Posted on 04/19/2006 9:24:57 AM PDT by Monk Dimittis
PORTLAND, Maine — Convicted sex offenders often expect to be harassed and ostracized for their actions. Until now, many didn't expect to be attacked.
After Sunday's fatal shootings of two sex offenders listed on the state's Internet sex offender registry, many of those convicted of sex crimes say they are afraid.
"It's really scary," said Raymond Roberts, a sex offender who is listed on the registry and lives near the victims. He asked that his hometown not be identified. "I live alone. I live way out in the country and basically I could be here for days, a dead body, shot."
Police say Stephen Marshall of Nova Scotia, Canada, looked up 34 sex offenders on the state's online registry before showing up at the homes of Joseph Gray, 57, of Milo, and William Elliott, 24, of Corinth, and shooting them with a .45-caliber handgun. Marshall took guns and a truck from his father in Houlton before going to the victims' homes, authorities said.
Marshall fatally shot himself Sunday night after police confronted him on a bus in Boston. Investigators hope his laptop computer, which will be handed over to Maine detectives on Friday, will provide some clues as to what motivated him to kill.
The deaths were on the minds of sex offenders at a recent treatment session in Auburn, said Scott Efland, a social worker who treats sex offenders. "One man said, `It's target practice and we're the target,'" he said.
The killings renewed concerns about the public disclosure of sex offenders' names and addresses on Internet registries. Many offenders are concerned that the Maine registry lumps all sex offenders together, whether their cases involved child sexual abuse or a domestic situation, said Kay Landry, a social worker in Augusta.
In Bellingham, Wash., police reviewed their Internet sex registry after a man used it to get two sex offenders' names and addresses, break into their home posing as an FBI agent and fatally shoot them last year. After the review, police stopped listing exact addresses; they now list the block the offenders live on.
State Rep. Patricia Blanchette, co-chair of the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, said a panel created by the Legislature to study community safety and sex offender accountability should be reconstituted to examine the issue, and investigate whether some categories of offenses need to be listed.
But right now, there seems to be no call to take down the registry as a safety precaution for other convicted offenders.
"Nobody wants to see anybody cut any slack for pedophiles," Blanchette said.
Roberts, who was convicted 13 years ago for assaulting his nephew, said he thinks people should be able to get off the list if they go a certain amount of time without committing any offenses. Also, registries shouldn't give out addresses or places of employment, and offenders should be notified if somebody accesses their information so they can be on guard, he said.
"My concern is this: Is this going to happen again?" he said.
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Associated Press Writer Glenn Adams contributed to this report.
I think he means "go a certain amount of time without getting caught."
And for those who would like to see if any sex offenders are living in their area:
There is a difference between agravated murder and justifiable homicide, I believe many might consider this the latter.
I would propose that having become a dead body, after being shot, he would not really care how long it took to be discovered.
Molestation murders the soul and spirit, mind too. You are never the same after it happens, and the younger it happens the worse off you are.
Dull is good, though. I'm also thinking something with a serrated edge, where you'd have to keep sawing and sawing and sawing ...
Are you serious?
Many of them get out of jail to repeat their crimes over and over again.
I think that both -- molesters and murderers -- should be executed.
Keep in mind, once the SOB snuffs out a child's life, it's over for that child -- don't take that wrong -- although the parents must endure that loss. But when a child is molested, they must live with the damage done for another 40, 50, or 60 years.
Yeah, execute molesters and murderers, but make the molesters suffer a gruesome and slow and painful death. And televise it as a warning to others.
I know more than a few young ladies who were abused by their own fathers or grandfathers. They still carry the physical and mental scars 40 years later.
Cry me a river. I wonder how their victims felt.
(1) People who commit first degree murder are generally in prison for life or 25+ years, while molesters generally serve only a few years.
A registry of first degree murderers would list mostly prison addresses.
(2) Most murders occur for specific reasons in specific circumstances - motives like covering up a robbery, contract killing, shooting a rival gang member. Only a very few murderers feel the compulsion to kill for the sheer enjoyment of killing. They're called serial killers and they're locked away for life.
Sex offenders don't have motives - they don't molest kids for money or for drugs or out of revenge. They do it because they enjoy and get their kicks from it.
They are always a threat in all circumstances and cannot be rehabilitated.
What about the man in his 20's who has sex with a sluttish girl of 17?
He is considered a child molester under the current laws.
They should have thought about that before they decided to diddle little kids.
I see ole Lester Williams is still
on the MS list. "Lester the molester" has been dead
for 5 years. Better safe than sorry I guess.
If their conviction was for some questionable P.C. spousal situation, I might disagree, however, for the bulk of rapists and child molesters, with their documented recividism rates, my care factor is down around 10-4 givash**s.
finally! something that makes sense. could it be they are learning cause and effect? what makes them think they can impose on others soveignty and rights,,,, abuse others.
perhaps, now, they and others will think twice
I guess that one should be careful who he is having sex with because the disease that he'll get from a slut might kill him anyway.
Look, I was talking about pedophiles. Real, honest to goodness, child molesters who typically are repeat offenders and can't be 'cured'.
I had one of the original (circa 1977) Ginsu knives........I cut everything from metal to tires with it. Stayed sharp for a long time. Handle finally broke and was tossed..........
I don't condone this ... but ... at least now they know how it feels to be prey instead of predator.
Billions of women (and children) have to learn to live with the knowledge that they can be prey at any time anywhere ... these guys can learn to live with the same knowledge.
I've really got no problem with someone plugging child molestors or rapists. But depending upon the way some states define "sex offender", killing is simply not warranted.
Agreed. I do think these registries should distinguish between the types of offenses. Sex offender is a pretty broad area with some very scary folks but also some people who are more harmless. As with most of these situations there is a large gray area that people like to ignore.
My "give a damn" seems to be broken here. Scumbags shoulda thought of that BEFORE committing a sex crime.
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