Laurie Essig over at Class Warfare points out how easily she could become a persona non grata.
I have most certainly urinated in public (if national parks are public) with children, had sex as a teenager, and gone streaking (as a teenager). What that means is that even more of us could be registered sex offenders than the 675,000 Americans already on the registries. That means our photos could be on there, our addresses, we could be targeted for harassment, threats, and in a few recent cases, vigilante-style executions. Because so many offences require registration, the number of registered sex offenders in America has exploded.
Meaning, those of you who evacuated any one of the several Florida hurricanes a few years back via a 12-hour east-west or west-east cross-state road trip that typically takes two or so hours and traveled without a porta-potty, she's describing an incredibly plausible situation that could go bad fast for any one of us.
Essig contends harsh offender laws played a Perfect Storm role and helped hold Jaycee Lee Dugard hostage as easily as did her kidnapper, Phillip Garrido.
(...)
The case of Phillip Gariddo (sic), accused of kidnapping then 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard and holding her hostage for 18 years, sexually abusing her and fathering two children with her, has revealed the paradox at the center of America’s unusually tough sex offense laws. The harsher the laws get, the more people who are caught in the ever-expanding net of offenses, the easier it is for the real child abusers to go undetected.
The New York Times seems to share Ms. Essig's opinion. (Case Shows Limits of Sex Offender Alert Programs, 9/1/2009)
(...)
The sheer numbers of sex offenders on the registries in all 50 states — an estimated 674,000 across the country — are overwhelming to local police departments and, at times, to the public, who may not easily distinguish between those who must register because they have repeatedly raped children and those convicted of nonviolent or less serious crimes, like exposing themselves in public.
(...)
Although Mr. Garrido was listed on the state’s public registry, the deputy, the sheriff said, had not known he was a sex offender and did not search the house or yard, where primitive tents were housing his captives.
(...)Mr. Garrido’s case has also renewed concern that policies regulating offenders may inadvertently be driving them to live in more remote, out-of-the-way places, where crimes can go unnoticed. Nine other registered sex offenders live within a mile of Mr. Garrido’s home on the outskirts of Antioch, in a dusty neighborhood on the outer reaches of the Bay Area.
New rules in many states have barred offenders from living near schools, parks and bus stops, and that has led some offenders, unable to find other alternatives that meet the rules, to live in rural areas, in their cars and, in at least one case in Florida, under a bridge.
Meanwhile, one of those who calls that same bridge home and is listed as a plaintiff in the ACLU case has been arrested for trespassing near a Miami park and violating his probation.
(...)Bryan Exile's lawyer, Bruce Alter, criticized police, saying his client frequently visits family members who live in Rainbow Village, a public housing project in the 2100 block of Northwest Third Avenue.
``His wife dropped him off at her relative's home and he had a perfectly legitimate reason to be in this complex, and any suggestion that he was anywhere in the neighborhood of the park to prey upon kids is patently absurd,'' Alter said.
Exile has been on probation since 2007 after being convicted for lewd and lascivious battery on a child.
I find the defendant's surname incredibly ironic.
For those flinching at Mr. Exile's conviction, obtain a police report before passing judgment. Many such a charge is the end result of a Romeo and Juliet situation.
Read more over at The Miami Herald. (Make certain to check out the interview with landlord Ron Book).
8 comments:
I heard a TV news story about Exile and the reporter said "in an alarming situation...." and they made this huge deal out of it. And of course, RON BOOK was on and said, "I don't want to say I told you so"...
What a load of horse crap. Interesting that he is one of the two with the lawsuit... Also interesting, if we can't get you out one way we will get you out another!
I hope the OUTRAGE about the California case does not die down too fast. Let the people get smacked right in the face with what we have been telling them over and over until our voices were hoarse and our fingers sore. Let them see for themselves that these laws cause more harm than good which is EXACTLY what we have been saying.
This is just another example of how out of control the US has gotten that Foreign news services are talking about Florida and the way we handle things, now California is getting their taste of infamy too.
Sunny and Magister,
AND this makes another point for NOT grouping these public urinators and occasional child predators EXILED.
What if the young lady had tried to escape/?? Sounds like she would have to run past a GAUNTLET of sex offenders all grouped together like that. No doubt standing naked in their yard with big huge ahems and leering looks on their faces while they slathered over child porn on the internet waiting for a victim to happen by.
