Judge throws out sex offender rules

The Des Moines Register ^ | 02/10/2004 | Mark Siebert

[Therapist]

A federal judge Monday ruled that Iowa's law prohibiting sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or child-care center is unconstitutional.

The Iowa Legislature enacted the law in 2002 in an effort to keep sexual predators away from children.

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

The pracitcal problem is that the registry, while admittedly a service to the community, also carries with it some affirmative obligations on the part of the offender. It's not as simple as being a compliation of public information, which I would take no issue with whatsoever. Under most statutes, if the sex offender does not register in a timely, it's a misdemeanor or a felony offense. To me, it's just dangerous precedent to add this condition after the fact.

I also agree with you about the issues of the registry itself. All of the offenders are lopped together from sexual battery (like grabbing a boob, to consentual sex of two minors, to rapists, to child molestors.

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

No, the law makes PERFECT sense.

Call this law "people-zoning" in my book. While it probably passes constitutional muster prospectively, it seems a tad reactionary. It's not like a sex offender looking to abduct a school-aged child is not going to do it because he happens to live 10,000 feet from a school instead of 2,000. What's next a designated sexual predator town? What about the other violent offenders, why not them too? Let's just go back to the good ole days of penal colonies. Throw em all on an island and let them fend for themselves while we're at it.

There are a myriad of problems inherent in the registry in that all sexual predators are treated alike -- lumping in those who had consentual sex while underage, gropers, NAMBLA types that possessed kiddie porn or were stupid enough to download it on their computers, with the hard core rapists and child molestors.

[Yeti]

Child molestors and gun owners have more in common than most people think. ...

And the recidivism rate for child molestors is actually quite low...

he had molested a child once ...he was discriminated against and treated like an old-fashioned leper...

we westerners once condemned the caste system in India. Starting our own seems somewhat barbaric to me....

I can't even remember the number of women I've known who said they were raped as children, by older men. The men weren't jailed in most cases and the girls grew up to be fairly normal women.

I could do a quick reply to each of the above-pasted clips from your posts on this thread, but I think just putting them up there, next to eachother, is enough.

[Jackie-O]

ping

[Freedom2specul8]

Maybe oldfart's friend is an exception to the rule...one never knows. I know most of those who've been interviewed say that it's an incurable compulsion. It's probable that not all child molestors are pedophiles...and maybe your friend wasn't a real pedophile. ????

[Jackie-O]

Personal experience has told me that re-offending is more common..so maybe OF's friend is a rare exception.

[Jackie-O]

A line from the song "Calling on Angels" by Train jumped out at me yesterday...

"When children have to play inside so they don't disappear."

[Freedom2specul8]

I don't remember that song or group Jackie.. do you know if I could hear it on the net?

[Freedom2specul8]

"There are a myriad of problems inherent in the registry in that all sexual predators are treated alike "

I agree with that...so we have to decide how to classify sex offenders, and who are predatory and are a threat to society and who aren't.

Just looking at the registry lists won't be helpful cuz most charges had been reduced by the time they are listed.

[Jackie-O]

They are a fairly new group, it's a new song. I'll see if I can find it for you.

[Jackie-O]

Here is a site to lyrics, I'll look around for their website.
http://www.lyricattack.com/t/trainlyrics/
They did a song called "Meet Virginia" and "Drops of Jupiter" that both got alot of airplay.

[Freedom2specul8]

Thank you for finding that...I appreciate it.

I read that line you thought of to hubby,and he just shook his head...

[Devil_Anse]

Creepy, creepy, creepy!!

I do think that fear of such incidents is, believe it or not, part of why many children are in poor physical shape today! But there are a lot of contributing factors; abolition of "recess" in the schools is another factor. (I thought it was about the stupidest thing I'd ever heard, when I realized schools were giving short shrift to recess... and they wonder why the kids are "hyperactive"!)

I mean, so many of us are afraid to have our kids just get out and wander, and play, all day, as we did. So they end up indoors, playing a video game, where at least we know no one can snatch them!

[Devil_Anse]

I'm with you two on this issue. The sex offender registry laws may not be perfect, but it's a start.

I know, though, that for those who were convicted b/f such laws were passed, alas, the laws shouldn't apply to them b/c that would be ex post facto. (There are a few arguments that it is NOT ex post facto for them... but probably it is.)

I see nothing wrong, either, with a registry of those who have killed a human being, and who are out of prison. (WHY they would be out of prison is a mystery to me, but of course we know they do get out.)

Above all, I DON'T SEE WHAT ANY SEX OFFENDER IS COMPLAINING ABOUT REGARDING HAVING TO REGISTER. THE ALTERNATIVE IS THAT HE BE KEPT IN JAIL FOR LIFE.

IMO, there are plenty of arguments for keeping ANYONE who has sexually molested a CHILD in jail for life. In some jurisdictions, rape used to be a capital crime. Maybe we should return to that. Then they wouldn't be complaining about something as trivial as the registry.

And I emphatically do NOT believe that a little girl can actually be used for actual SEX by an adult, and just grow up to "be a pretty normal woman". BULLSH#T. My father was a psychiatrist who saw such people. He had room to talk b/c he was privy to the lives of such victims. He said that having sexual contact with a little girl was one of the best ways to permanently ruin her life. I also heard a judge wax on, on this subject, and he had the same view. The judge went further, and pointed out that the FUTURE HUSBAND of such a little girl is a VICTIM of the girl's molester, too, b/c the girl will carry the baggage with her for life. DITTO FOR BOYS AND THE PERSONS WHO MOLEST THEM.

[Devil_Anse]

While (to be charitable) it is sad if a former molester commits suicide, his suicide is but a drop in the bucket compared to the MANY, MANY, victims of child sexual molestation who have either killed themselves directly, or who have indirectly killed themselves through the self-hatred that led them into drugs and/or prostitution.

[Freedom2specul8]

I tell you what...I read that post earlier, and I still don't know what to say in response. Obviously, a precious child ("Let the children come unto me"---Jesus) carries weight..and as a mere human...I would choose a child's life over a molestors.

[Freedom2specul8]

My simple opinion, stop reducing the frickin charges...that is SO STUPID! If the charges, the original and true charges were on those lists...we'd all be screaming bloody hell over where those people lived. I'm sick of pandering to rapists, child molestors etc..

[Freedom2specul8]

"The judge went further, and pointed out that the FUTURE HUSBAND of such a little girl is a VICTIM of the girl's molester, too, b/c the girl will carry the baggage with her for life. DITTO FOR BOYS AND THE PERSONS WHO MOLEST THEM."

Darn Straight..and same with the parents, brothers and sisters.

[Freedom2specul8]

"he had molested a child once ....."

That we know about.

[Yeti]

That we know about.

Exactly. And - with the wife, kids, and good job - sounds like he got to lead a "fairly normal" life, despite his action(s?).