Predator in your neighborhood

[rsagebrush]

Here is a interesting item from the depths of Appalachia. So you thought Habitat for Humanity was just for good-Well check this out.

In my Mother’s Parish both the Priest and Deacon (read liberal) are on the board of Habitat. The Priest has lectured several times that sex predators once convicted should never be let out.

Well Habitat is building a home for a convicted child sex predator in Franklin WV. It will be located near the back entrance to the town library and by the playground. You see Habitat does not do background checks and this man did not volunteer this critical piece of information when he applied for the home. He also picked out the lot because of it’s convenient location. Anyways he says that he is cured and would not revert unless isolated etc… I guess he expects to be recieved into the community with open arms and if not he is threatening to revert to his old ways.

Well habitat has every intention of building the home because they are afraid of being sued, the man has threatened to sue if they do not build him the home. I guess Habitat thinks it better to build the home and sacrifice innocent victims if necessary rather than be sued.

The Priest, at the end of Mass (his Mass is a whole other story) said he had recieved enough compliants about this issue and didn’t want any further calls on the subject. Nice to have a bully pupit isn’t it.

I am shocked that the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston has not acted on this matter. The new Bishops name is 'The Most Reverend Michael J. Bransfield, 1300 Byron St., PO Box 230, Wheeling, WV 26003. I think the Catholic Church has suffered enough from past issues concerning this topic which I am sure you are all quite aware of.

It would be nice to get some of this board’s feedback on this issue and to contact the Bishop concerning this matter. Also contacting Habitat to express your displeasure would be also helpfull. It would be nice to see Habitat grow a backbone. More information can be acquired by reading the article in the 'Daily- News Record located in Harrisonburg VA. from an article on 4/15/05.

 

[rastell]

rsagebrush:

More information can be acquired by reading the article in the 'Daily- News Record located in Harrisonburg VA. from an article on 4/15/05.

Is this article online? found the website of the paper but could not find the article. I want to refer to it when I complain.

 

[Lorarose]

These predators are usually classified into different levels (level 3 being the worst I believe)

The location itself of the house should be a violation of this man’t parole.

There is no “cure” for this condition.

Habitat better be MORE worried about the possible lawsuit they will receive from this man’s future victims.
I mean really - this man could sue - but what are the chances a judge is going to side with a pedophile who wants to live next to the library?

If the priest is unwilling to do anything - then the village officers and local community will have to get legal counsel to fight this.

Good grief people - how many children have to be murdered to figure this out?
Anyone who aids this man in getting his new house is negligent and it will come back to haunt them.

 

[rastell]

Lorarose:

what are the chances a judge is going to side with a pedophile who wants to live next to the library?
.

What are the chances a judge will refuse a non-terminal woman a feeding tube when her parents want to take care of her?

 

[rsagebrush]

The article was in that newspaper on that date Friday April 15 on page 9 and continued on page 10. You should contact the paper.

The Bishop was just installed this spring I believe and is from Washington.

The Priest and the Deacon are on the Board of Directors in this area.

 

[rsagebrush]

I can’t believe the incredibly poor response to this item. Is it in the wrong section? It appears that this board is all talk and little action.

I see great outrage at E-Bay on the sale of the Eucharist but in my opinion although this is outrageous most of it is fake and Jesus can take care of himself.

Unfortunately small children can not and this will end up being a black mark against the Catholic Church.

 

[Fitz]

rsagebrush:

I can’t believe the incredibly poor response to this item. Is it in the wrong section? It appears that this board is all talk and little action.

I see great outrage at E-Bay on the sale of the Eucharist but in my opinion although this is outrageous most of it is fake and Jesus can take care of himself.

Unfortunately small children can not and this will end up being a black mark against the Catholic Church.

Hey, people have not read it yet. Chill out. You need to get the article becaue we can’t go on hearsay. WE need facts here. There are thousands of posts and you have to understand yours might not have had as many hits. Throwing around accusations won’t help you either.

 

[Fitz]

rsagebrush:

The article was in that newspaper on that date Friday April 15 on page 9 and continued on page 10. You should contact the paper.

Find it and post it.

 

[rsagebrush]

If you would want to read the article please go to
dnronline.com/ go into ‘Archives’ for April 15,2005 to see the article ‘I Am a Sex Offender’. I can not get it to download

 

[GULaw]

Here it is:

dnronline.com/archives%202005/04-15-05/local-story3.asp

A few critical details that were not previously mentioned:

The offender is 450 lbs, 60 years old, and practically confined to a wheelchair. The location was selected so that he would have access to meals at a nearby senior center. He is currently attending counseling.