So, again ... I have a couple right around here. One I never see and THE OTHER who actually stalks me with his pervert son and the Tampa Fireman's nephew and the Tampa firemen are involved.
Honest, I don't make this stuff up.
I've never seen him naked and slathering for a victim but no doubt he's disgusting. BUT, his sex offender status is NOT what disgusts me.
Once this swiney guy I know tried to point out how many SRO I mean RSO lived around here comparatively which was not true as I showed him via his OWN zippycode.. come to find out the PO had set up a quasi apt building of RSO(SRO) (standing room only on the RSO list) not far from here. Never saw hide nor hair nor problem. IN FACT the only pigs around here besides the normal piggy ones who are trying to steal and plunder my delightfully EXPENSIVE property are the one who is a stalker FIRST sex offender next and THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GUY so ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF TAMPA who lured a child into his home had sex with her with his girlfriend's dead body in the next room and then .... hey by the way that was LESS THAN ONE BLOCK from the tampa firemen AND .... drumroll... RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET from the tampa fireman's MAMA. Less than twenty feet away.
So, what I'm saying is this: WE NEED A PAC.
That's all I'm sayin ....
(i never really believed half that story even though it was published in the paper because I DID ask the tampa fireman's nephew who told me this delightful tale yes we were SO CLOSE... WHEN the funeral was after this dipstick told me 'i'd read about it in the paper it was the first carney/fireman house stolen in the hood. And, although he DID NOT KNOW these people he said...'oh, they're weird people they don't believe in funerals'. You're actually supposed to believe this shit. I DO kinda remember seeing this guy who allegedly offed himself after he let the child go .. not sure I believed that one either..no obits for either one of them never could identify a child he had molested .. BUT in the paper it id'd him as the 'neighborhood watch' guy... who I would never know because I consider them to be lowgrade/high-ranking nazis. And it referred to his weaponry. So I remember telling the Tampa fireman's SISTER (pictures on the way) THAT GUY??!?!? IT was pretty shocking because you look at him and hope someone is keeping an eye ON HIM. So, THEY DID. PAM IORIO MAYOR OF TAMPA PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH THAT BY THE WAY SHE INVENTED. Also, these creeps work very closely with and ARE APPROVED BY none other than david gee, the hillsborough county sheriff. And no I have NO IDEA why I have video of one of his deputies helping a dumptruck run me off the interstate.
So, I'm pretty sure they bear some responsibility for any part of this story that is true.
This guy was labeled: NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH. Right across the street from the houseful of sex offenders who by the way, if you're able to keep up .. that made them across the street neighbors of the TAMPA FIREMAN'S CITY EMPLOYEE MAMA. Retired. All this a short tiny stroll to the hood firedump.
bada bing.
The sister of the tampa fireman who was always talking about molestered children which brings us full circle to the guy who stalks me. she claimes he molestered her nieces. He got on the hook for doing his daughter. With his son. BUT, she is also a city employee. Parking garage manager.
So... if you think I'nm blowing smoke when I say the city and freaks in charge use these laws to their advantage, to drive down property value, to spread fear and etc....I'm not. I can name names. Unsurprisingly nothing ever happens to THEIR PROPERTY, their children, their cars, their animals ... you know.
CITY SANCTIONED GANGS. Comprised of city employees and their families and the regular old hoods.
And so the sex offender laws and benches are not, of course, accidents.
Scuse me, I have to go pee in the yard. Everyone should go PEE IN THE YARD NOW. Go pee in the park. Get everyone on a list.
I have peed in alligator alley. Yep, right beside my car. Yep I don't care. Yep, my passenger did, too. Yep. lordy i hope the SOL has expired.
lordy.
The registry laws, and especially the residency / work place restrictions, have done far more harm than good. Forget about all the cases of vigilantism; forget about the fact that while these laws are proposed to protect the children, they include children, and a huge percentage of those on the list committed crimes that had nothing to do with children; forget about the fact that study after study has proven these laws not only are ineffective, but have actually made matters worse; forget about the fact that upon release from custody, registered sex offenders have one of the lowest recidivism rates, not the highest. In fact those who receive counseling and treatment while in custody have outstanding records as opposed to those convicted of other violent crimes! The fact is the registry and the residency / work place restrictions should be limited only to those who are proven child molesters and pedophiles. This Law Enforcement can handle and monitor effectively. Do you seriously believe a committed pedophile cannot walk or drive 500, 1000, 2500, 5000 feet or more? Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted miles away from where Philip Garrido lived!
