment on his part,” Healy said, but he vehemently defended his friend’s character.

“When I heard about what happened … there’s no way in hell he raped anybody,” Healy said. “I still can’t quite fathom that he would take his own life like that. What could have led to this? I have no idea. He was very devoted. He was a sensitive guy.”

Healy said several mutual friends attended _____’s funeral Nov. 12 in the Atlanta area.

Maintained his innocence

_____’s arrest was detailed in newspaper and television reports throughout Indiana, and bloggers ferociously debated his case online — all of it unwanted attention that, along with his employer’s decision to put him on leave, was “too much for him to handle,” his attorney said.

“He maintained his innocence throughout,” Lewis said, adding she believed _____ had a strong case. “This is an example of a system, through the media, where you’re guilty until proven innocent.”

Around 2 p.m. Nov. 5, _____ checked in at the Marriott less than 10 miles from his home, but he didn’t stay the night there, according to a police report. Instead, he went out with his son, who returned him to the hotel the next morning around 7. He was scheduled to check out of his room by 11 a.m.

The maid found his body shortly after noon. A medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.

An unloaded 9mm pistol, wrapped in a white plastic bag, was found on a table near _____’s body — along with a note. Police declined to discuss the letter’s contents.

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

New polls added to the left of the blog, above the labels, please check them out when you have the time

2009-11-25T09:32:00.000-05:00

We have added some polls to the left side of this blog, above the labels. Please take the time, when you can, to check them out and answer any or all of them.

Thanks,

Sex Offender Issues

PETITION - Abolish Retroactive Application of Sex Offender Registration

2009-11-25T07:48:00.003-05:00

View the article here

11/24/2009

To: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate and The U.S. House

Started by: Citizens For Change, America

All across the United States, countless thousands of families are being torn apart by unconstitutional lawmaking which began when in 2007, Alberto Gonzales the then Attorney General made the Adam Walsh Act Retroactive thereby violating the Constitutional Ban on Ex Post Facto Law.

This action has been devastating to not only the lives of ex-sex offenders who have been living clean, law abiding and productive lives in society for decades, but also this action is devastating, ostracizing, humiliating and counter productive to the lives of the Children, Grand Children and husbands and Wives of these Ex Offenders.

Article 1, Section 9 of the United States Constitution:

No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

Furthermore, Each and All 50 states have this very same section in their State Constitutions.

The United States Supreme Court in 2003 stated in Smith v Doe that the ex post facto application of these Sex Offender Registration Laws was not Punitive in nature, but civil and regulatory intent.

I stress, hundreds of new laws are bing passed since that decision which target anyone who wears the label, Sex Offender and though the intent of the retroactive application of this law may have been civil and regulatory, the effect has become criminal and punishment.

Thousands of lives of citizens who have lived clean, productive and law abiding lives for decades are not on the registries and being monitored at tax payer expense. These people are no threat to society and have proven so for decades.

Drunk drivers kill 18 thousand people a year, but nobody is creating retroactive laws, online drunk driver registry and shaming to homelessness those who kill while drunk. 18 thousand deaths a year!

Entire SORNA Debate | SORNA Highlights | Video Link

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

FL - Lock 'em up and throw away the key? Some say yes

2009-11-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/24/2009

By JULIE MURPHY

The headlines, sometimes daily, rekindle the outcry:

"Man charged with rape of 7-year-old girl"

"Sexual predator seen with gun at school"

"Sex offender accused of trying to meet teen"

"Man charged with molesting a 4-year-old"

Some residents say their children aren't safe and lately lawmakers question if regulations are tough enough.

Florida prohibits sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of schools, day care centers, parks and other places that attract children, but state Rep. Luis Garcia Jr., D-Miami Beach, said recently he'd like to see "a study of longer incarceration, just putting them away and throwing the key away."

Is it even feasible -- if laws were changed to make sex offenders "lifers" -- to lock 'em all away?

Florida is home to about 40,000 sexual offenders and predators, and about one third of them are currently incarcerated, according to data provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Corrections. The incarcerated sex offenders use enough beds to fill one-fifth of the state's prisons.

"We would definitely have to build more prisons if the sex offenders on the street were to be locked up," she said.

Florida law requires that prisons never reach full capacity, Plessinger said. At least 19 prisons, at a cost of $100 million per prison, would have to be built to house the remaining offenders living out in the community.

"That's just the building cost," Plessinger said. "That doesn't include the costs to staff and run a prison."

Even if the lock-them-all-up strategy won't fly, lawmakers are likely to consider tighter controls.

Marti Harkness, a specialist in criminal justice issues for the Florida Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Governmental Accountability, said he expects a request will come next session for him to research longer prison terms or the possibility of electronic monitoring for all offenders.

Monitoring is the far less expensive option, but it's not cheap.

At nearly $9 per day, it would cost about $130 million per year to monitor all of Florida's sex offenders. The cost to incarcerate them would be $649 million per year, plus the $1.9 billion to build all the prisons, based on numbers provided by the Department of Corrections.

And, of course, these numbers don't take into account the sex offenders who either haven't been caught or are otherwise not yet in the system.

"There just aren't any easy answers," Harkness said.

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

CNN - Tracking Sex Offenders (11-24-2009)

2009-11-24T20:28:00.001-05:00

And they use the usual "100,000 offenders are missing" goldilock number. This is the same as the "1 in 5," and "50,000 online predators!"

Video Link

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

OFF TOPIC - ALL THE STARS IN THE SKY! AWESOME!!