Also, I would imagine that if he is on parole, his housing plan must be approved by his parole officer (if not someone higher up the chain). Based on my prior experience working with parolees, the location would likely only be approved contingent on his agreement to increased supervision.

Let me add that I worked with sex offenders for a number of years, many on a daily basis. Although there is no “cure” for a pedophiliac tendency (just as there is no cure for alcoholism), this does not mean that every offender will relapse. Most will, unfortunately, just as most alcoholics will relapse. But when an individual sex offender is closely supervised, and is willing to acknowledge their problems and actively address them, it seems that the community should support, rather than ostracize them for, their honest efforts.

 

[rsagebrush]

Okay- Will have him move to your neighborhood.

 

[rsagebrush]

GUlaw,

A- He picked the site - Habitat bought it mate- paper doesn’t mention that, papers are like that. He also didn’t bother to mention to Habitat that he was a sex offender until all the paperwork was signed. Seems to be some omission here by the man, but I sure it just slipped his mind.

Access to the senior center is not so, or more convenient at this location as in a more remote location but heck this is closer to where children will be.

B - What weight and age does a sex predator have to be to be harmless? Are you willing to bet your child’s life on it?

C - By my reading the article he promises not to relapse as long as he doesn’t feel isolated. Sounds like a veiled threat to me. If he relapses it is someone else’s fault. Does he expect the the neighbors to invite him to Aunt Millie’s Birthday picknick?

D- Concerning monitoring-just what planet have you been living on? We can read recent news reports that the State(s) don’t really know where these people are once they get out.

E - As little as 10 years ago the counselors, that is the people in the know like you, veritable experts, were advising the Church, Bishops, and Cardinals that these people could be cured- such was not the case- too bad - so sad. Now it is the Church’s fault.
In fact some, such as the ‘Man Boy Love Association’ would not consider child molestation a deviance at all, unless done by a Priest.

E- Sex offenders should never be allowed out of prison or a camp setting for life. I can forgive them but it would be stupid to allow any of the withing range of striking out again.

 

[GULaw]

rsagebrush:

A- He picked the site - Habitat bought it mate- paper doesn’t mention that, papers are like that. He also didn’t bother to mention to Habitat that he was a sex offender until all the paperwork was signed. Seems to be some omission here

Access to the senior center is not so, or more convenient at this location as in a more remote location but heck this is closer to where children will be.

I’ll defer to your knowledge of the situation. If true, this would change things, in my opinion.

B - What weight and age does a sex predator have to be to be harmless? Are you willing to bet your child’s life on it?

Of course he’s not harmless, but his capacity to abuse is clearly diminished. I’m not denying any danger exists, but I would argue that when danger to society can be minimized (as it appears in this case) it may be preferable to give these people a chance to succeed on the street. As for betting the safety of my family, get back to me when I have one . But there are dozens of dangers we expose ourselves and our families to every day, and we see it as acceptable so long as the risk is minimized (not eliminated).

D- Concerning monitoring-just what planet have you been living on? We can read recent news reports that the State(s) don’t really know where these people are once they get out.

The clear impression I have from the article (current counseling, only ten years since pleading guilty on scores of counts, etc.) is that he is presently on parole - which is a much different situation than someone who is clear of the system except for a registration requirement.

E - As little as 10 years ago the counselors, that is the people in the know like you, veritable experts, were advising the Church, Bishops, and Cardinals that these people could be cured- such was not the case- too bad - so sad.

I suppose God has no power whatsoever to heal the tendencies of alcoholics, homosexuals, and drug addicts, as well? The conventional wisdom that sex offenders cannot be cured is completely at odds with my unshakeable belief that they can repent. I am thoroughly opposed to writing off an entire category of people as beyond hope or help, regardless of how repugnant they are.

E- Sex offenders should never be allowed out of prison or a camp setting for life. I can forgive them but it would be stupid to allow any of the withing range of striking out again.

California has one of the best systems of this type - 2 year renewable periods of civil commitment for sex offenders past their sentences who are still evaluated as being a threat to the community. This means that 95% of the predatory sex offenders in CA are never released - every 2 years they go up before a board that stamps a big “No” on their file. Still, even this system recognizes that a sexual predator may at some point pose no threat to the community either because of health, age, or (gasp) a genuinely cultivated ability to succeed at some sort of highly structured, supervised, productive life on the outside.

 

[GULaw]

rsagebrush:

Okay- Will have him move to your neighborhood.

You should see my neighborhood. I wouldn’t wish it on him.

