Month: October 2012

Another Plea, Not a Bargain!

originally posted 8/20/2008 A young family member was recently given what he and his family believe was a very harsh sentence. His attorney advised him to plead guilty in a sex offender case. He allegedly used the internet to view child pornography and he allegedly had in his possession CDs with child pornography. To my knowledge he never tried to approach in person any minor or had any personal relationship with a minor. After his plea he had to wait under house arrest almost one year to be sentenced. Even though he never committed a prior crime and he never had personal contact of any kind with a minor, he was given a 78-month sentence. But, after he completes his sentence he has to be under supervision for a number of years and he will have so many restrictions that it is hard to imagine once he comes out how he can possibly have a normal life. He made a terrible…

Continue Reading Another Plea, Not a Bargain!

THIS IS JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY?

originally posted 8/14/2008 As a freshman away at college, my son at 19 was arrested by a cybernet sting conducted by the State Attorney General’s office together with the County Sheriff . After participating in Yahoo Teen Chat (no longer supported by Yahoo due to abuse by law enforcement officials) my son was contacted days later by one of the AG’s task force who misrepresented themselves as a 14 year old girl. The initial transcripts provided by Yahoo and filed with the court confirmed that the AG’s office had initiated contact, but after this “error” was discovered, a “corrected” transcript was provided and accepted by the court. Entrapment by law enforcement officers is legally nearly impossible to prove, so my son accepted a plea bargain and was given five years probation for an offense against a fictitious girl conjured up by law enforcement officials who initiated internet contact with my son and entrapped him into meeting during which he was arrested at gunpoint and thrown down…

Continue Reading THIS IS JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY?

On Registry for Fooling Around at Twenty in 1985

originally posted 8/11/2008 I was 20 in 1985. Met a girl at a party and we fooled around. No sex! Turns out she was under age. Spent time in the county jail. Ten years later I was married with 2 kids. Was forced onto sex offender registry in NH. In ’07 I was put on the public web page 23 years after the fact. I never went looking for a young girl. Now at age 43 I am considered an offender against children and a threat to children. My life is falling apart. I am fighting, but what lawmakers are listening?

Continue Reading On Registry for Fooling Around at Twenty in 1985

Woman Teacher Unjustly Accused

originally posted 8/15/2008 I was a Special Education teacher for about 23 years, teaching all kinds of students from mentally challenged to learning disabled. I was (I think) well respected because I related to my students and treated them like people. Yes, I even gave hugs to both guys and gals!!! I was accused and convicted of touching a 16 year old male special education student and flashing my breasts, supposedly in the downstairs locker room area where they have cameras. When asked on what date(s) this happened, the police said victims don’t have to provide specific dates. When asked about what the video cameras showed, they told me they weren’t working. When brought to the police station, I didn’t ask for a lawyer because I didn’t believe anything would come out of it. I was arrested for 2nd degree child molestation, forced to resign my job and was a WRECK for 4 months. I had serious thoughts of suicide but because I had…

Continue Reading Woman Teacher Unjustly Accused

Everybody Harmed

originally posted 8/8/2008 I have been an elementary teacher for 33 years. I am a foster and adoptive parent, including one who was a victim, one who is a convicted offender, and one who is facing charges. The day before Mother’s Day, 2004, my 6-year-old foster child told us that another foster child in the house had just “humped” him. He told us matter-of-factly, not distressed in the least. He had been bribed and allowed to play the older boy’s video games while the incident took place. The offender was an extremely immature 18-year-old whose birth father had been incarcerated for sexually abusing another son. It was a dilemma deciding what to do. It being a Saturday, I could not contact my (youth services) caseworker. I wasn’t sure what truth lay in the claim since that child was not always truthful. Also I knew that any decision I made could have a lasting impact on both children involved. By the…

