By LC . . .
At 19 I met a girl who told we she was 18. We went out to the club on 18+ night… We went on a couple dates…We had sex one time. I found out she was underage and broke things off. She claimed she was pregnant. I told her we needed to talk to her mom and explain what happened. She told me she had an abortion. I left her alone because I assumed she was just playing games. I met my now ex wife and joined the Army only to find about a year later I was under investigation. Eventually a warrant was issued and I was transported from TX back to IL in chains like a dog. I had ZERO criminal history. At my first court appearance I found out how old she actually was (13) and for the first time here allegations of rape. I was shocked.
Upon speaking to my lawyer I learned the rape allegations were recanted but she insisted that I knew how old she was. I wasn’t worried at the time because I assumed the fact that she and the fact that a family member of hers was saying she lied and in fact was the one who told me she was lying 1st this would get dismissed… Not so. My lawyer told me that likely was not the case. If this child was mine all they needed was this child and our birth certificates to convict and I was looking at 6-30 years in prison… But he said he believed me and he would do everything he could. At some point I received a letter from her stating that she was sorry for lying etc. I really thought at that point if we have to go to trial this will help. My paid lawyer, the one who believed me and was willing to fight left the firm. My case was handed to another partner who I didn’t know at the time was also the head public defender. Immediately he started pressuring me to plead guilty to this crime. I didn’t want to. They did a blood typing test and said this child was mine… Mind you no DNA test was ever done. For 5 years I still refused to to plead to this case. I felt I was innocent and should not be held responsible for someone lying to me. I went to court one day expecting another continuance but instead my lawyer pulls me in a room and tells me I can either plead guilty now or go to trial and if I go to trial the judge has told him if I am convicted he will ask for more than the minimum sentence. I was already looking at a minimum of six years… I was told I wouldn’t be listed as a child sex offender and that i would have to admit to paternity serve 30 months of probation and register for 10 years.
I agreed but asked if I could have time for my family to come was told yes, but that didn’t happen. When the judge called me up and asked if I had be forced to take this deal I wanted to say yes so bad. I wanted to tell him that the only reason I am pleading to this is because my lawyer has told me that you will ask for more than the minimum sentence in this case and I don’t know how you can say that without hearing all the facts. But I didn’t because I was scared and alone and being scowled at by everyone in the court room. A few days after I went to my lawyer and told him i wanted to retract my plea of guilty. He wouldn’t let me. Fast forward, while attending mandatory sex offender consoling I was informed that laws had changed and my 10 year registration is now a 10 year registration and was now listed as a violent sexual predator… No violence at all but Im listed as a violent predator…
I’m a chef and I’m good at what I do. I just applied to a job had to cook as part of the interview was told out of hundreds of applicants my dish was the best. I was offered the position. When completing the background check I asked is there anything that will disqualify me. I was told as long as the offense was more than 5 years old I should be good…. Well today I was told I am disqualified solely because my name is on the sex offender registry. Something I should have been off of years ago. This isn’t the 1st time the second time or even the 10th time. I cant even take care of my family because of being on a registry I shouldn’t have ever been on for something that happened when I was 19 years old. I am 43 almost 44 now. I am still being punished. I have also been denied housing. I told one landlord my entire story. She said she believed me but could not rent to me because of no crime addendum’s. Which isn’t true those laws are to give landlords the ability to evict people if they commit felonies while living in their property but they uses them as a excuse not to rent to felons. Especially those on the SOR.
I am tired. I am at my whits end. I cannot deal with this for the rest of my life.
-LC
I feel you man. The justice system, well actually the American system entirely, is not one that operates on “truth.” Especially for men who committed or were falsely accused/arrested of SO crimes. The system in general is one that runs, or operates on lies and deception. Like with corporate marketing and advertising for example. The justice system involves a person lying for or against someone charged with serious offenses (not just the SO ones) inside of a courtroom. Even the most “law-abiding,” “truthful,” citizen could go inside of a courtroom and shake up someone’s case by lying under oath against him/her (which technically would indirectly kill a number of people as that would lead to a worse outcome of the case), then walk out and go about their day as if nothing happened.
