Do you think sex offenders rules should be modified for those who were accused?

Question

of date rape when he was a teen? I saw on TV where a man is challenging the law because he can't attend his child's school play or take him to a playground. Sex offenders are not suppose go near schools or playgrounds. This is an across-the-board law for all sex offenders, regardless of the crime. What say you?

Answer 1

For the present, sex offender laws need to be hammered out. Some things do not fit although most do. The real issue is the punishment. But let me add my 2 cents about sex offenders which I read about some years ago.
A man was driving down a street and some young kids were throwing things into the line of traffic. This man's car was hit with an object. He stopped, chased the kids and grabbed a 12 year old girl by the wrist. And yelled at her. One thing led to another where by he was arrested. The DA pursued sexual assault charges against him because the way the state law was written, he placing his hand on her person constituted sexual assault. Although no sexual contact was made, no words of sexual intent were said. Based on that charge, he was found guilty and now for life has to maintain his name as a sexual offender. No way out either. Where is the fairness in that? Can he go to a public school play ground with his kids if he has anykids? How could he attend a school play for his kids? All because of a badly written law.

Answer 2

Maybe you were accused of being a sex offender. That is nothing compared to the bigotry and hatred piled on the Catholic Church on the issue. Many ignorant and bigoted people out there in the media and elsewhere run around painting the Catholic Church with a broad brush as being full of pedophiles. Your kids are in TEN TIMES the danger of being abused in a public school than in any Catholic school, but the truth is unimportant to people driven by hate. I don't know what an apposing view is, but I do think the person was merely providing a solid defense of the Catholic Church. If you ask why the Catholic Church shouldn't be investigated itself and not just the abusers found within - I would ask why the police also do not come to your house and do a search warrant for any incriminating items that show you are an avid sex offender. It would make more sense than persecuting an institution that is overwhelmingly good for humanity regardless of your personal religious views.

Answer 3

I think they should be catagorized according to the act they
committed. If in fact, they actually were guilty. I know of a man
who I was told, was accused of trying to molest a teenaged
girl, and her friend served as a witness. This married man was a neighbor and he said he's never touched the girl, when
he was near her. Just her accusation, and her friends'
testimony put him in jail for three months alone, before he
even had a hearing. He never pleaded guilty and so they
kept him longer. FInally they released him and now he has
to register as a sexual offender, even tho, he still swears he
is not guilty. He said the girl has shown resentment toward
him in the past. And she was trying to get revenge.
He and his wife lost their little rancho and their horses, to pay for legal expenses. He is an elderly man in his late 70's. I don't know if he's lost his SS payments til he pays forhis 'freedom' with monthly payments for his parole or not. I
know that if a person is accused of a felony, or similar charge, they loose all rights. Including their SS checks if they
are of age to collect it. And most seniors need that money.
Especially those who are unable to work. And yet, after their
release, the felon has to pay restitution for his crime with
monthly payments to the court that charged him and he has
to find that money somehow, or be put back into jail til he
can make payments. This is a very unfair justice system
we have today. It's all about the money they can collect.
Anyway, I'd say that if someone were guilty of trying to
physically and perpously try to rape or fondle, then he should
be rated at the highest level of offenders. But someone known
to be innocent of the charge according to his history, and
yet is found guilty, or pleads guilty for a plea bargain, should
be on the lowest of levels. So often people are charged with
a crime, that aren't guilty. And yet all serve the same penalty.

Answer 4

I asked a variation of this a month or so ago when I first read about that man.................and still feel that it would be in the best interests of all if more delineation would be taken amongst the various 'crimes' now classified as sexual offenses - as some are truly not so.

I have actually read the details on the cases of some offenders listed on the registry in my state and in several cases the listings were a mix of true predators and of men ANd women who were charged with crimes either because of consensual sex with someone just under the age [18 or 21 depending] or in a couple of cases folk who were labeled because they committed sexual offenses such as oral sex between consenting ADULTS [which is still on the 'books' of some states]

Answer 5

I do think the law shouldn't be the same for everyone. If you're talking about the case with the 17 yr old and 15 yr old, thats just retarded to convict him as a sex offender and cast him in the same light as grown men who prey on children. It's totally different. They can't just have a clear cut age where a child goes into adult and then liable for the same actions he did possibly the day before.

Answer 6

Being labeled a sex offender comes from all kinds of 'violations.' Old friend of mine was out for his walk, had to pee and stopped in at the nearby 7-11. They told him the bathroom was for employees only. He went around back by the dumpster. Someone saw him, called the cops. He was arrested. He was 83 years old and he was a registered sex offender until he died 5 years later. I think he died of a broken heart. He was almost a recluse after his court date. He was put on probation. He had to report to the state police every year, just like those that molest kids, because someone saw his penis as he was urinating.

Answer 7

Difficult to say really. The law seems unfair sometimes, but on the other hand if someone commits an offense then they should pay the penalties. But maybe each case should be judged differently, and a date-rape offense is not the same as say, a predator who preys on children. However, I am always leery of being soft on criminals, there have been too many cases of repeat offenses.

Answer 8

I think that each offender should be given the right to get there
freedom back based on there good behavior.except for those that had raped someone. not all sex offenders rape.
My Son went to prison for three and a half years, for locking
a fourteen year old girl in a neighbors garage. He did it
trying to scare her. So she would leave him alone. My son
let her out of the garage twenty min. latter . He was seventeen. they charged him with false imprisonment. but
after he got out of prison they added sex offender to him,
When i asked why they said that is the new law.

What a awful world this is becoming!!!!!!

,

Answer 9

I have mixed feelings about this subject. I was molested as a child by my brother and never told anyone for fear of what would happen to me. Because of not doing that, I feel I was to blame for the molesting of my neices and there children. It has been proven that sex offenders offend again and again. And a lot of times they were molested themselves growing up. I watched the same show you did and I understand where the father is coming from, and he never did molest a child, he did a date rape. I am not sure if we can classify them as the same. Just my opinion.

Answer 10

I say that I agree with you. Maybe the law should give a probation period for sex offenders. Or have an officer accompany them to school events. I don't think it's fair for an adult to be punished for something he did as a teenager, the rest of his life.