2009-11-24T19:16:00.000-05:00

Click the image to visit the site

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

MN - SUMMIT WILL IDENTIFY WAYS WE CAN CURB SEXUAL VIOLENCE

2009-11-24T16:42:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/24/2009

By PATTY WETTERLING

Twenty years ago I knew nothing about sexual violence. After my son Jacob was kidnapped, I learned quickly that the motive behind child kidnapping is most often sexual violence or exploitation. Who would do that? Who would sexually harm a child?

The answer is complicated, but I now know that the environment matters.

Twenty years ago, the community’s response to Jacob’s kidnapping was as it should be. Minnesota collectively put its foot down and said “no more.” We enacted legislation and improved training for police and response protocols. We have made a real difference in our ability to respond to this crime effectively.

Now it is time to stop sexual violence from happening before it starts. It is time to address the environment that feeds sexual violence, in order to inoculate our culture against it.

What causes people to harm others sexually? How are we “growing” human beings willing to exploit positions of power to cause sexual harm? How can we promote gender equity and respect in our schools, colleges, and workplaces? In our faith communities, neighborhoods, and homes?

It starts with the environment. We live in a culture that normalizes the very attitudes we condemn once they become headlines. And the information about healthy sexuality that our children need to thrive is largely missing.

We sell and purchase sexualized clothing for very young children. We coach our sons about how to win a game but not how to create respectful sexual relationships. We tolerate advertising that portrays young adults as sexual objects for attainment. We give points to those who rape on video games and additional points for those who go back to murder their victims. We flood the Internet, television, music, and movies with images of women who have been dehumanized, harmed or murdered for our entertainment. We are shocked when someone actually commits a crime or act of sexual violence, but we shouldn’t be. We taught them how.

In Minnesota, we have begun to imagine our lives without sexual violence.

The Minnesota Department of Health, with the support of the US Centers for Disease Control and many community partners, has developed the state’s first Sexual Violence Prevention Plan. And on December 4, The Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Violence (Contact) along with the Minnesota Department of Health and several other state agencies will sponsor The Minnesota Summit to Prevent Sexual Violence.

Invited leaders from business, media, government, academia, faith, philanthropy and nonprofit sectors will gather for a one-day prevention think tank. Leaders will identify actions in their sphere of influence to change the environment that grows sexual violence. This is a massive effort for social change, and we need champions from every sector, in every part of our state.

Twenty years after my son was kidnapped, I find hope in our state’s commitment to an environment that will allow all our children to thrive. I’m proud that Minnesota is the first state to hold a Sexual Violence Prevention Summit. (Other states are preparing their own actions, and a National Summit will be held in Washington, D.C. in June 2010.) Please become a Champion for Prevention in your community. For more information about Minnesota’s Sexual Violence Prevention Plan or The Minnesota Summit go to www.theminnesotasummit.com.

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

IL - Please Oppose the Adam Walsh Act

2009-11-24T14:49:00.000-05:00

This is a letter written by a member of SOSEN, and posted with their permission. Feel free to modify it, and send it on to those in Illinois.

State Senate Members
State House Members

11/24/2009

Dear Senator Duffy (Contact),

The State of Illinois is considering implementing the Adam Walsh Act which imposes stricter guidelines on individuals who have been convicted of a sex crime. Most of us want to protect children it is a quality that our heavenly Father has made an innate quality in each of us.

Unfortunately, there is no evidence that the AWA will protect children from being a victim of a sexual crime. Recently in the news there have been stories about children being victimized by adults. In most of these cases the perpetrator was not a convicted sex offender and in no case would the AWA have proven to have saved a child. The AWA would put more teenagers on the National Registry and be required to register to time indefinite. Yes it is unfortunate that so many teens are promiscuous and that some adults are being seduced or acting out compulsive behavior. But instead of passing AWA, we as a people need to examine what can be done in the early stages of a child's life to convey to them the importance of living a chaste life and how to prevent themselves from being lured by manipulative adults and peers.

Some states have opposed the AWA because they do not want the federal government telling them how to manage their sex offenders.

We want the federal government to protect us from terrorist and deal with the economy and let each state address domestic issues such as sexual deviance. Some state have indicated that it would be too costly to implement the AWA and it would make more fiscal sense to just let the government rescind 10% of the funding that they provide to maintain the Registry.

I am asking that you introduce legislation to provide funding to educate the general public about our responsibility to protect our kids from violence, sexual abuse, etc. Nearly 90% of all sex crimes against kids are committed by someone the child knows. The AWA does not prevent kids from being victims. It only allows us to brand more adults and teens as Registered Sex Offenders. Education is the best remedy to reduce this kind of crime.

Thank you for your service and I ask that you stand up boldly for justice!

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

Happy Thanksgiving! Don't eat too much!

2009-11-24T13:15:00.000-05:00

Video Link

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

OFF TOPIC - Homeless Christians in Springfield, Mo.

2009-11-24T10:15:00.006-05:00

The poem this man recites is excellent!

Video Link

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

UK - Watchdog Ofsted accused of stoking child safety fears

2009-11-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/24/2009

Local government leaders have accused Ofsted of "feeding people's fears" over child safety, rather than improving child protection in England.

The watchdog was more interested in "protecting its own reputation" than providing a "calm, measured voice", the Local Government Association said.

An Ofsted spokeswoman said: "There can be no hiding place for poor practice."

Ofsted, which covers formal education and children's services and childcare, is due to deliver its annual report.

The report is usually an occasion for the chief inspector to highlight the failures and successes in schools and children's services.

