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Overreach Over Child Molesters (A Liberal View Point)
Christian Science Monitor ^ | June 14, 2005 | Editorial

Posted on 06/13/2005 4:30:51 PM PDT by Graybeard58

The abuse of a child by a sexual offender is a despicable crime, for which every parent and law enforcement officer ought to be on the alert.

Children, the most vulnerable members of society, depend on the care and wisdom of adults to protect them. It's because of that responsibility that so many state and local governments have been tightening laws relating to child molestation.

But as they go about drawing their security circles around children, these governments need to watch that they don't overreact:

• Last week, Miami Beach, Fla., banned convicted child molesters from moving to within 2,500 ft. of schools, school bus stops, day-care centers, parks, and playgrounds. It effectively bans sexual molesters from moving to the city.

• Vermont's governor is pushing to lock up certain violent criminals, including sexual offenders, in mental-health institutions indefinitely, after they've served their sentences. More than a dozen states have "civil commitment" laws for sex offenders.

• New York is considering lengthening the period that paroled sex offenders need to register their location with the state from 10 years to a lifetime. It's also looking at monitoring parolees electronically.

With measures like these, communities are applying solutions far more broadly than necessary.

The Miami Beach case, for instance, assumes that most child molesters are strangers to their victims: If the city just cordons off their children, they'll be safe. In fact, most victims are known to their abusers.

It's also important to remember that the rate of a repeat offense by a convicted child molester is low. "Sex offenders as a group have a relatively low recidivism rate. In fact, they have a lower recidivism rate than most other offenders," says John Q. La Fond, author of a new book, "Preventing Sexual Violence."

An extensive study by the Department of Justice published in 2003 shows a recidivism rate for child molesters of just 3.3 percent in the first three years. In almost half of the original offenses, the victim was the prisoner's relative.

Experts say it's possible to identify probable repeat molesters by looking at a person's history, behavior, and mental state. This argues for a selective approach, though governments might be tempted to define high-risk too broadly.

Still, instead of trying to keep tabs on every released offender, governments should target funds, personnel, and expertise to parolees in the high-risk group, monitoring them closely and working to rehabilitate them.

Public outrage and sorrow accompany cases of child sexual abuse. Governments should do all they can to prevent these crimes - and some of the predators do appear to be beyond current methods of rehabilitation. But the outrage shouldn't get in the way of trying to help the majority of abusers - many of whom were molested as children - redeem their lives.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial
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1 posted on 06/13/2005 4:30:51 PM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: Graybeard58

We have an RSO who lives about a mile away. I'll be interested to see if he has decorations out and porch lights on this coming October 31 when I toddle around the neighborhood with my then-21-month-old boy.


2 posted on 06/13/2005 4:34:07 PM PDT by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: Graybeard58

The recidivism of DEAD child molesters is 0%.
It's not where they live that worries me- it's THAT they live after conviction.


3 posted on 06/13/2005 4:34:49 PM PDT by ClearBlueSky (Whenever someone says it's not about Islam-it's about Islam. Jesus loves you, Allah wants you dead!)
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To: Graybeard58
An extensive study by the Department of Justice published in 2003 shows a recidivism rate for child molesters of just 3.3 percent in the first three years

I read judicial stats and that number is too low. It's somewhere 20-35% in the first three years, climbing to a lifetime probability of about 50%. (The numbers vary by location, definition of recidivism, etc., but a "meta-study" of some 60-odd other studies done for the WA state legislature about '98 came to that result.)

4 posted on 06/13/2005 4:37:26 PM PDT by Clint Williams
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To: Graybeard58
Still, instead of trying to keep tabs on every released offender, governments should target funds, personnel, and expertise to parolees in the high-risk group, monitoring them closely and working to rehabilitate them

This is one of my favorite pieces of liberal doublespeak. Homosexuals are "born that way," they can't help it, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Why should child molesters be any different? Applying the liberal standard on homosexuals to child molesters, we should have no more hope that a child molester will suddenly stop wanting to molest children than that a homosexual will want to stop his buggery.

Of course, liberals are hypocrites by nature.

5 posted on 06/13/2005 4:37:31 PM PDT by Terabitten (Illegal aliens create "Representation without Taxation.")
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To: Clint Williams

Oops "child molesters." The numbers I saw were for all sex offenders...


6 posted on 06/13/2005 4:38:11 PM PDT by Clint Williams
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To: Graybeard58
It's also important to remember that the rate of a repeat offense by a convicted child molester is low. "Sex offenders as a group have a relatively low recidivism rate. In fact, they have a lower recidivism rate than most other offenders," says John Q. La Fond, author of a new book, "Preventing Sexual Violence."

This goes against everything I have ever heard about sex offences..