Continue Reading Everybody Harmed

A Mother’s Cry: This Is So Foreign to Us

originally posted 8/8/2008 There are days when I don’t even know where to start with all of this, then there are others where I seem to find a good deal of information. Many sex offenders must take a test in our state called a plesmograph, which measures sexual arousal. My young son and the others here face the possibility of having to take his test at any time, along with polygraphs. The results of a plesmograph are useless as researchers have found that many “normal” people would react physically when viewing erotic material as well, so what is the point? My son pled on in April, and though he is required to attend “sex offender classes” and pay $35 for them once a week, there have been no treatment providers. The ones they had before both quit because of the way these guys are treated. So, instead, they give them a fill-in-the-blank form — and my apologies here — “How…

Continue Reading A Mother’s Cry: This Is So Foreign to Us

Counselors Make Life Miserable

Original post date: 5/8/2008 I do not see the need for a website so that the ‘public’ knows where a sex offender lives. Why? Do we know where murderers and burglars live? No, we don’t. My best friend has been paroled to me and it’s been no picnic. He has been verbally abused by his one agent who constantly called him ‘Jerry’ for ‘Jerry’s kids’. They are set up to fail once released as (the state) wants them all locked up. My friend can’t even talk to his children because they are minors. It’s ridiculous. I would imagine family support would be helpful, not harmful. And what the state calls counseling? They should be ashamed of themselves. They’re not here to help anyone. Their goal is to make life absolutely miserable in the hopes that you will re-offend. Anonymous in Illinois

Continue Reading Counselors Make Life Miserable

Children, victims of father’s perceived crimes

Original post date: 16.05.2008 Editor’s note: The names and the state have been omitted to keep the anonymity of the persons involved. From the wife of a sex offender ‘out west.’ I have chosen to sign because I have watch the change in laws slowly destroy my husband. I don’t clam his innocent or his guilt as that was decided years ago when he took the plea agreement. I have found that claming his innocence, which I believe in, only makes my statement seem biased and defensive. His innocence or guilt doesn92t really matter anyways. The person he is matters! His criminal history only has two marks – The 13 year old conviction that made him a Sex Offender (lewdness w/ a minor under 14, His accuser was 13) and a 9 year old conviction for failure to register. The failure to register was simply a forgotten thing and he spent a 3 day weekend in jail to which the…

Continue Reading Children, victims of father’s perceived crimes

Innocent Man Exonerated!

Original post date: 16.05.2008 A Tale of Eventual Justice, sent in by an RSOL participant from Oregon! Without money, forget justice! Never take a plea bargain if you are innocent! They are NEVER bargains! Wrongfully accused and indicted and ultimately had charges dropped. A vindictive ex partner in business planted cd’s that contained CP on them in a loaner car I used for two days. I was indicted by a politically motivated prosecutor (who is now a judge) and my life ruined as a result. Being accused makes you guilty and being exonerated means you had a good attorney who “got you off” I went from making 16,500 a month to 5,000 a month, I lost the life that I had spent a lifetime working towards. The financial stress it created caused me to lose my wife who had stood by me for the 3 1/2 years it took to finally get this case to trial. The charges were dropped by the…

Continue Reading Innocent Man Exonerated!

Summer Camp Fling a Nightmare For Teen

Original post date: 15.04.2008 Try to imagine, you’re 17, a junior in high school on summer vacation. You’re unusually tall and still a bit awkward with girls. At a local resort you meet a girl vacationing with her parents, she is beautiful and she actually likes you. After a few days she invites you to her cabin while her parents are away. With heart pounding nervousness, you’re both kissing and touching each other. A phone rings, you’re interrupted and this ends the encounter. Seems so innocent, maybe a preview to an after school special. Now imagine, two days later you are arrested for a violent rape. You tell the police everything you know about the beautiful girl you’d met, you tell them about the kissing, the touching and you swear to God that you never had intercourse. You’re given a Public Defender who tells you the rape tests support the girls claim and that he has worked his magic and…

Continue Reading Summer Camp Fling a Nightmare For Teen