originally posted 1/17/2009
(I am marking this as private because there are problems in logic with the story; sandy)
(Kinda makes my head hurt…. mike)
My story, well its complicated. When I was 18-19 I was a very promiscuous young man. I have never lied about that and I made a couple bad choices. I slept with my 15 year old girlfriend. I did know her age. It was just a bad choice. But I thought, I love her, – a misdemeanor would be worth it. What I didn’t know is they were setting up an internet sting. They came looking for me, and told me they were just visiting my area and asked what there was to do here. I made a sexual comment. She told me, I’m only 15 though, and I said, Well I’m outta here.
Then – wow -they came to my door, and I’m a felon! What’s worse is I have to register for 10 years. Well then, I thought I can do this I’ll be free of it in 10 years – ok. Well for the next 5 years every time I told a girl of my situation, they said they didn’t care, or at least they didn’t care till they got angry with me. I’ve been investigated at least 3 times just because someone whispered my name in the wrong direction. And been cleared 3 times.
Now I’m going through it all again. An of-age girl, whom I made out with – well just kissed – said I tried to go further. She said that she told me no. Then she said I stopped and took her home. So for doing what she asked me to do, they are going to send me to prison. I did nothing wrong and I’m going to prison? But not for this, no! Anyone can see that what’s alleged here isn’t worth prison.
The biggest wrong is they can bring up your past to use against you at trial in a sex crime case and it doesnB4t have to be that you were convicted of anything: you could have just been talked to or accused and acquitted and all those people get to plead their case again. No registered offender in any state has an opportunity to defend themselves in any case. Whether rightfully accused or wrongfully.
This has destroyed my family. The man I was when I was 18-19 wasnB4t a good man.
I was a country boy in the city and I made bad choices.
But after that, I came home. My parents were ashamed at first but when they saw me transform into the man I am now, they are more proud then ever and they know this wasn’t in me, but they also know it doesnB4t matter.
It was stacked from the beginning This needs to end! It takes me months just to find a suitable home. And now I have to give up the only one IB4ve found that is suitable. I donB4t know what else to say.
But people, beware. Registry isn’t bad, it is a good tool to keep track of violent offenders. But many on it arenB4t violent, and yet their lives are ruined by it. If I ever have kids I would want to know if a Violent rapist lived next door to my kids. But the last thing I wanna know is if there is someone that pees in public next to me.
I hope everyone reads this and understands that I am not ashamed of my bad choices. But troubled that now when I make good ones, IB4m still in trouble. Help put a stop to this madness. And help my family.