Independent?

However, ahead of its publication, Shireen Ritchie, chairwoman of the Local Government Association's children and young people board, said Ofsted needed to be "independent, and to offer conclusions based on facts and research rather than being influenced by external events".

She said inspectors could not "sit on the sidelines and offer tick-box judgements".

"The LGA believes Ofsted has become too concerned about protecting its own reputation and places a disproportionate emphasis on publicly highlighting weaknesses in child protection without adequately reflecting the huge amount of good work being done by councils across the country," says an LGA statement.

This publicity creates a risk-averse culture, says the LGA, which means that health professionals and police are overloading social services with extra work - making it harder to identify genuine cases.

It says there have been 47% increase in care applications in the three months to September 2009 compared with the same period last year.

And there has been a 9% increase in children being taken into care in the last year.

The local government body does not mention the publicity that followed the death of Baby Peter.

But earlier this month Ofsted admitted to a "serious and deeply regrettable error" in failing to disclose potential evidence in a High Court case involving Sharon Shoesmith, the former head of children's services at Haringey council.

Ms Shoesmith was dismissed from her post following a damning inspection report, after the trial of those responsible for the death of the 17-month-old child.

'Meaningless'

Ofsted is also under fire from the Association of Directors of Children's Services.

It claims that the the forthcoming annual performance profiles of local authorities are "not fit for purpose" and their assessments of children's services are "brief almost to the point of meaninglessness".

In response to the criticisms, Ofsted said it was "concerned about its reputation - a reputation for frankness and fearlessness and making a difference to children's lives".

"We would be failing in our duty if we did not highlight what works and where improvements are needed. We make no apology for this."

A spokesperson for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "Robust, high quality, independent inspection is, of course, a vital part of ensuring that children's services around the country are the best they can possibly be."

"It is important too that Ofsted and colleagues delivering children's services have a shared appreciation and understanding of the inspection process."

"This is the first year of the Comprehensive Area Assessments to which ADCS refer and after publication of the results on 10 December, the DCSF will work with Ofsted and ADCS to help identify lessons from this first round of assessments."

Shadow Children's Minister Tim Loughton said: "Ofsted urgently needs to improve. We cannot have a situation where inspectors are more concerned with bureaucratic process than with outcomes."

"We need inspections that tell us how well children are being educated and cared for, not just how many government boxes departments of children's services have ticked."

"At the moment the system seems to spend too much time protecting itself and not enough time protecting the interests of children," said Mr Loughton.

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

GA - Some Worry Georgia Law's Loophole Makes Teacher-Student Sex OK

2009-11-24T09:44:00.003-05:00

View the article here

11/24/2009

By EMILY FRIEDMAN

Lawmakers in Georgia are working to close what they say is a loophole in the state law that has already freed at least two teachers who were jailed for having sex with their students.

In June, the Supreme Court in Georgia ruled in a 5-2 decision that a female teacher who had been convicted of assault against her 16-year-old female student should have been allowed to use consent as a defense in court.

The student, who was not named, testified that she had initiated the relationship with 28-year-old _____, but her statements were barred from being used during the trial. The age of consent in Georgia is 16.

_____ was subsequently released from jail.

The statement by the majority of the court said the law specifies that only certain relationships between people in authority and their subordinates – a psychotherapist and his patient or a police officer and a criminal in custody, for example – were not allowed to use consent in their defense.

No mention of using consent as a defense in a teacher-student relationship was noted in the statute.

The court also said that by not allowing consent as a defense could result in "absurd results," such as a "30-year-old law school professor being found guilty of sexual assault for having an encounter with a 50-year-old law school student."

State Rep. Kevin Levitas, D-Atlanta, says that the state Supreme Court misinterpreted the law and is now introducing a House bill to fix the problem he says could allow children to become victims at the hands of their teachers.

"I'm trying to make sure that a teacher is not able to claim consent as a defense to having sex with one of his or her students," Levitas told ABCNews.com.

Court Ruling Freed Teachers From Student Sex Charges

Levitas' bill would not allow consent to be used as a defense between individuals in a supervisory relationship.

According to Levitas, the existing law was misinterpreted to center on the age of consent rather than the relationship between the two individuals. Levitas argues that a person's consent could be made under "pressure and coercion" when they're the subordinate in a relationship.

But for those teachers who are currently charged with sexually assaulting a student, the Supreme Court's ruling on _____ v. State couldn't have come at a better time.

In the months since the court's ruling, several teachers who were charged with sexual assault had their convictions overturned, arguing that the student in question had given consent to the relationship.

Richard Dennis Whitehead, 37, had been in prison for nearly two years when the Court of Appeals overturned his conviction. Whitehead had been found guilty of having sex with one of his 17-year-old female students.

The court said in its ruling that the student had been a "willing participant" in the relationship with Whitehead and referred to the ruling in the _____ case that allowed consent to be part of the defense.

_____, 36, is hoping the _____ ruling will also affect his case. _____ is accused of having sex with a 17-year-old female student at Marietta High School, according to his attorney Scott Semrau, where he had taught English and journalism courses for four years.

_____ is currently out on bond. If convicted, he would face a minimum of 10 years in prison under Georgia state law.

Semrau says he's surprised the district attorney in Cobb County is even prosecuting his client's case given the rulings in Whitehead, _____ and other cases across the state.

"If _____ v. State hadn't happened, my client would certainly be worse off," said Semrau. According to Semrau, the student has testified that the relationship was consensual and has even talked about her desire to continue the relationship should _____'s trial be thrown out.

