Baby Raped: Will Justice Be Served?

The Seattle Times ^ | 12-15-03 | Nicole Brodeur

[sherim]

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.

Nicole Brodeur / Times staff columnist Baby raped: Will justice be served?

The lights are up, the Christmas Ships are out, but dark things churn in the waters this season.

On Sunday, this newspaper unveiled a yearlong investigation that found that 159 school athletic coaches have been reprimanded or fired for sexual misconduct in the past decade. Of those, 98 continued to coach or teach, while schools, the state and even some parents looked the other way.

I hope no one looks the other way in the case of another predator.

Last month, Joseph Lehman Jr., 38, pleaded guilty to raping his girlfriend's 2-month-old daughter last December. Because of his plea, the state's standard, seven- to 10-year penalty likely will be suspended when Lehman is sentenced Friday at the King County Regional Justice Center.

Instead, Lehman may receive just six months of jail time, three years of treatment for sexual deviancy and a lifetime of supervision. A court psychologist has deemed him "amenable to treatment."

Court officials stress that this improbably light sentence has nothing to do with the fact that Lehman's father, Joseph Lehman Sr., heads the Washington State Department of Corrections.

Roxanne Crowder wonders.

She is the mother of Lehman's victim (she says the baby is his, making the unthinkable even worse) and the one who walked in on Lehman that day. Crowder has held nothing back about Lehman — or about her worry that he will get special treatment. That has meant naming her baby and describing her abuse on radio and television and to me.

"I will do whatever I have to do to ensure that another child is not hurt by him," Crowder said. "He already robbed my daughter of some of her innocence. I am not going to let that happen to another child."

She asserts that Lehman is manipulative and that his family hasn't acknowledged that what their son did was wrong.

"I agree Joe needs counseling," she said. "But he needs counseling in prison."

On that day, Crowder was resting at their Auburn apartment when Lehman went to change the baby's diaper. Crowder heard the baby screaming, went to investigate and saw what she can't forget.

It took her three weeks to call police.

"I will always feel guilty that I didn't break up with him or kick him out for all that time," she said. "I just couldn't process it. It's almost like a movie you saw."

A year later, the baby still wakes up screaming and pushes her mother away. Crowder has to turn on a light so the baby will know it's her.

The whole thing makes me sad, for someday it will be too easy for this baby-turned-woman to connect the dots.

I hope then that she sees her mother's crusade as The Right Thing to Do, especially in a society where schools and churches turn their heads, witnesses clam up and judges go easy, not realizing that in doing so, they create more victims.

That could change Friday. One man sentenced, a baby's purity somehow restored and unknown others spared.

And if that doesn't happen?

Crowder sighed: "I take some relief knowing he will have to face God someday."

Nicole Brodeur's column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Reach her at 206-464-2334 or nbrodeur@s....

More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists. Save her a seat in the courtroom.

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[RedBloodedAmerican]

He and the mother. She for neglect.

[cherry]

well, how common is it for "girlfriends" ( as in live-ins or unmarried partners) to be perps in cases of violence of all types....not very many....the vast number of these cases are done by the boyfriend/father/stepfather etc....

you would think that men would make the connection, and not live with women they are not married too...but alas...so many are too stupid....

you could have made your point better by not slamming an entire gender, or at least sharing blame with the gender that does most of the violence.....

[cherry]

Keri....she said she wanted him to get counseling in PRISON, as opposed to what he might get ....counseling on the outside....

[cherry]

"In '98, she was a total kneepadder for Clinton. I guess we've learned what it takes to get her attention"

there are issues where all right thinking and decent people of all political persuasions should agree....like protecting babies and children from this evil.....

I'm glad she wrote this story....perhaps it will make a differance....

I do think society is maybe turning the corner on "forgiveness" and the "feel-good" criminal justice system.

[cpforlife.org]

"he will burn with unquenchable fire for eternity"

[Alamo-Girl]

Jeepers...

[kimmie7]

Forget sending him to jail....let the mommies of the world have a chance at him. I'm not a violent person, but I would gladly beat this 'person' to death.

I'm so sickened by this.

[Salvation]

**On Sunday, this newspaper unveiled a yearlong investigation that found that 159 school athletic coaches have been reprimanded or fired for sexual misconduct in the past decade. Of those, 98 continued to coach or teach, while schools, the state and even some parents looked the other way.**

Ping!

[Mr. Silverback]

On that day, Crowder was resting at their Auburn apartment when Lehman went to change the baby's diaper. Crowder heard the baby screaming, went to investigate and saw what she can't forget. It took her three weeks to call police. "I will always feel guilty that I didn't break up with him or kick him out for all that time," she said. "I just couldn't process it. It's almost like a movie you saw." A year later, the baby still wakes up screaming and pushes her mother away. Crowder has to turn on a light so the baby will know it's her.

It would have taken me three-tenths of a second to cross the room and start ripping parts off him. Please read this article, we have contacts for the judge who will be sentencing him.

ProLife Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my ProLife Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[Mr. Silverback]

I would have killed him. DEAD. On the spot.

Concur, absolutely. Completely justified, and what jury would convict me? Three weeks to call the cops? Try three-tenths of a second to fly across the room and kill him deader than Disco.

[cgk]

I had nightmares about this last night. Couldn't go back to sleep for over an hour. This is one of the most disturbing stories I've ever read - and all I can say is your post made me feel a little bit better.

However, this monster will get off lightly with his dad as Head of Corrections, or whatever he is.

[cgk]

Thank you for this post. This, too, may calm some of my nightmares. I had a hard time getting around this part of it. That the baby could still be alive if it was actual rape, as opposed to physical sexual abuse. He still deserves to be put down, imo.

[stanz]

This has got to be the most horrid crime perpetrated by a man upon his own infant. I just can't get over it. I would pick up the nearest implement and club him to death if that were my baby.

[tiki]

Over 20 years ago a friend worked in the emergency room of a hospital. Someone brought in a 9 mo. old girl who had ben raped. The family wouldn't cooperate with the police but just a few days later the uncle turned up murdered.

[Bikers4Bush]

If a family isn't going to cooperate then that's the type of ending you hope to hear about.

[GrandEagle]

It took her three weeks to call police. "I will always feel guilty that I didn't break up with him or kick him out for all that time," she said.
Romans Chapter 1: "(31)... without understanding, coveantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: (32) Who, knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."
Not exactly the Biblical context, but still well put. She should be tried with him for failing to protect her child and by NOT reporting it. Not breaking up with him and willfully placing her child in grave danger is inexcuseable.

It would have taken me less than a second to take care of him.

[GrandEagle]

tied to a whipping post outside the courthouse so that anyone passing by could have a fair shot at him.
Minor correction.. in a San Francisco back alley with his paints around his ankles.

[Terriergal]

She asserts that Lehman is manipulative and that his family hasn't acknowledged that what their son did was wrong.

HMMM! Is this any surprise? Sounds like another child sex abuse case in the news lately...

[happygrl]

It's obscene that this unrepentant whore so self-righteously invokes the name of the One

Applies as well to you as well, Oh Self Righteous One.

[happygrl]

I would have killed him. DEAD. On the spot.

Absolutely.

While his pants were still down.