Which is what two mental health workers, one of them a female therapist, had done to me. She just stood there and let the man tell the judge that he had “heard” me tell another female worker that I was “going to r**e her,” thus using the charges and my situation against me. I had already told the therapist my side of the story and she worked against me anyway. Her mind was made-up and they had already planned all that several hours before that court appearance.
-LC
I feel you man. The justice system, well actually the American system entirely, is not one that operates on “truth.” Especially for men who committed or were falsely accused/arrested of SO crimes. The system in general is one that runs, or operates on lies and deception. Like with corporate marketing and advertising for example. The justice system involves a person lying for or against someone charged with serious offenses (not just the SO ones) inside of a courtroom. Even the most “law-abiding,” “truthful,” citizen could go inside of a courtroom and shake up someone’s case by lying under oath against him/her (which technically would indirectly kill a number of people as that would lead to a worse outcome of the case), then walk out and go about their day as if nothing happened.
Which is what two mental health workers, one of them a female therapist, had done to me. She just stood there and let the man tell the judge that he had “heard” me tell another female worker that I was “going to r**e her,” thus using the charges and my situation against me. I had already told the therapist my side of the story and she worked against me anyway. Her mind was made-up and they had already planned all that several hours before that court appearance
From what I have seen myself, when I was caught up with the justice system over SO charges, I found that most everyday people were vile and foul. I barely saw any real sense of good and truth, even from people who had taken my side or acted in my favor, at some point.
I had been manipulated into a false confession then arrested by a corrupt detective, who had ended up putting lies on his report and manipulating it, and even getting me a false “solicitation” charge (which I’m 90% sure that the prosecutor definitely knew that the detective and his cohorts made up the bit about me “soliciting” an underage girl online and went ahead and slipped that charge into the bucket list of charges I already had, just to further seal my fate).
The detective’s female assistant had actually shown him some psyche meds of mine that were found by other officers on a dresser, and she had done so in such a way, as to not let me see what she was doing and he swept that finding “under the rug.” It was pure evil that was at work. He and the prosecutor then worked together to have me face certain death as a supposed “smart,” “mentally-sound,” “college-student.” I was at 20-something years old a little slow, hard of learning, had social anxiety etc.
There was a point where the detective and his cohorts had filled in the local news, which led to me being defamed to the masses and even targeted in jail and some place out in the community. The viewers at home would have never known what the detective and prosecutor had done (even if they did it wouldn’t matter), nor would they have known what events throughout my life had led up to that situation (such as looking at filth from the porn industry from a really young age, the content of which the detective had tried using me while manipulating me in his vehicle, as if content from the porn industry had anything to do with the crimes, which were for things that were found on my PC). They would never know that I was not what they thought of me as and that I would never be that.
-LC
I feel you man. The justice system, well actually the American system entirely, is not one that operates on “truth.” Especially for men who committed or were falsely accused/arrested of SO crimes. The system in general is one that runs, or operates on lies and deception. Like with corporate marketing and advertising for example. The justice system involves a person lying for or against someone charged with serious offenses (not just the SO ones) inside of a courtroom. Even the most “law-abiding,” “truthful,” citizen could go inside of a courtroom and shake up someone’s case by lying under oath against him/her (which technically would indirectly kill a number of people as that would lead to a worse outcome of the case), then walk out and go about their day as if nothing happened.
Which is what two mental health workers, one of them a female therapist, had done to me. She just stood there and let the man tell the judge that he had “heard” me tell another female worker that I was “going to r**e her,” thus using the charges and my situation against me. I had already told the therapist my side of the story and she worked against me anyway. Her mind was made-up and they had already planned all that several hours before that court appearance.
From what I have seen myself, when I was caught up with the justice system over SO charges, I found that most everyday people were vile and foul. I barely saw any real sense of good and truth, even from people who had taken my side or acted in my favor, at some point.
I had been manipulated into a false confession then arrested by a corrupt detective, who had ended up putting lies on his report and manipulating it, and even getting me a false “solicitation” charge (which I’m 90% sure that the prosecutor definitely knew that the detective and his cohorts made up the bit about me “soliciting” an underage girl online and went ahead and slipped that charge into the bucket list of charges I already had, just to further seal my fate).
