Posted on 04/22/2005 9:42:50 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
Residents in a Ocala neighborhood could face charges after a convicted sex offender apparently committed suicide in despair over signs labeling him a "child rapist" posted in his neighborhood, according to Local 6 News.
Clovis Ivan Claxton, 38, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in Washington in 1991, had lived at 3230 SE. 45 Street in Ocala for about two years.
Tuesday, Claxton noticed bright yellow, laminated signs displaying his picture, date of birth, address and the words "child rapist" hanging on power poles in his neighborhood. A county commissioner proposed posting such information in the community but Sheriff Ed Dean rejected the idea.
After seeing the signs, Claxton called the sheriff's office and said that he felt "extremely scared and feels that people in the neighborhood are now out to possibly hurt him."
"Once he made these type statements our deputies took this man into custody under the Baker Act law and transported him to a local mental health facility for evaluation," Marion County Sheriff's Capt. Denis Strow said. "He was later released."
Tuesday morning, Claxton's parents found him dead of an apparent overdose with one of the child rapist flyers by his side.
Jane Claxton blames County Commissioner Randy Harris, who proposed the flyers, for her son's death, according to a report.
"Just don't get on the bandwagon," she said. "There's going to be other (deaths) if Randy Harris has his way. He hasn't been in trouble for 18 years, and he's branded for life."
Harris said sex offenders need to take responsibility for their actions.
"I don't blame his death to the signs," he said, adding he was undeterred in his quest to alert people to sex offenders living in their neighborhoods.
Dean said it is an example that police work should be left to authorities.
"We need to keep calm, do the right thing," Dean said. "Not go overboard with it. Protect our children. Use all of the resources we can but not stir a community up to a frenzy."
Claxton's death follows the high-profile arrests of sex offenders in the separate killings of two Florida girls less than seven weeks apart. State lawmakers have responded by passing a bill to require lifetime supervision of some child sex offenders.
State law allows for flyers to be printed and distributed, Local 6 News reported. But, altering the signs or flyers is against the law.
Claxton's address had been added to the top of the flyer along with the words "child rapist."
"It is a violation of the law," Strow said. "And should we find who perpretrated it, I'm sure it is a case that would be reviewed by the state's attorney office to see if they wish to pursue it."
The person responsible for the flyers faces up to 1 year in jail.
The sheriff's office is investigating and an autopsy was scheduled for Friday.
Marion County is located northwest of Orlando and has more than 600 registered sex offenders.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
"Monkey Face, you really need to calm down. You are showing an hysteria that is not founded by the article first posted."
I am calm. Too bad that doesn't come through in print. The article was way off base, but that's OK. People post things like that here with the object in mind of having a discussion. My purpose in responding to the various posters was to inform them of the sheer futility of expecting sexual predators to feel "shame" or "remorse" for what they have done. If I have failed in that, it is not because I haven't tried to 'splain things...
If you think that is "hysterical," then shame on you.
You all are far to sensitive for me. It really is too bad none of you know me, and that you can't hear my voice when I have to type things.
Each of you acts as if I made a personal attack on you, and that is not the case. I responded to an article, and to certain ideas of posters. I get the feeling that I have no permission to oppose a statement, even though all three of you are quite heated about opposing mine.
You are all entitled to your opinions of me. I, however, will not form any opinions as to your abilities as posters, nor as people. I usually try to read a person's bio page before ever making a comment to that person. Some have no information on theirs, and others have information that is not personal. And still others have a little bit of everything. But none of that is reason enough to attack a poster for AN OPINION.
If you feel predators should be branded, or speeders, or thieves, or batterers, or murderers, fine. But whatever you do, no matter which side of the argument you take, make sure you have made the best opinion you can with the FACTS that are available.
And never "assume" that other posters are making "assumptions."
And for cryin' out loud: LIGHTEN UP! It's only an article, not the end of the world!
Sweetie, you are the one who needs to lighten up. You are the one who made assumptions about where one gets their information, you are NOT even the one to whom I originally posted my comment, but you ARE the one who took it personally, came off with the "o.k., one more time" nonsense about how we need to read YOUR posts before we post. You obviously have no idea how your posts come across.
Moreover, YOU are the one who knows nothing about your fellow freepers, else you'd realize we all ask clarifying questions before we jump into someone's sandbox. But your pride won't let you back down and have a calm discussion.
For the sacrifices your family has made for our freedom, I salute you and thank you. For your total lack of understanding as to how your postings come across, I forgive you. If I have somehow offended in my attempts to politely rebuff your offensive responses, I sincerely apologize.
oh. this thread.
okay. seems to me that the folks you are mixing it up with are trying to state that there is a significant difference between someone who has sex with a person who is significantly post-pubescent (ie: physically mature/adult) but statutorially under the age of consent vs. a pedophile baby-raper.