I am sure we will see comments from some hysterical, uninformed individual(s) who will suggest that all those on the registry should be locked up for life or worse. They will say there is no rehabilitation for these people. And for a few they are right, which is why we need to focus on them! Once a person has done his or her time that should be it. That is the foundation of this great country and its legal system. If you don’t like it, move to China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, or wherever individual rights are ignored. If a person is a proven pedophile, lock them up for a very long time and provide treatment. If treatment is not working, keep them locked up. Too many families are being destroyed for political expediency. Too many children of those on the registry are being abused and ostracized at school. Too many families are being forced into isolation and restricted from the work place. If we are truly trying to protect the children with the registry, then let’s focus on the pedophiles and child molesters’. Get rid of the residency / work place restrictions and focus on the loitering laws. Let the rest of those on the registry re-assimilate into society after they have done their time and become solid, productive citizens; part of the solution not the problem. The facts, (and the Garrido case) as well as virtually all of the research, and study after study have proven what we are doing now, mostly for political expediency and to appease hysterical uninformed parents is not working and is in fact making matters worse!
Well Jim...I can only say that I couldn't disagree with you more!!
There are many (MANY) of those on the registry who have had child charges. They are the Level III's, the child molesters you speak of. And many of them of them "due to therapy" are less of a threat than those who have exposed themselves to children (the level II's).
I do agree with you that once a person completes their sentance, they should not be accosted by law enforcement or the courts any longer. No should they be subject to any further punishment.
However you did make a statement that said..."Once a person has done his or her time that should be it. That is the foundation of this great country and its legal system. If you don’t like it, move to China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, or wherever individual rights are ignored."
WELCOME TO CHINA, RUSSIA, NORTH KOREA AND IRAN JIM!!!!!!
And it stays that way till the politician's and judges get their head out of their asses!
Every case is unique, which is exactly what is wrong with these laws. Lawmakers have determined the criteria for what constitutes an offense and then lumped everyone together under the same set of continuing consequences. And let's not forget, in Florida, the law is written so judges cannot treat each case individually...in my family member's case, the judge designated no sex offender probation or status...well, that glow lasted about 1 hour until he met with probation.
It's hard enough for someone trying to get back on their feet, but imagine never getting past the punishment when it's over.
My loved one has lost everything--profession, friends, reputation, credit history--if it weren't for a few people, six feet under would be the address listed on the registry...even in death, this follows you.
And all because of a sting operation.
Regarding the Tiers, my loved one never left the house...never touched anyone..engaged in secretive inappropriate behavior, certainly...but because of that, life has and will never be the same.
And likely,be listed as a Tier II offender.
Pretty sick system. And now, even when lawmakers have a chance to change the system to keep kids safe (armed with recent research), if Chris Matthews is any indication, well, I won't hold my breath.
i thought i was alone on this for so long, and I finally found the right places to look for loved ones of registered offenders...long story short, my loved one had concensual intercourse with a 13 y/o while they were both high when he was 18/19. after 4 years in prison, he has never touched illegal substances since. 10 years since his initial arrest, we've been together for 5 years, with a child of our own now. but he's still being haunted. can't find a decent place for our family to rent. once the background check is done thats it. i moved a state over for work, but now i have to move back, because now he's not allowed to even step foot over the border. and now hes getting a bracelet slapped on his ankle. 29 years old, no threat whatsoever (which isn't just coming from me, he was required to speak with a psychologist in order to be with our daughter who said the same) it feels like he's just being made an example of, the government is wasting their frigging money on the little piggy when the f'in big bad wolf is lurking around the corner. it makes me sooo mad that the friggin sheriff "didn't even know the guy was an offender". and he's housing this poor girl for EIGHTEEN YEARS. i think it's time this law got a much much much needed make over.
I'm glad you are here.
Have you considered contacting the Legal Aid in your area regarding housing discrimination....?
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