7 posted on 06/13/2005 4:39:52 PM PDT by cardinal4 (Extraordinary Circumstances- proving PT Barnum was right..)
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To: Graybeard58

In the pioneer days, if a man molested children or women,
the local men in the community would take him out into the
woods and have a "Come to Jesus" meeting with him

He might have survive the night


8 posted on 06/13/2005 4:43:43 PM PDT by HangnJudge
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To: cardinal4
It's also important to remember that the rate of a repeat offense by a convicted child molester is low.

I thought it sounded off, too. Unless the key word is "convicted" -- they do time and see the light (or at least don't want to see inside again)? Too many stories about repeat, repeat, repeat, etc. offenses before some are finally caught and convicted.

9 posted on 06/13/2005 4:44:46 PM PDT by maryz
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To: Clint Williams
Oops "child molesters." The numbers I saw were for all sex offenders..

In my county (Tazewell, Illinois) most offenders listed are child molesters.

It lists their offences by age groups of the victims. (13-16) (Under 13) etc.

Possession of child porn lists the victims as under 13.

10 posted on 06/13/2005 4:46:35 PM PDT by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for Spec.4 Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: mvpel

It will interesting to see you CARRYING that boy. A mile is a looooong way for those tiny legs.


11 posted on 06/13/2005 4:47:32 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: ClearBlueSky
The recidivism of DEAD child molesters is 0%. It's not where they live that worries me- it's THAT they live after conviction.

You are so right. Personally, I think Megan's Law is the single most asinine piece of legislation ever conceived.

We, the legislature, believe that there is an enormous likelihood that this individual will kidnap, rape and kill your child. We could keep him locked up forever or we could execute him to see to it that he never commits such an act again. Instead we figured we'd let you know that he's living next door so that you can live in constant fear and anxiety until your child turns up dead.

If you need to to satellite monitor somebody you have no business letting him out of prison.
12 posted on 06/13/2005 4:50:35 PM PDT by Ragnorak
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To: Graybeard58

"It's also important to remember that the rate of a repeat offense by a convicted child molester is low."

"very low"....well that ain't ZERO is it? People seem to forget who the victims are here. Helpless innocent children. I'm sure being molested as a child is enough to seriously mess anyone up for life as opposed to being an adult and the victim of a theft say.


13 posted on 06/13/2005 4:50:39 PM PDT by blogblogginaway
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To: Graybeard58
What concerns me most is Whacko Jacko, aka, Chester the Acquitted Molester, now has carte blanche to behave any way he chooses any time he wants with anyone he wants because he knows that the LA DA is going to need an absolutely air tight case against him to bring new charges. Even then he may hesitate for fear it will wind up with another ridiculous verdict like today's and will be seen as vindictiveness on the part of the state.

He's done it before, and he will do it again. Guaranteed
14 posted on 06/13/2005 4:51:49 PM PDT by stm
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To: Clint Williams
WTF?

Look I'm nowhere near PC, but that just p*sses me right off.

Anyone with even passing knowledge of LE knows that that statement is outright false.

The question is, why did he even postulate a demonstrably false predicate?

My tagline applies.
15 posted on 06/13/2005 4:51:52 PM PDT by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: Graybeard58

"It's also important to remember that the rate of a repeat offense by a convicted child molester is low. "Sex offenders as a group have a relatively low recidivism rate. In fact, they have a lower recidivism rate than most other offenders," says John Q. La Fond, author of a new book, "Preventing Sexual Violence."

Where did they get this stuff? This is a complete opposite of everything else I've heard on this subject.


16 posted on 06/13/2005 4:52:50 PM PDT by jocon307 (Can we close the border NOW?)
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To: blogblogginaway

Also, how do we really know WHAT the repeat rate is? Unless a child has the courage to tell someone and they are caught, we don't.


17 posted on 06/13/2005 4:58:53 PM PDT by blogblogginaway
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To: mvpel
It's also important to remember that the rate of a repeat offense by a convicted child molester is low.

I quit reading right there, this article is crap.

18 posted on 06/13/2005 5:01:02 PM PDT by FrogMom
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To: cardinal4

John Q. La Fraud was a twenty year professor at the University of Puget Sound in ultraliberal Tacoma, Washington. He's long been an apologist for sex criminals, and he's been instrumental in WA state's weenie attitude towards perverts. When a guy writes papers like "Washington's Sexually Violent Predator Law: A Deliberate Misuse of the Therapeutic State for Social Control" AFTER the state passed laws requiring child rapists to only serve six months in a halfway house, if they have enough money to get a SSOSA (Special Sexual Offender Sentencing Alternative), then you know he's a whack job liberal nutcase who should never be believed.


19 posted on 06/13/2005 5:03:38 PM PDT by hunter112 (Total victory at home and in the Middle East!)
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To: HangnJudge

Correct. As the wagon trains set out on the Oregon Trail, the stated rules were a rapist was to receive 39 lashes a day for three days.
Still digging to see if it ever happened.


20 posted on 06/13/2005 5:05:36 PM PDT by investigateworld ( God bless Poland for giving the world JP II & a Protestant bump for his Sainthood!)
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