Georgia Lawmaker Says It's a Shame Teachers Allowed to Romance Students

_____'s bond restrictions do not allow him to contact the student until the case has been resolved, said Semrau.

"It's infinitely clear that the law provides for consensual, sexual contact," said Semrau, who said the state had "no chance" against his client thanks to the _____ ruling.

But Levitas says cases like Whitehead and now possibly _____ is a "shame."

"It's a shame not just for the citizens of Georgia overall but very specifically the children who could become victims of sexual assault by their teachers," said Levitas.

Levitas says he plans to introduce the House bill during the next legislative session, which begins on Jan. 11.

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

FL - New Smyrna Beach explores sex-offender laws

2009-11-24T07:55:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/24/2009

By MARK I. JOHNSON

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- If Dolores Maylone had her way, New Smyrna Beach's welcome mat would read: "No pedophiles allowed."

She recently came before the City Commission demanding it adopt an ordinance limiting where such sexual offenders can live, or even walk.

"If we make life difficult for them maybe they will move on before another child's life is ruined or another child dies," the New Smyrna Beach resident said.

Maylone voices concern that New Smyrna Beach trails other cities in enacting local rules tougher than state restrictions prohibiting sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of parks, recreation centers and around schools or any other place children might congregate.

Documents provided by the New Smyrna Beach Police Department (Contact) indicate 10 cities in Volusia County have more restrictive conditions than the state. Nine of the 10, including Deltona, DeLand, Ormond Beach and Pierson, prohibit such offenders from living within 2,500 feet of a school, park or playground. Oak Hill adopted a 1,500-foot limitation.

Enacting and enforcing such restrictions are two different things, New Smyrna Beach Police Chief Ron Pagano said, but that hasn't stopped him and the city attorney from complying with commission direction to research what it would take to create a workable ordinance.

"We are exploring all possibilities," Pagano said.

Currently, New Smyrna Beach police officers conduct monthly checks on offenders to ensure they are following the laws governing their residences and movements.

Pagano said, at best, violation of any new city laws would be a misdemeanor charge. In some cases, the law might be impossible to enforce, such as distance restrictions on unmarked places where children gather, including school bus stops.

"This is not simple," the chief said. A law can be well intended but not practical to enforce.

There is also the issue of identifying pedophiles, who are not always registered sex offenders; just as not all sex offenders are pedophiles.

"You can't just go up to a person and ask if they are a sex offender," the chief said.

Some experts question if the restrictions already in place even work.

Marti Harkness, a specialist in criminal justice issues for the Florida Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis and Governmental Accountability (Contact), said during a recent report before a state House panel that his research showed laws limiting where offenders live are not connected to new crimes they commit.

"The literature is not real solid," he said by phone from his Tallahassee office.

A better deterrent would be "loitering zones" that prevent offenders from hanging out in a particular area, or electronic monitoring, Harkness said. However, that tends to be expensive and has technical drawbacks.

Professor Jill Levenson of Lynn University (Email) in Boca Raton, who believes there is no correlation between recidivism and where a sex offender lives, developed one of the studies Harkness used for his presentation.

"If all you are concerned about is abuse, then you are barking up the wrong tree," she said.

She said most pedophiles build relationships of trust and familiarity with their victims, which current laws don't address with restrictions on where such offenders can sleep.

"The current (state) law does nothing to restrict pedophiles from going anywhere during the day, just where they live," Levenson said. However, she does believe loitering zones make sense. "They restrict their ability to hang around an area and develop a relationship with children."

Maylone's ire surfaced after the September arrest of a registered sexual predator who walked onto the campus of Chisholm Elementary School armed with a BB pistol, telling everyone he was an agent with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

School officials said Kareen W. McNeal, 28, New Smyrna Beach, had no court-ordered restrictions prohibiting him from being on campus and had permission from a student's mother to pick up her son.

McNeal received his predator designation after a 1999 conviction for kidnapping and sexual battery with a weapon of a juvenile in Miami-Dade County. Florida Department of Law Enforcement records show he was confined in the North Florida Reception Medical Center. He was released in May 2007.

"I am upset, appalled, shocked and frustrated," Maylone said.

However, school officials said as soon as they were aware of McNeal's status, they kept him under surveillance while he was on campus.

Maylone said allowing McNeal on the school grounds endangered the children, which she believes is inexcusable. Her solution would ban pedophiles permanently from such locations, no matter what the courts said.

"If that is stepping on people's rights, we have to do it," she said. "It is time we protect our children."

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

NE - AG Lauds New Online Enticement Laws

2009-11-23T14:10:00.000-05:00

View the article here
Watch the video here

11/23/2009

Bruning Says New Statutes Make Prosecuting Sex Offenders Easier

OMAHA - Nebraska’s Attorney General Jon Bruning (Contact) is looking forward to prosecuting sex offenders under new online enticement laws.

Bruning said a recent case has caught his attention.

Nebraska State Patrol troopers recently arrested _____, 33, and was later charged with enticement by electronic communication device and sexual assault by use of an electronic communication device.

Bruning said _____ is a level-3 sex offender. He was convicted of attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child in 1997. In September, a 12-year-old girl in Los Angeles told investigators she had sexually explicit conversations with _____ over the Internet and phone.

Last week, troopers tracked down _____ to a home in Lincoln. Court documents indicated investigators searched the home and seized _____’s computers.

Bruning said a new law will have a big impact if prosecutors get a conviction in such cases.