 

[Lorarose]

But there are dozens of dangers we expose ourselves and our families to every day, and we see it as acceptable so long as the risk is minimized (not eliminated).

Oh man.
When you DO become married and have children…please go back to this statement and read it again.

I suppose God has no power whatsoever to heal the tendencies of alcoholics, homosexuals, and drug addicts, as well?

These sins hurt the individual and those immediately in their sphere of living.
Pedophiles require innocent victims to fuel their addiction.
The more they get caught - the more likely it is they will graduate to murder so as not to leave a witness.
Pedophilia is a unique sin all of its own.
We ARE NOT required as christians to sacrifice our children to them!
We ARE NOT required to place pedophiles within reach of children!

How many children have to be traumatized and killed in order for us to learn this lesson?

Dear Rsagebrush…

It is an issue of how far are you willing to go and who will join you?
Several people have dropped the ball here. They need to be identified and publicly embarrassed.
You need to brainstorm with concerned parents - there is strength in numbers.
Habitat needs to be MORE worried that a future victim’s family will be suing them for MILLIONS than they are worried that a pedophile may not get a good view of the playground.

 

[Max_Kolbe]

Lorarose:

Oh man.
When you DO become married and have children…please go back to this statement and read it again.

These sins hurt the individual and those immediately in their sphere of living.
Pedophiles require innocent victims to fuel their addiction.
The more they get caught - the more likely it is they will graduate to murder so as not to leave a witness.
Pedophilia is a unique sin all of its own.
We ARE NOT required as christians to sacrifice our children to them!
We ARE NOT required to place pedophiles within reach of children!

How many children have to be traumatized and killed in order for us to learn this lesson?

Dear Rsagebrush…

It is an issue of how far are you willing to go and who will join you?
Several people have dropped the ball here. They need to be identified and publicly embarrassed.
You need to brainstorm with concerned parents - there is strength in numbers.
Habitat needs to be MORE worried that a future victim’s family will be suing them for MILLIONS than they are worried that a pedophile may not get a good view of the playground.

I say this with fear and trembling but I say it honestly. I am the brother of a sex offender. He comitted an awful horrible crime and is suffering for it. But what most folks fail to realize is that some sex offenders come from really good familes like mine. A mom who was tender and loving, a father who worked hard and did what is right. After my brothers offense the media destroyed them and in a sense took a piece of my mother, father myself and my wife. It practically killed mom and dad just pushes down his anger inside. We suffer daily and we live in secret fear of what people think of us and what they would do if they knew who we were. My brother committed an awful crime and for someone who had no previous criminal history, he does not fully understand the sickness yet himself. We continue to love him because he is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and we constantly pray for those hurt by my brothers crime. But remember, the familes are victoms as well of something they had no choice in being a part of. When I found out that my brother who did well in school, had good friends, recieved honor in the army and loved to travel and cook is suddenly taken into custody for this type of crime, the pain was beyond description. Coupled with what had happened to the people involved. I worry about the safety of my family and what will happen one day when he is released, if people will chase us down and embarrass us as well. I worry about keeping him safe and on track in his mind. Sexual sin is an epidemic chrisis in this country and our prisons are growing fuller and fuller. Internet, movies, they all fuel the flames and make it impossible for people with sex addictions to heal. Yes, my brothers sin makes me sick, but he’s still my brother and I love him. I hope this was not offensive, but it pains my heart when this comes up.

 

[Lorarose]

I am very sorry to learn of your family’s situation.

This could, indeed, happen in ANY family.
It is my personal opinion that if someone cannot find an indicator in the abuser’s past (abuse in family, former sexual assault) the other problem tends to be an addiction to pornography.

Yes…the abuser’s family are victims as well.

I think the big question here is…how to deal with these folks when they get out?

If a man does time for robbing a bank…I sincerely doubt his parole officer is going to allow him to rent an apartment that sits atop the local bank.

Sex offenders have given up their right to live where they please.
Their offense necessitates that they be monitored to prevent further pain and suffering.

You and your family should not be targeted for your brother’s crimes.

 

[Fitz]

Max Kolbe:

Yes, my brothers sin makes me sick, but he’s still my brother and I love him. I hope this was not offensive, but it pains my heart when this comes up.

I will pray for your family and I hope that no harm comes to any of you. I am not aware of any plan that would be the best. If any of these people are put back into regular living circumstances, then it could happen again and that is unthinkable. We really can’t sacrifice our children. Perhaps an all adult community that is gated. I don’t mean another prison, but some place that is not located near children.