"Sweetie, you are the one who needs to lighten up. You are the one who made assumptions about where one gets their information, you are NOT even the one to whom I originally posted my comment, but you ARE the one who took it personally, came off with the "o.k., one more time" nonsense about how we need to read YOUR posts before we post. You obviously have no idea how your posts come across.
Moreover, YOU are the one who knows nothing about your fellow freepers, else you'd realize we all ask clarifying questions before we jump into someone's sandbox. But your pride won't let you back down and have a calm discussion.
For the sacrifices your family has made for our freedom, I salute you and thank you. For your total lack of understanding as to how your postings come across, I forgive you. If I have somehow offended in my attempts to politely rebuff your offensive responses, I sincerely apologize."
I am amazed. If I know nothing about my fellow FReepers, it's not because I haven't tried. And if my comments are misunderstood, I suspect I'm in the majority, there. There's a lot of that going around.
I have always been out-spoken, and if it comes across as rude, then that's the way you'll have to read it.
Again...my comments were written CALMLY. If you read them as antagonistic, then I'm sorry for that. I'm a rather complex person, and unless one knows me VERY well, one will only ever scratch the surface of who I am, and therefore, often misinterpret the things I say. You are not the first to accuse me of being out of control, and I suspect you won't be the last. But that doesn't make it true.
It wasn't necessary to thank me for my familys' sacrifices. I was only a by-stander. They are the ones who deserve the accolades. Still, your thought counts.
I totally agree with you. If he has been on the straight an narrow for almost 15 years, this was a horrible thing to do.
So you're saying that NOBODY EVER straightens themselves out? I find that a little hard to believe. And if it's the truth, why don't we just put them in a leper colony kind of place. Really, what is your solution?
Monkey....all your posts say more about you than the subject matter. Sorry.
"...I had refrained from stronger retorts until you labeled me and every man I've ever know as sexual abusers of fellow children. You went totally over the top on that one, Monkey Face..."
Let me see, now...you called me a feminist who thinks sex in marriage is rape, and also called me a nutjob. (Have you been talking to blackbart?)
Hmmmm...I don't recall accusing you or anyone else of being anything. I was talking about sexual predators, already having that propensity when they are young.
Some times, a gal is damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't. I'll say this, though: You calling me names is not going to make them true, and will not change the fact that the subject was sexual predators.
"Monkey....all your posts say more about you than the subject matter. Sorry."
Don't apologize. I can speak equally well on a variety of subjects, and they will also say more about me than the subject matter. All it proves is that my interests are varied.
It's a non-corrollary. You can be outspoken without being rude.
Allow me all the graces you have richly supplied for your own shortcomings, but I misunderstood nothing of what you wrote, you were very clear. Hide behind "complexity" if you like buy what you really have is a complex.
Ok, fair enough. But do you have a solution? You do seem to know alot and have strong opinions, so what do you think we should do with child molesters after they leave prison?
Hildy, you are a dear! And a better person than I.
"So you're saying that NOBODY EVER straightens themselves out? I find that a little hard to believe. And if it's the truth, why don't we just put them in a leper colony kind of place. Really, what is your solution?":
No. I'm saying in order to change, a person needs to WANT to change, from the heart. Murderers can change, if they wish, and so can liars and thieves, as evidenced by the many that "find Jesus" behind prison walls.
If you read what I said earlier, you would know that a child predator does NOT want to change, and if he says he has, it is because he has his own agenda. This information is available to anyone who reads non-fiction on the subject, or watches documentaries. I am not saying it to impress anyone, or to force my "opinion" onto anyone.
Sexual predators are who they are by choice. That is not my "opinion" ~ it is a fact.
I have no "solution" for this. Only the lawmakers can change this problem. And they can only do that if enough people are informed of the facts.
The difference is that I asked you if you were such a woman while you outright stated that boys by the time we are 18 have molested at least one girl and probably a fellow boy, too.
You were talking about all men and that is what I've included on all the prior quotes.
Go back to your post and my posts concerning this matter.
You crossed a line and I will not let you get away with that.
"...Hide behind "complexity" if you like buy what you really have is a complex."
Don't we all have a complex of some kind?
This thread has gone from a discussion (though heated, at times) to a "Get Monkey Face" kinda thing, don't you think?
"The difference is that I asked you if you were such a woman while you outright stated that boys by the time we are 18 have molested at least one girl and probably a fellow boy, too.
You were talking about all men and that is what I've included on all the prior quotes."
No, I was not talking about all men. The subject was sexual predators. If that wasn't made clear, then you have my apology.
You really think it's a choice and not an illness?
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