“Now it’s a three-year minimum sentence for online enticement,” Bruning said. “If they go out and they try to pursue a child and have a sexual conversation with them over the Internet, we can charge them.”

Bruning said without the new law and others passed a few years ago, cases such as _____’s would be hard to prosecute because state statutes didn’t deal with such online issues.

Having higher penalties gives authorities more tools to use in the ongoing battle against sex offenders, said Bruning.

“These are children on the other end of the line,” he said. “They shouldn’t be exposed to these things.”

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

PA - Berks judge objects to new federal law requiring juvenile sex offenders' names to be posted on Web

2009-11-23T02:07:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/23/2009

By Holly Herman

Jurist, others object to federal law requiring that they be treated like adults

Juvenile sex offenders can be rehabilitated and become productive members of society, Berks County Senior Judge Arthur E. Grim said.

That's why Grim vehemently opposes putting juvenile sex offenders' names on a public Web site, as is required under the federal Adam Walsh's Law. The law requires juveniles 14 and older who are found delinquent in sexual-assault crimes to register their addresses with state police.

Grim said the juvenile system is capable of rehabilitating youths who commit sex offenses.

"To suggest that because they committed these acts they should be required to register for 60 to 70 years does not make sense," said Grim, who has presided in juvenile court for 21 years.

"These crimes involve acts that are more of an exploratory nature as opposed to violent," he said.

Grim said sex offender treatment for juveniles is intensive and lengthy.

The law allows for juveniles to remain in treatment even after age 21.

Of the 1,128 juvenile offenders under supervision in Berks, 54 are sex offenders and 17 of them are in residential treatment facilities.

Robert N. Williams, chief county juvenile probation officer, said the sex offenders are under supervision typically until they are 18.

"There is no research that shows that registration keeps the community safer," Williams said.

Williams said juvenile sex offenders rarely offend again.

"The new law will treat juveniles like adults, and the whole system is set up to treat juveniles differently," Williams said.

Scott Matson, senior policy adviser with SMART, an agency overseeing the transition, said not all states are opposed to the registration of juvenile offenders.

They believe that a juvenile committing a serious crime is the same as an adult committing that crime, Matson said.

"Some states don't mind putting juveniles on the Web site," he said.

Nicole Pittman, juvenile justice policy analyst at the National Juvenile Defender Center in Washington, said the organization is lobbying to change the requirement that juveniles be put on the public Web site.

"States are having trouble complying because the juvenile part is too harsh," Pittman said. "Ninety-eight percent of the juveniles committing sex crimes do not commit crimes as adults."

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

Upcoming Events

2009-11-22T22:31:00.001-05:00

The calendar below, I will be using to add upcoming events pertaining to sex offender laws, news, conferences, radio shows, etc. So bookmark this page and check back often.

NOTE: This is also on our web site, here.

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

PETITION - THE STOP VIGILANTE VIOLENCE AND WEBSITES ACT OF 2010

2009-11-22T18:39:00.000-05:00

Click the image to visit the site, read and sign the petition

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

CA - Not In My Backyard

2009-11-22T16:04:00.001-05:00

View the article here

11/13/2009

Documentary focuses on Sex Offenders - KCLU special report explores effects of “Jessica’s Law”

THOUSAND OAKS - They sleep under bushes and bridges and in trash dumpsters in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. They are homeless sex offenders on parole and there’s a growing army of them throughout California.

KCLU News will broadcast a one-hour documentary called “Not in My Backyard” at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19. Produced and reported by KCLU Special Projects Reporter John North, the program will explore two provisions of “Jessica’s Law” --- residency restrictions and GPS tracking of sex offender parolees.

The documentary also looks at GPS monitoring of sex offender probationers by the Ventura County Probation Department. It features interviews with parole agents, probation officers, a California Department of Corrections official, the California Sex Offender Management Board chairperson and several homeless high-risk sex offender parolees.

According to the professionals who supervise and oversee the management of sex offenders, the stress caused by being homeless increases the risk that they’ll commit another crime.

The statewide public safety issue is the result of “Jessica’s Law.” Approved by 70 percent of California voters in November 2006 as Proposition 83, a get-tough-on-sex-offenders initiative, “Jessica’s Law” has residency restrictions that have created a 2,000-percent increase in homeless sex offender parolees.

The restrictions mandate that convicted child molesters cannot live within a half-mile of a school or park where children gather and all other convicted sex offenders can’t live within a lesser distance of 2,000 feet. In many urban areas of the state, these “predator-free zones” preclude most compliant housing and, consequently, the sex offender parolees become homeless.

KCLU is the National Public Radio station serving Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. KCLU broadcasts at 88.3 FM in Ventura County and at 102.3 FM and 1340 AM in Santa Barbara County . KCLU is a public service of California Lutheran University.

YouTube Playlist

"That old law about 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

AR - Laws Push Sex Offenders Into High Density

2009-11-22T15:59:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/22/2009

NORTHWEST — Residents of Jimani Apartments on Lowell Road in Springdale share the complex with four registered sex offenders, all assessed as individuals with relatively high probability of re-offense, according to the Arkansas Crime Information Center Web site.

Changes in state laws in 2003 and 2007 created small concentrations of sex offenders throughout Northwest Arkansas near many residential neighborhoods. Laws restrict how close sex offenders can live to businesses and institutions.

“Certain offenders can’t live within 2,000 feet of a school, public park or a licensed day care center,” said Detective Leonard Graves, Fayetteville’s representative on the Northwest Arkansas Sex Offender and Violent Crime Task Force. “That starts eliminating a lot of a city.”

