Admitted Child Molester Asks Judge To Waive Probation

news4 ^ | 07.03.08

[Coleus]

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Former First Baptist Church deacon Stephen Edmonds was back in court on Thursday asking a judge to change his sentence.  In 2003, Edmonds pleaded guilty to molesting three boys. In return for his guilty plea to three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, 10 other charges were dropped and Edmonds was sentenced to one year in jail and five years probation. He also must register as a sexual offender.  The plea deal did not sit well with families of the victims, which wanted the judge to sentence Edmonds to the maximum of six years in jail.  On Thursday morning, Edmonds asked that the remainder of his probation, one year, be waived.

His attorney told Channel 4 Edmonds' request stemmed from some serious family issues and illnesses for which Edmonds must frequently leave Duval County. In the courtroom, family members of Edmonds' victims sat in opposition to any leniency for the man.  They said he was given a light sentence in 2003 and should not get any mercy now.  "It's consistent with the way Steve Edmonds thinks because even though he was convicted, in his mind he doesn't think he committed a crime," said one victim's mother.

The state asked for a continuance, and no decision was made on Thursday.  After the court hearing, one victim told Channel 4 that being back in the courtroom and seeing Edmonds was extremely difficult.  "It's hard knowing this man stalked me and my friends for three years and did the things that he did, and then he can walk around the streets and drive around Jacksonville and carry on like nothing ever happened -- it just kills me," said the victim.  A hearing was continued until next Tuesday, when the judge is expected to hear testimony from some of the victims and their families.

Previous Stories:

• July 1, 2003: Edmonds To Serve One Year For Fondling Teens
• June 13, 2003: Edmonds Pleads Guilty To Sex Charges
• April 16, 2002: Builder, Church Leader Arrested On Sex Charges

[yldstrk]

Yeah right sick freakazoid have fun in prison

[icwhatudo]

Molests 3 kids and only gets 1 year in jail?????

This judge needs a visit from the media...

[doc1019]

Considering the pronouncements coming from the judicial bench lately … he might get what he wants.

[ConservativeMind]

He ought to be in jail for at least a few years for this.

However, I am curious if his church leadership tried to cover up this mess, or if they took appropriate and quick action.

We don’t need any more Catholic church examples out there.

[gost2]

Maximum sentence of six years my ass.

Six hollow points in the gut more like it.

[utherdoul]

remember the good old days when child molesters were hung in the town square? Pepperidge farm remembers ... but unfortunatly most people alive don’t.

[FoxInSocks]

He apparently already served a year in the county jail and four years of probabtion. He doesn’t want to hang around for his last year of probation.

[Mr. Mojo]

This POS needs a hanging. And if there were justice anymore in America, he’d get it.

[FoxInSocks]

omg. “Probabtion” should be probation.

[porter_knorr]

Are you the one that was complaining that Catholics get a bad rap for molestations and that every church had it’s issue? Is this an evening of the field for you?

[terycarl]

your response was pathetic....the number of protestant clergy, school teachers, scout leaders, etc who molest kids FAR surpasses the number of Catholic clergy who do so......pathetic

[gourmand]

I'm just not understanding any of this societal 'leniency', gost2.

Some People Just Need Killing^®.

[Libloather]

You seem to be enamored about sexually deviancy. Are you some sort of prosecutor?

[ConservativeMind]

I'm curious. How many of those organizations, of which schools and scout troops are not Protestant only, sought to cover up their problems like the Catholic church did? How many multi-million dollar settlements have come from Protestant churches? Can you name entire areas of the country where the churches have been bankrupted as with the Catholic church examples?

And why does it seem disproportionately “homosexual pedophilia” in the Catholic church for the, as you say, “the number of Catholic clergy who do so”?

Really, I'm curious.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

One year for molesting three children? Why is this pos still breathing?

[VOA]

Admitted Child Molester Asks Judge To Waive Probation

Must be hoping for the same soft treatment another Florida
judge gave to an ILLEGAL immigrant fellow a decade or so ago
(as documented on "American's Most Wanted" on FOX).

In that case, the judge listened to the pervert's sob story
about how he had to sell his substantial janitorial business
before he could start serving his term for assaulting a young gir.

The judge listened and let him loose with an ankle bracelet.

He sold the bidness alright.
Then cut the bracelet and took it on the lam.
(I don't know if he was ever caught)

I don't know if I've ever seen the AMW host John Walsh angrier.
As he related this story of judicial discretion gone mad.

[freedom9]

The righteous would be turmoiled and aghast were they to realize the extent that government,(both civil and federal), and judicial systems have been inundated by sodomists.

There are many judges out there that are sympathetic to molesters because they share the same bed.

There are many judges who fear to render harsh sentences because they are under the same condemnation.

[F-117A]

On Thursday morning, Edmonds asked that the remainder of his probation, one year, be waived.

If I were the judge I would waive his last year of probation.

And have him sever it in prison!!

[terycarl]

simple...protestant ministers are private employees of a particular individual church, there are usually no “deep pockets” to go after. A Catholic priest works within the diocese and normally is subject to their decisions. I will, however, agree that the Catholic church did a horrendous job of solving this problem early on...they blew it!!That having been said, some of the accusations came after twenty and thirty years....a little too long in my opinion