Wis. mother wants Auburn child molester to get more prison time

The King County Journal ^ | 11/17/2003 | Kathleen R. Merrill

[sherim]

A Wisconsin housewife has started an online petition to try to put a convicted Auburn child molester in prison for a year or more, rather than the six months he'll likely serve in the King County Jail.

The petition, aimed at influencing King County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler when he sentences Joseph Lehman Jr. to prison, had 271 signatures on Friday.

Lehman, 38, whose father is the secretary of the state Department of Corrections, pleaded guilty last month to sexually molesting his girlfriend's 2-month-old infant daughter in December.

Because the plea is his first conviction for such a crime, he is eligible for the state's Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative, which would give him a sentence of six months of jail followed by intensive sex-offender treatment.

The sentence doesn't have anything to do with who his father is, his defense attorney and the prosecutor handling the case have said. Both have signed off on requesting the judge impose the alternative sentence.

But Sheri Miller, 40, the Wisconsin mother of three girls, said that sentence is a slap on the wrist.

``I was so deeply moved and disturbed by this story that I felt I had to take action,'' she said. ``I wanted to be there for this child and mother.''

Miller heard about the case from an Internet discussion group.

``I want the streets of America safe for all children,'' she said. ``I believe that he will re-offend and the statistics back me on this.

``Sure, he needs help. But he needs to be punished for what he did, too. And six months in jail is preposterous!''

In his plea, Lehman admitted to manual and oral sexual contact with the infant, who is not his biological child.

He pleaded guilty as charged to first-degree rape of a child. He already has started sex-offender treatment.

It will be up to Kessler whether Lehman will continue treatment or go to prison. He doesn't have to follow the recommended sentence.

The standard sentence range for the crime is seven years and nine months to 10 years and three months in prison.

Kathleen R. Merrill covers courts. Reach her at kathleen.merrill@kingcountyjournal.com or 253-872-6688.

MOLESTING TRIALS DECISIONS COMMUNITY LIFE

[sherim]

I am the author of this petition. Yeah, I know, social change does not occur because of a petition, but it does provide a backdrop for further media coverage as is proven in the above article. This keeps it in the public eye and sends a message to government that we are paying attention to what is handed down at this sub-human's sentencing hearing. So please, sign the petition, at the petition site make comments and send this out to all people on your e-mail list that are like-minded. At this time the petition has about 1437 signatures. We need a lot more. Also, I am working on finding out why no one sought out the girl in Maine that he molested.

[steplock]

Click Here for Petition!

[sherim]

I guess the web address for the petition would help...this is my first time posting to this forum so don't laugh too hard... it's http://gopetition.com/info.php?petid=3140
Please go easy on me in terms of the verbiage used on the petition. Since all of the news reports said he was the childs father, that is how I referred to him in the petition. Once it's posted, there is no correcting it. Also, I sort of ripped on him for not paying child support. I did not know he was not obligated to at the time of that writing. So please be patient. feel free to browse the comments some are quite disturbing, some quite interesting...
Thank you and God Bless,
Sheri

[sherim]

Thank you for intervening...as you can see, I was sort of trying to fix it. You are quick! Thanks so much and God Bless,
Sheri

[Dan from Michigan]

This guy should get a life sentence.

[Ahban]

I have to disagree with you on that one.

[liberty or death]

Post a picture of the sick piece of anal expulsion, and we can forward it around the country.

[sherim]

This is a link to the picture of him holding the baby he molested in the delivery room. There are no really clear pictures of him that I can find...
http://www.king5.com/topstories/NW_021003WABbabymolest.40e5ed56.html

[steplock]

I WOULD look at the picture, but it requires registration

[steplock]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/nat/ap/oct03/ap-baby-assaulted103003.asp

Lehman Jr.'s daughter was 2 months old when the child's mother, Roxanne Crowder, his fiancee at the time, said she saw him molest the baby at their home Dec. 6.

Police said Lehman admitted to having sexual contact with the baby for about 10 minutes.

Alternative sentencing in such cases is common, Donohoe said.

``It's available to any defendant under these circumstances, where it's a first conviction,'' he said.

Lehman was arrested in January and was released later that month to the custody of his mother. He returned to custody Tuesday.

He told investigators he also fondled a 9-year-old girl in 1997 when he lived in Maine, but the incident was never reported to authorities.

In 1989 Lehman Jr. was convicted of orchestrating the robbery of a bank security vehicle that was delivering $25,000 to automated teller machines in Tacoma and served one day in jail. His accomplice served a month and a half in jail. (PROFILE (COUNTRY:United States; ISOCOUNTRY3:USA; UNTOP:021; APGROUP:NorthAmerica;) )

[sherim]

I tried about 9 ways to sunday to post that...it did not work, sorry.
Sheri

[Ronaldus Magnus]

You are definitely fighting the good fight. Rest assured, unless this monster's Secretary of the State Department of Corrections daddy can keep him out of the general population, six months just might be enough even if your petition fails.

[sherim]

You really think he'll get put in the regular population?
Hell no! He will probably get a shiny new ankle bracelet and mom's chocolate cookies. Looks like he's eaten enough of them...I digress. My point is they will argue it would be a "conflict of interests" for him to be in a prison there. So instead of sending him to let's say, Oregon, they will release him on the bracelet. Then, the first time he can he will re-offend. But thanks for the pats on the back. My hubbie thinks I've lost my ever lovin marbles, being as upset about this as I am without actually knowing the victims. Well, I think he's nuts for sitting in a tree stand all day and freezing his a@# off! To each his own,I say.
God Bless,
Sheri

[cajun-jack]

lol @ sheri I agree totally. for the $500.00 bucks to join a hunting club, i can buy a side of beef, stay home where it is warm and eat steak.