A city like Fayetteville, with about 65 schools and day care centers and numerous small parks, doesn’t have much space left that is eligible, Graves said.

Springdale has a larger number of offenders living in its city limits than other towns in Northwest Arkansas. Affordable housing is the attraction, said Detective Jared Pena, Springdale’s representative on the task force. “We tell them what areas they can live,” Pena said. “They have to find a place they can afford.”

No law requires a perspective landlord to tell a renter about his neighbors — even if he knows. It’s renter beware.

Management at the Jimani Apartments said they did not know why the four sex offenders live there and the owner was out of town and not available for comment.

The task force keeps tabs on offenders on a daily basis. The force is made up of officers from the Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties sheriff’s offices, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs and Springdale police departments, the U.S. Marshal’s Service and the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections.

John, a convicted sex offender who wanted to remain anonymous, didn’t have to register when he was paroled years ago. John was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse.

The sex offender assessment committee tagged John as a level 3 offender. Level 3 indicates a high risk of re-offense by the offender and has higher levels of notification to neighbors when he moves. John has tried to be reassigned to a different level, but has not been successful, he said.

“Every year there’s more restrictions,” he said. “When I got out of prison, I could live anywhere I wanted to. Now I’m on the registry for the rest of my life. If I was a murderer who was paroled, I wouldn’t have to do anything now.”

It’s been 20 years since John was paroled. He spent 10 years on probation after his release. He has never been in trouble since leaving prison, he said. His good behavior, however, didn’t mean anything when he moved the last time, from an apartment building to a house next door.

“People left nasty notes in my mailbox, they put a sign in my yard, they broke out windows trying to get me to move,” John said. “My neighbors told me it wasn’t them. They said it was people who didn’t know me.”

Arkansas set up its database after the passing of the Sex and Child Offender Registration Act in 1997. Those convicted of a sex crime, or those found not guilty of a sex crime on the grounds of mental disease or defect, must register. They are required to register in each law enforcement jurisdiction where they live, attend school or are employed.

The state Sex Offender Assessment Committee places an offender in one of four categories. The categories determine the type of public notification required. Information on high level 2 offenders is available from the state and on the registry Web site. Individuals in the offender’s neighborhood who fall within the offender’s target group, or families with members in the group, are notified.

Notification is required to be given face to face by law enforcement officers to people living in the offender’s neighborhood for level 3 and level 4. However, those moving into a neighborhood near an offender are not required to be notified, including renters at apartments.

Stricter laws forcing people out of more neighborhoods are not the answer, said Paula Stitz, manager of the Arkansas sex offender registry. Tougher laws in other states have led to situations such as in Miami, where sex offenders live under bridges, Stitz said.

New legislation in Florida eliminated most of Miami as a living site for sex offenders, according to a story by the Associated Press. In 2007, five male sex offenders started living under the Julia Tuttle Causeway when they couldn’t find a place to live. The number of offenders living under the bridge and nearby grew to 52 by March 2009.

“That’s not a good situation,” said Marc Klaas, founder of KlaasKids, a foundation formed to prevent crimes against children. Polly Klaas, Marc Klaas’ daughter, was kidnapped from her home in California and murdered in 1993 when she was 12 years old.

Sex offenders in close contact tend to network and exchange information that could lead them to committing another sex crime, Klaas said.

“It doesn’t help with the No. 1 priority,” Klaas said. “Making sure crimes like these don’t happen.”

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

IN - How likely are sex offenders to re-offend?

2009-11-22T13:19:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/22/2009

By ALICIA GALLEGOS

Studies suggest rates lower than popularly believed.

SOUTH BEND — Sex offenders are often seen as incurable deviants who lurk in the shadows, waiting to prey on unsuspecting innocents.

But the term "sex offender," is actually much more complex, experts say, and a myriad of misconceptions exist about common traits associated with the population.

Not only that, but according to recent studies, recidivism rates for sexual felons may be lower than most people believe.

"The public doesn't quite understand recidivism," says Dr. Adam Deming, a psychologist and director of the Sex Offender Management and Monitoring Program. "They tend to believe all will recidivate."
- And why do they believe that? Because the media and politicians continually cite bogus or outdated statistics, why? Maybe so they can continue to "look tough" on crime and get the votes they need?

"It varies tremendously," adds Dr. Jeff Burnett, a Mishawaka doctor who specializes in sex offender treatment, psychological evaluations and psychosexual assessments.

Community members often want to be cautious and conservative when assessing the danger of sex offenders because sexual assault and abuse can be so devastating.

But that caution, Burnett says, can at times lead to an overestimation of the risk.

Before delving into exact recidivism rates, it's essential to first define the word.

In some studies, recidivism is explained as a reconviction for a sexual offense. In others, it relates to an offender being charged with a new sex offense. Other statistics measure recidivism based on arrests for any new type of crime, and some gauge recidivism based on violations of conditional release requirements.
- My definition of recidivism, for sex offenders, is the commitment of a new sexually related crime. Many are rearrested for technical violations, but not new sex crimes.

The different ways to measure recidivism make the simple question of how often sex offenders re-offend not so simple.

Length of time is also important to consider when reviewing recidivism, notes a 2004 recidivism study conducted by Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. The study included parts of the United States.

"For all crimes ... the likelihood that the behavior will reappear decreases the longer the person has abstained from that behavior," the study said.

In a 1994 study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the study found if sex offenders were re-arrested for a new sex crime, it was likely to happen within the first 12 months of their release.

