By Joshua…
On October, 13th 1998, I and a male friend engaged in a sexual experiment while finding a stashed pornography tape…I was 13 years old. In September 2003, when I was 18, I was arrested for Attempted Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse and charged as a Juvenile, My case was transferred because the courts felt their wasn’t enough time left for me to be rehabilitated in the Juvenile System. I entered a plea in 2004 and was sent to prison for 8 years. I was also labeled a Sexually Violent Predator under Megan’s Law 2 and now I am subject to life-time registration, counseling, and Community Notification.
I am now 35. My life is miserable, employment doesn’t come easy, landlords frown upon the community notification and my monthly counseling has turned into weekly counseling with the threat of prosecution by the state sexual offender assessment board if I don’t comply with the weekly counseling. I’m not on probation or parole, but I’m treated like it. I’ve lost relationships, friendships and people are afraid to allow me around their kids.
The question is, how dangerous can a Juvenile sexual offender be if he’s now 35 and hasn’t re offended? Why does a juvenile offender later on in life not get a second chance? Schools don’t want me and most temp services wont give me work because I’m on the registry. Do they know I was 13?
Does the legislature understand its own laws? How can you strip a person’s life before it began? These are the questions of my life, but yet nothing changes. I understand morally what I did at 13 was wrong, however does that warrant a lifetime of being put on the same footing as an actual adult sexual predator who had a life before his offense? Someone who didn’t lack a degree of culpability or engage in sexual curiosity?
Kids make mistakes. I guess mine was the biggest one of my life, because it cost me the rest of it…
UPDATE….. I POSTED THIS MONTHS AGO, BECAUSE I FELT I NEEDED TO BE HEARD…. WELL ON OCTOBER 30TH 2019, A SUPERIOR COURT DECISION IN PENNSYLVANIA SAVED MY LIFE… IN COMMONWEALTH VS HAINES 2019 PA. SUPER 329 PA SUPER 2019, THE SUPERIOR COURT HELD THAT AN ADULT CONVICTED OF SEXUAL OFFENSES COMMITTED AS A JUVENILE IS NOT REQUIRED TO REGISTER AS A SEXUAL OFFENDER… ON NOVEMBER 13TH 2019, I SOUGHT STATE HABEAS CORPUS RELIEF IN MY COUNTY OF CONVICTION, AND ON JANUARY 21ST 2020, MY PETITION WAS GRANTED… ON FEBRUARY 26TH 2020, I WAS REMOVED FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRY…. I CAN NOW BEGIN TO RESTART MY LIFE… I AM SO GREATFUL THAT THIS OCCURED AND I HOPE ALL IN THE SAME SITUATION RECEIVES THE RELIEF REQUIRED…. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND SUPPORT ON MY ISSUE AND THANK YOU TO N.A.R.S.O.L FOR POSTING MY SITUATION FOR FEEDBACK….
That’s great news !!!
Joshua Novak so happy for you. I just found this blog I hope you get this reply. I need information also to help my Son who also is going through hell because of being wrongfully convicted as a teenager and is on the registry for a lifetime. How do we submit the petition of habeas corpus relief? Its hard finding someone to help. We are also in P A
I can help you if you are still searching for help..
Here’s an interesting thought; If a young teen cannot consent to sexual relationships with people of a certain age older than they are because the idea is that the teenager’s brain is not fully developed enough to make such a choice, then how do these lawmakers and courts decide that the undeveloped brain of the young teen was capable of being the perpetrator?
This is an argument that needs to be brought up either in the legislative sessions or in the court rooms. And if I were you, I’d save money to hire an attorney to make such a case for potential removal from the registry.
Start a “Go-Fund Me” if you have to. You were a KID for Christ sakes!
I couldn’t agree more with you. They will convict 10-12 year olds also for sex crimes they are not even old enough to consent but if the person was younger then them it is considered the same crimes as if they were 13 or older. Kids do not fully understand life, laws sex none of it. There should be lesser sentences for this stuff for kids. Most will see juvenile court and be adjudicated if they are not 14 or older I believe but still 14 years old are not like adults. It is scientifically proven brains are not developed until like 25. Joshua Novak so happy your got off the registry will this help you find jobs now? Were you ever able to have a family I hope so.
Yes, my life has been nothing but shot to the stars since removal. I have been able to live a great life, lots of employment and new friendships and relationships… everything since removal has been a plus
Joshua
Isn’t it funny that juveniles would be charged with SO crimes at all in America? Better yet, put on a registry which the public cannot view and in many cases such as yours, are later charged as adults?
They would be charged with SO crimes such as yours, in a country where minors 13-17 freely have sexual relations with each other. Also in a country where minors as young as 11, view that poison and evil called porn whenever they have a chance. Banning such relations that I spoke of, would sound ridiculous and impractical to the majority but society seems to have no problem charging an adult over something that he did as kid. Something that most people, including lawmakers and prosecutors, don’t see a problem with, to begin with. They sure allow teens in the country to have partners and commit sexual relations almost everyday of the year. And in the cases of attractive white or Hispanic women (like the teachers who have slept with male or female students), have no animosity, bias, fear, hatred, or vendetta towards them. Banning porn would also sound ridiculous and impractical to the majority as well, yet look at what that stuff causes. Real talk.
Most likely some of the people who won’t give you chance, actually know you were 13 but they gotta play the game. They gotta go with the narrative. They gotta go with the norm. Some might do it to save their skin (from scrutiny, losing business, or their job) or simply out of their own ignorance, fear, judgement, and misunderstanding. The law differientiates between juvenile SOs and adult SOs but the mentality of the majority will remain the same, as they pool all SOs (mostly, and in some cases only male) together and dislike, hate, fear, and ostracize them. Most Americans are only concerned about men having that “mark,” regardless of the details of the crime (such as whether or not there was a victim, a girl lying about her age etc), lies and perjury on the part of law enforcement, any chance of underlying mental disorder or illness, any chance of innocence, the age of the perpetrator, or the state of mind of the perpetrator.
Good luck dude. You have hung in there for so many years. They did their worse and you made it. Be persistent and put up a fight. They are probably expecting you to slip.
-A lot of people lose their lives everyday in that system of demons. If only you knew what people who worked at some bogus treatment place had done to me in a courtroom. Including a “therapist.”
Hang in there! I too was charged as a juvenile and was then sent to adult court because they could give me more time and essentially ruin my life. I now suffer from PTSD from being in the registry. I am very involved now with my local political party to try and get some laws in my area changed for the good of the people. We deserve a second chance. I was 16 when I got locked up and now I’m 38 years old. I pray that things change for us and that you find some peace in all this chaos. Change is coming have faith!