originally posted 10/24/2010
I am the father of two wonderful daughters and the husband of the best woman in the world. I have been convicted of child molesting. Our family had a babysitter who started using drugs and drinking and smoking cigarettes, so my wife and I decided to let her go. She then went to the police with allegations that I grabbed her breast over the top of her clothes with the intent to sexually gratify myself. After two hours of questioning the detective told me the he would draft up the papers and pass them to the DA to see if charges should be filed. Five months later, ten police officers showed up at my work and handcuffed me. I bailed and hired a lawyer. He told me the DA here likes the spaghetti theory which is toss it at the wall and see if it sticks. The judge told me if I lost the jury trial, he would have to give me hard time. I took a plea deal with a two year cap on all punishments versus a sentence that would carry up to 20 years in prison.
I tucked my little girls in that night and I sat there and cried. On the one hand I might not be there tomorrow to tuck them in, and on the other hand I would have to do two years of probation– and a lifetime of judgment.