In the first three years of being released, the study found that 5.3 percent of sex offenders had been rearrested for a sex crime.

The more recent Canadian/U.S. study showed overall recidivism rates based on re-convictions, were 14 percent after five years, 20 percent after 10 years, and 24 percent after 15 years.

"Most sexual offenders do not re-offend over time," the study found. "This may be the most important finding of this study, as this finding is contrary to some strongly held beliefs."

In short, after 15 years, 73 percent of sex offenders had not been charged or reconvicted of another sex offense.

All offenders are also not equally likely to reoffend.

Child molesters are 13 percent more likely to reoffend than rapists, according to the study.

In addition, Brunett lists three risk factors leading to a greater chance of recidivism. Offenders whose victims are male, unrelated to them, or a stranger are more likely to repeat their crimes.

Age of the offender also plays a role. The older the sex offender, the less likely they are to reoffend.

"Younger people are more impulsive," Burnett notes.

Other misconceptions include that all sex offenders were abused as children. In reality, only one third of sex offenders have abuse in their past, Burnett says.

And although cases where strangers sexually assault victims are usually more publicized, Deming points out that victims much more often know their perpetrator.

Recidivism rates of sex offenders are also not set in stone, according to the recent Canadian/U.S. study.

"The rate of sexual reoffense is quite likely to change over time due to social factors," the study says, "and the effectiveness of strategies for managing this population."

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

FL - Thank You to Pure Mercy for helping out the Julia Tuttle residents (God Bless You!)

2009-11-22T01:38:00.001-05:00

Pure Mercy Web Site
Julia Tuttle on Twitter

This organization/charity cooked a ton of food for over 39 homeless offenders living under the Julia Tuttle Causeway, and gave them a grill to cook out on. That is so awesome!

About Us:
David - My father was an Independent Baptist pastor in Pinellas County for most of my life. I was saved at the age of 9, and baptized some time later. I was in church every time the doors were open and attended a couple of different Christian schools. Needless to say, I grew up in a home where “Living Right” was required, because “people were watching.” Just because I grew up in a pastor’s home and worked in the church, didn’t mean that I paid as much attention to what my father and other pastors said from the pulpit as I should have. I was never really challenged to make what my father believed real in my life or to study and find out what I believed.

I became interested in pornography when I was about 14 or 15. My interest soon became an addiction. This continued, even while attending 3 different Bible Colleges, and throughout my first marriage. Not being satisfied with what I saw and read, I began a series of affairs during that marriage. Still not satisfied, I acted out in a number of other ways, each a little bolder than the last. This included strip clubs, lingerie shops, and prostitutes. As I look back God was trying to get my attention gently for years. For instance, a prostitute and I had a couple of near misses with the police department. I also experienced the embarrassment of calling my father, the pastor, and borrowing money to pay for one of my forays to a local lingerie shop because my credit card was declined. Naturally, he expected an explanation. Not surprisingly, my marriage soon failed, although I didn’t care because I was in the middle of my third affair at the time. Obviously, I was slow to catch on to what God was trying to say to me.

Bobbi - I grew up in New York, the youngest of 4, in an upper middle class home. Mom had accepted Christ later in life, and Daddy was an atheist, not accepting Christ until I was in my twenties. Like David, I accepted Christ as a child, so church and God were always a part of my life, but only as far as it suited me. This lifestyle set me up for unwed motherhood, a failed marriage, and personal disgrace. I played the part well, you know, church on Sunday, but anything goes the other days. In 2003, I moved what was left of my family here to Florida to be near my sisters and my mother. I just knew this was going to turn my life around. Well it did, but not how I planned it! After some serious indiscretion on my part, God was finally able to get my attention.

David - My “fun” lifestyle came to a screeching halt when God was forced instead to smack me upside the head with a 2x4. Many call this 2x4 the “Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department”. What finally got my attention was my arrest for improperly touching a teenage girl that I was tutoring. By God’s grace, my charge was minor. However, it was not without cost. Monetarily, the cost was at least $10,000. But it cost much more than that. It cost my family and me some friends, it caused strain in my family and it has cost me a couple of job opportunities. However, because of His amazing grace and mercy, God chose to bless me, by bringing me back into a close relationship with Him. First I had to come to a place where I realized that I would never be able to find what I was searching for outside of Him. When I gave my desires to God, wholly and completely, He began to heal me from the addiction through the pure mercy that I found in His unconditional love.

Bobbi - About the same time, December 2003, I finally surrendered to the Lord’s sovereignty as a result of a very real encounter with Him. On my way to church that day, I felt the unmistakable challenge from Him: Would I relinquish to Him everything, even my children? Whether I was truly born again before that, I do not know, nor do I suppose it matters. What I do know is, since that day, I have chosen to submit to His will in every area of my life. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that this submission has been easy. Matter of fact, anyone who knows me, knows better.

One of the things I submitted to the Lord was my singleness. I reached the place where I sincerely submitted His right to send the man of His choosing, or no man at all. To be honest, I expected this to be a long way off in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed my life in the church Singles group. Some of the friendships I found there are a blessing to me, even to this day. One of the special friendships was with David. We knew each other in the group and had many friends in common. Then, we had occasion to begin praying for two mutual friends who were dating. This mutual concern drew us closer as friends. One evening, God led David to share with me his struggle, and his vision for future ministry. He has since told me that he expected me to turn tail and run. But the Lord prompted me to act differently. I chose instead to give him a big hug, and a promise to pray for him.