The detective’s female assistant had actually shown him some psyche meds of mine that were found by other officers on a dresser, and she had done so in such a way, as to not let me see what she was doing and he swept that finding “under the rug.” It was pure evil that was at work. He and the prosecutor then worked together to have me face certain death as a supposed “smart,” “mentally-sound,” “college-student.” I was at 20-something years old a little slow, hard of learning, had social anxiety etc.
There was a point where the detective and his cohorts had filled in the local news, which led to me being defamed to the masses and even targeted in jail and some place out in the community. The viewers at home would have never known what the detective and prosecutor had done (even if they did it wouldn’t matter), nor would they have known what events throughout my life had led up to that situation (such as looking at filth from the porn industry from a really young age, the content of which the detective had tried using me while manipulating me in his vehicle, as if content from the porn industry had anything to do with the crimes, which were for things that were found on my PC). They would never know that I was not what they thought of me as and that I would never be that.
LC, your story is a sadly familiar one to those of us on the registry. I’m very sorry to hear of your pain and frustration. We are not allowed to live a normal life even after we’ve paid our debt to society, or even worse if the debt shouldn’t have had to be paid in the first place. The registry is a farce. I do hope that organizations like NARSOL will eventually be successful at ending this madness. Hang in there man! I do know that it does matter where you live in terms of your quality of life while your name is on the registry. My experience has all been in Maryland and this state appears to be reasonable although even within the same state, things can differ from county to county. For instance, in Maryland, I have the right to vote even though I’m still on supervised release. Other states, as I’m sure you’ve heard, are horrible places to live for someone on the registry. I plan on relocating to Texas in the next couple of years and I do hope I don’t regret that decision when the time comes. San Antonio is my home town, so I am very motivated to make a go of it. I wish you all the best. Victor
Victor Palma
Apparently an SO’s status isn’t public in Hawaii, though I’m not sure.
I believe, you need to seek legal assistance, and challenge your Registration under the State and Federal Expost Facto Clause…. In Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court found in the case of Commonwealth vs Muniz 164 A.3d 1189 PA 2017, that a change in Muniz’s 10 year registration requirement to (Life) Violated the State and Federal Ex Post Facto Clause as the new law as applied Retroactively was unconstitutional…. Several states have also held this as illegal…. Also, Muniz, was appealed to the United States Supreme Court and the request by the state was denied thus affirming it was illegal…. If you were given 10 year registration, neither the State Legislator or Congress may amend your penalty… You clearly have a case, that can be won…. But you need to fight it bud… What you waiting for???? Your freedom is out there waiting for you to come get it…
Hey man I feel a little of your pain .I have a simular experience . I was falsely charged in Canada that I molested a 3 year grandaughter of a wife I married from the internet .I live in Wa. And move there in 08 . its such a long story but same thing with my lawyer who was a coward when he faced the prosecutor in the court room . he told me the same thing take a plea or do years in prison .I was so scared of the prospect that I took a plea . that got me 8 months now when I came back to Wa the rogue Sherrod made me a level 3 from a 1 in Canada that was in 2013 I’m still on the registry so when I find a lady friend my fear is she will see me on the S O list and drop me which has happened 2 times .I’m so lonely being by myself I’m 77 and I don’t want to die alone . I feel your desperation . I’m a believer so I know where I’m going when I die but I’d love to have a friend except me .
My grandson had something very similar happen to him. He was also 19. She was 14 but said she was 16. His life is ruined now. He can’t find a decent job, or housing. He is registered for at least 20 years. He is only 21. He has all these hoops he has to jump through like SO counseling, individual counseling and drug classes. He has to drop urine whenever they say. He has never done drugs. The “system” isn’t there to help, only to punish!
I know it’s exactly zero consolation, but I’m happy you shared this. We’re all in this together.
LC, Your story is familiar here… Hang in there…. Not sure what state you’re in, but “look for the helpers” as Mr. Rogers would say. I won’t go into my long story, but you are not alone. I haven’t been able to find work in years–and I petitioned the court to come off the registry and won! My conviction still follows me… And haunts me… But with a few good TRUE friends and “helpers” I am blessed…
Very Respectfully,
Jerry
This is another example of the after effects if The so called wonderful registry!!! I have been living this nightmare right along with you my friend. I don’t know why I can’t live a normal life and be treated fairly like everyone else the ONLY reason is the label we carry.