Posted on 07/15/2005 6:31:05 PM PDT by Army Air Corps
Fifty-six year-old Thomas Haynes is in the Lubbock County Jail awaiting extradition back to Arkansas where he's wanted for failing to register as a sex-offender, but it was Lubbock Police who caught up with him at a public library this week and some bizarre circumstances led to his arrest. This time around it's allegedly an instance of what police call "improper photography"and a very observant public library worker.
Haynes walked into the Groves Public Library on 19th and Chicago on June 2nd and brazenly used a digital camera to peer up a woman's skirt and snap a picture. Branch Manager Laurie Fritz says, "She apparently saw him and was able to get the camera away and was looking through the camera and saw other inappropriate images." Corporal Mark Long says, "One of the people got a license plate number and we found out who he was and all the convictions he had for sexually violent offenses."
Lubbock Police instantly alerted patrol divisions and put up warning posters with Haynes' picture and vehicle. Fritz says, "We assumed of course he wouldn't come back, but he did."
On Wednesday, Haynes boldly returned to Groves Public Library and sat down at a computer. A library employee recognized him and called 9-1-1. Police arrived minutes later. Fritz adds, "He looked like he was resigned to the fact that he was caught and even looked like he might have been smiling a little." Long says, "We're happy. We've been looking long and hard to see if we can find this guy." Fritz says, "It feels good. We were able to put someone behind bars that could possibly cause harm to other people."
Thomas Haynes is being held without bond. Police are trying to get felony charges worked up on him for failure to register as a sex offender here in Lubbock and of course for the improper photography charges. He's also facing felony charges in Arkansas.
This freak was brazen and stupid; thankfully, he is currently unable to harm anyone.
Ping
And people wonder why fewer normal people want to go to public libraries...
no wonder the indigents got kicked out of mahon, or so i heard....they beg for money down by the pioneer hotel n0w a friend told me.
the last time I went to Mahon, it smelled like urine--you know, like a bad nursing home?
As someone who has worked in a library I am not surprised they would find him there. The library I worked at happened to be near a parochial school, an elementary school, 2 middle schools, and a high school. A lot of the parents from these schools used us as free babysitting. Unfortunatly none of the parents realized that some of the people in our library well removed from the downtown area was frequented by homeless people. I am just thankful nothing ever happened. Another thing we have a security guard there in the afternoons. I know some parents thought the guard was there for the kids. They got that half right--the guard was there to protect the librarians from the kids when the kids got out of hand. Sad but true.
Glad they got this one. We also had some guys that would follow young women around the library and then there was someone or someones who were putting into random books hate literature.
Haynes walked into the Groves Public Library on 19th and Chicago on June 2nd and brazenly used a digital camera to peer up a woman's skirt and snap a picture. .... Corporal Mark Long says, "One of the people got a license plate number and we found out who he was and all the convictions he had for sexually violent offenses." Lubbock Police instantly alerted patrol divisions and put up warning posters with Haynes' picture and vehicle. Fritz says, "We assumed of course he wouldn't come back, but he did." On Wednesday, Haynes boldly returned to Groves Public Library and sat down at a computer. A library employee recognized him and called 9-1-1. Police arrived minutes later.The American Library Association would have us believe that public library computers rarely attract criminals. Along comes this story. Even a criminal caught in the act who escapes can't stay away from the computers and gets caught at them. Now in this library, their policy doesn't help much. For example, on their teen page, they have as the only "health" link a link to Go Ask Alice that teaches children about bestiality, autoerotic asphyxiation, fisting, etc. http://library.ci.lubbock.tx.us/teen/internet_links.htm Don't you think it's fine that a public library links to a site that teaches children how to strangle themselves just enough to have a heightened orgasm? Be that as it may, at least the librarian called the police. That's something the ALA is usually against as well. When will people realize they need to remove the influence of the ALA from their libraries so their citizens will not continue to be victimized? Instead we see a convicted sex offender returning to the public library for more action. See www.plan2succeed.org for more information.
The university library has had its fair share of eccentric regular visitors. Some of us (the student assistants and research assistants) gave names to the regulars. There was one fella, CIA Man, who would talk into his glasses and then pick up the receiver on a pay phone and start talking into it (not put money into and dial a number, just pick-up the receiver and start talking). He would say that he was "getting orders." Then, there was Mr. Giggles...
Ping - see my comment above.
At the university library, we have many Public access computer terminals that are open to any patrons. In the department where I worked, we had many vagrants who would look at pornography and make print-outs of the material. The dean of the library established the policy that we could not say anything to people about such behaviour unless we were certain that they were a minor or were flagrantly harrassing other patrons. The management of most of our libraries is this permissive and that is where citizens need to take action. Also, libraries need to stop worshipping the ALA and take the desires of the communities which they serve into consideration.
Some librarians already sued for harrassmnet. The library settled for a large sum, likely to avoid setting a precedent. Say, why don't you write up your experiences and I'll post them on my group's web site??
Sure. I could tell you stuff about porn and the public terminals. For example, the Dean of library established a policy that prohibited us from "hassling" anyone viewing "adult material" regardless of age. I am not kidding. Eventually, the policy changed to allow us to kick minors off terminals if they were viewing porn.
Tell me the true stories of what you witness, what policies they make you follow with with you disagree, why, what's the worst stuff that happens in the library, are you allowed to call the police, etc. No need to respond here. Take your time and let us know what's what with your situation, and I'll post it up on my group's web for all to see. Who knows - you could help someone else in the same situation.
Sure. I'll compose some accounts in Word and send them to you. I need to get some shut eye. Cheerio.
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