David - Like Bobbi, I had surrendered my singleness to God and was fully expecting to stay in the Single’s ministry for the rest of my life. Really, who would want someone like me? The night that Bobbi gave me that first hug, changed that whole perspective and revealed to me the love Christ had for me. One Wednesday night, as I came into the church Fellowship center for dinner, a sudden, heart-wrenching thought hit me. “How many of the men and families in this room have been hurt by someone’s involvement in pornography or other sexually addictive behavior? How many men are in danger of doing what I’ve done or have already done it?”

Bobbi - I began to pray for David, his ministry, and as any good member of a singles’ group would, for his future wife. I prayed that God would prepare them both for His Kingdom purpose. Something strange began to happen in my heart. It was as if God was preparing me, because I was that woman. Okay, so that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I left a couple of minor details out of my history. That failed marriage I glossed over? It ended when the state troopers came to remove my ex-husband from our house because, unknown to me, he had molested my daughter from the age of 13 until 15. And, since I moved here to Florida, my teenage niece came to live with me, under similar circumstances. So, all this is to say, that the ravages of sexual sin have been a recurring theme in my life, one that I hope and pray none of you ever have to face. But, praise God, He has brought me through, to a place of forgiveness and to an abundant life, beyond anything I could have hoped for. Believe me when I tell you this: the last man I wanted to marry was one with a past like David’s! Like I said, God brought me through it; however, I had no intention of going back. But, as is often the case, God had other plans. About a month after I began praying for David’s future wife, and having a sinking feeling it was me, God opened David’s eyes.

David - Like I mentioned before, I’m sometimes slow to catch on to things; however, sixteen months after that first hug we stood in front of our family and friends and committed the rest of our lives to each other. One of the miracles in all of this is that Bobbi’s daughter, with whom we had shared my story, was willing to look past it and stand as her maid of honor. Another incredible blessing to me personally came this past Christmas when she introduced me to her West Wing coworkers as her stepdad. I would have never imagined that God could redeem the huge mess I had made of my life and allowed me to experience such blessings.

As our relationship has deepened, we have realized the uniqueness of where we both have been. This thought has turned into a burden to share with others what God has brought us out of. We are convinced that sexual addiction is one of the things holding the church back, that it is one of Satan’s footholds in the lives of the men of the church. This is due in part to the deep shame and unforgiveness that so often accompanies sexually addictive behavior.

Recently, God has extended our healing by allowing us to become involved in Celebrate Recovery. We often wonder if something like this would have helped either of us earlier on. Regardless, Bobbi and I have spent much time in prayer and God has lead us to begin a ministry that would provide support for men, and their families, whose lives have been torn, and their hearts broken, by this hidden addiction. This ministry is called Pure Mercy as we believe that by God’s grace and His Pure Mercy hearts and lives can be healed.

If you have been hurt by this addiction, our hearts go out to you and we want to help. Maybe you know someone that is struggling with this or maybe you are the one needing someone to stand beside you in this battle, someone who understands how you feel, and how you got to this place you never intended to be.

"That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights

FL - Sheriff: Sex Offenders Must Go

2009-11-21T23:10:00.000-05:00

View the article here

11/21/2009

By Shoshana Walter

A tent city in Auburndale was shut down, and some sex offenders living there face another move because of county rules.

AUBURNDALE - A group of sexual predators uprooted Thursday from an Auburndale tent city have moved to a nearby mobile home park, but they must move out by Wednesday or face arrest.

Park owner Lori Crump, who has allowed the group temporary residence there, criticizes the county ordinance requiring the men to move, saying it has increased the number of homeless sexual predators.

The ordinance, passed in 2006, imposed more restrictions on sex offenders and predators. As a result, residences that are less than 1,000 feet from school bus stops and churches, including Tropical Moon mobile home park, are off limits to predators.

Supporters have said the ordinance is for the protection of the public, but critics say that it's had the opposite effect, actually increasing the likelihood of further offenses.

On Thursday, officials shut down a tent city in a private orange grove off Reynolds Road, and sent the offenders and predators living there packing.

Seven of the 18 homeless went to Tropical Moon, which is less than 300 feet from a school bus stop. Many sex offenders already live, lawfully, in the park. But a few of the seven homeless are classified sexual predators, making their presence a violation of county rules and a problem for law enforcement.

Polk County Sheriff (Contact) Grady Judd says they have until Wednesday to move. If they don't, he said Saturday, they will be arrested.

Crump, a former Florida Department of Corrections (Contact) probation officer who worked with sex offenders, opened the park two years ago because she saw a need for sex offender housing.

She and others say the county needs a better solution.

With 7,000 bus stops across the county, critics say the ordinance has made it difficult for offenders to find places to live. And a transient lifestyle increases the chances an offender will reoffend.

"Law enforcement does a pretty good job of monitoring, but it's not the Department of Corrections' job to find them a home," Crump said.

Florida law defines predators as repeat sexual offenders, sexual offenders who have used physical violence, or offenders who've victimized children.

"That is not the kind of individual I want living under bridges and under roads," Crump said.

She says she does not know where the group staying in her park temporarily is going to go, but chances are high they'll soon rejoin the ranks of the 59 sex offenders currently listed on a state registry as homeless in Polk County.

Judd says there's no reason they can't follow the law.

"Predators and offenders live all over the county. I don't want to listen to their whining. They're felons. They're either going to comply, or they're going to find a place to live in the Polk County Jail."

"That old law about 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing." - Martin Luther King - United States Constitution | Bill of Rights