Child molester is ordered back to prison [Dem judge had given him 8 months]

Cleveland Plain Dealer ^ | Saturday, October 15, 2005 | James F. McCarty

[Diago]

Child molester is ordered back to prison Saturday, October 15, 2005 James F. McCarty Plain Dealer Reporter A Cuyahoga County judge who was criticized in 2001 for freeing a child molester after eight months in prison ordered the man back behind bars Friday for violating his probation. Common Pleas Judge John Sutula made the decision after hearing evidence that Gregor Rigo, 56, of Berea, had bought a membership to a child-pornography Web site and downloaded images of naked pre-teen boys onto his home computers. Rigo must complete his original sentence, which will keep him in prison for about three years. He was arrested in 2000 for fondling two teenage boys on the Strongsville Soccer Club team he coached. Police found child pornography at his home. The victims' parents protested Sutula's decision to release Rigo eight months into a 3½-year sentence. One parent called it "a travesty of justice." At the time, Sutula said Rigo could be rehabilitated. The judge placed the defendant on five years' probation. In court Friday, a probation officer said Rigo's computers had been searched twice without incident since his release. Rigo passed two lie-detector tests before his re-arrest in February, at which time he flunked a test. He was caught by federal agents in a national crackdown on child pornography Web sites. Sutula rebuked the probation officers for not keeping a closer eye on Rigo. Assistant County Prosecutor Brendan Sheehan said Rigo violated the trust the judge had placed in him. "Mr. Rigo was given a leash and he hung himself," Sheehan said. Sutula shot back: "My concern is that if this leash had been tighter, this wouldn't have happened." Rigo, an environmental and statistical consultant, denied knowingly visiting any child-pornography Web sites since his release from prison. "I have stumbled across some [pornographic] sites, but I backed out immediately," he said. He blamed the downloaded pornography and the Web site membership on computer hackers or visitors to his home. His lawyer Gerald Gold said prosecutors could offer no scientific evidence that Rigo saw the downloaded pictures. "Nobody got hurt here," Gold said. "This defendant should be given another chance." Sutula disagreed. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jmccarty@plaind.com, 216-999-4153 © 2005 The Plain Dealer © 2005 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Are you sure this didn't happen in Utah? Utah is infamous for giving child molesters a fine and probation for offenses. Makes me sick.

As for this judge, he shouldn't be a judge anymore.

[mtbopfuyn]

Nobody got hurt here," Gold said. "This defendant should be given another chance."

How could he possibly know this. Who knows what's happened while the pervert was out. The guy was caught once, but how many other lives has he ruined but was never caught?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Someone needs to put this judge on probation.

[paudio]

Sutula shot back: "My concern is that if this leash had been tighter, this wouldn't have happened."

Just like Adam. When he was caught, he's blaming somebody else... Gosh...

[BlackRain]

Judge Sutula said Rigo could be rehabilitated.

Doesn't this Judge know that child molesters can't be rehabilitated and they are statistically prone to commit more sex crimes after being released from jail?

[Diago]

This is all I can find concerning the original story on this. If someone can find the full original article, it would be very interesting to see:

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:yckF67uPGN4J:www.sexcriminals.com/news-archive/index-1-575.html+%22John+Sutula%22+rigo+&hl=en



Judge cuts sentence of sex offender

May 05, 2001, Cleveland Plain Dealer | Submitted by admin


Article Overview


STRONGSVILLE - A judge is being criticized for reducing the prison sentence of a Strongsville man convicted of molesting two boys on the soccer team he coached. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John Sutula ordered Thursday that Gregor Rigo, 52,...

[itsinthebag]

"I have stumbled across some [pornographic] sites, but I backed out immediately," he said.

Yeah right. Sure you did.

[Luigi Vasellini]

I think the real problem is the judge thinks its OK and would probably like to molest young boys himself!!

[LoudRepublicangirl]

Until more judges start getting raped themselves I do not think they will take this problem seriously. It's time that more judges be held accountable for the actions that the monsters that they release back into society inflict on innocent children.

[Penny]

Your astute comment reminds me of a Fort Worth judge's confession some years ago, namely: Until his sister was robbed at gunpoint, he treated aggravated robbery with a light touch--sometimes even with a probated sentence deal. Once the sister was terrorized, hitting the judge "at home," so to speak, the judge started imposing the maximum sentence the law allowed. All bleeding-heart judges should at the least be removed from the bench (perhaps by by a committee selected from community members).
Regards . . . Penny

[Neoliberalnot]

You have a good point here. You can bet if a family member of the judge's were raped, he/she might be inclined to be less sympathetic to the perpetrator.

When was the last time a judge was impeached for incompetence? It doesn't happen nor do lawyers ever have judgements brought against them for malpractice.

I also have to wonder if this judge doesn't have the same inclination as the pervert slapped on the hand.

[reformed_dem]

"I have stumbled across some [pornographic] sites, but I backed out immediately," he said.

Yeah, that happens to me all the time. /s

[layman]

He blamed the downloaded pornography and the Web site membership on ... visitors to his home.

He should be more careful about who he invites into his home because they apparently even used his credit card to pay for the membership. It seems like you just can't trust anyone these days.

[moog]

Are you sure this didn't happen in Utah? Utah is infamous for giving child molesters a fine and probation for offenses. Makes me sick.

What are some examples? Just curious.

[moog]

Until more judges start getting raped themselves I do not think they will take this problem seriously. It's time that more judges be held accountable for the actions that the monsters that they release back into society inflict on innocent children.


Probably. I'm glad I'll never be a judge.

[The Red Zone]

Had Rigo been watched more frequently they might have caught him sooner, but it would have been for that same thing.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

The penalty for first-offense child molestation shoud be as follows:
1) Tied to a rostrum and flogged until they are unconscious from the pain.
2) Five years in prison, no parole.

[BamaGirl]

The legal treatment of sexual offenders is so broken because the system fails to properly rehabilitate them.

They do their time but aren't "fixed." As a consequence they still have to register with local law enforcement, which essentially extends their sentence except out in the real world. Except that you and I have to deal with the consequence of their relapse.

They should keep these offenders in prison till they lose their sex drive or execute them. People say sexual predators are less threatening than murderers and robbers but I think that is false because they propagate their behavior. If you are molested then you are more likely to molest others when you grow up. I don't see victims of murder being more likely to murder someone else.

[ridesthemiles]

Let me be the one to "keep him on a tighter leash" instead of the probation officers.
When I am thru with him-less than 12 hours, I assure you- he won't need a "leash" anymore because the one first applied will be so tight it will have shut off his air supply. PERMANENTLY!!!!!!
Like rattlesnakes- the one good one is a dead one. Applies to molestors, also~!!!!