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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 15532
[Legal]
Date Posted:
5/26/2006
8:38:26 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 10,986
RSS: 17,214
Comments: 49
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Sentence For Short Sex Offender Draws Fire
Author: Scott Bauer, Associated Press Source: Wired
Title: SENTENCE FOR SHORT SEX OFFENDER DRAWS FIRE
A judge's decision to sentence a 5-foot-1 man to probation instead of prison for sexually assaulting a child has angered crime victim advocates who say the punishment sends the wrong message.
But supporters of short people say it's about time someone recognizes the unique challenges they face.
Cheyenne County District Judge Kristine Cecava issued the sentence Tuesday. She told Richard W. Thompson that his crimes deserved a long prison sentence but that he was too small to survive in a state prison.
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Community Thoughts: There are 49 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Absolutely Sickening!! | May 27th. at 9:36:45 pm EDT
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Lady Rain StarDragon (Teresa Garcia) (Bieber, California) - Email Me
This is one of the worst decisions I have ever heard. It's not the worst, but certainly way the heck up there.
I knew a woman once . . . she was called Mighty Mouse where she wouldn't hear it . . . and she scared me stiff. She was a really great woman, very nice, but when she gave you an order you hopped right to it. She was only five feet tall, and a Sergeant in the Army.
If she could make it to that rank and scare people like she did then this man that is taller than she could easily survive ten years in prison.
And that's all I have to say.
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| Not So Short... | May 27th. at 7:17:09 pm EDT
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Perriwinkle the Evil (Ozark, Alabama) - Email Me
...people get killed in prison too. Jeffrey Dahmer was 6'1".
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| Maybe I Should Underline Something | May 27th. at 5:47:58 pm EDT
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Mysteries Child (Garfield, West Virginia) - Email Me
A 12-year-old *is* capable of consenting to or initiating sexual behavior. I'm not talking about in the eyes of the law. I am talking about the eyes of strictly practical observance.
If you think they're not, well, I hope your kids are a long way from 12.
Because you might be lucky enough to have a kid like me, a "late bloomer" who, at 12, is still playing with dolls and chasing the kind of tadpoles that turn into frogs and knows what sex is but can't for the life of them figure out how they get "that limp, fat, dangly thing I saw the one time Granpa forgot to lock the bathroom door" to go in the hole.
But the law of averages says you're a lot more likely to get a kid who either knows how, wants to figure out how, or at least wants their friends to think they do.
The average 12-year-old *is* a sexual creature. Or, if they're not, they're trying real hard to look like one, act like one, and become one.
You'd better treat them like they are, and give them advice like they are. Because, if you don't, unless you are very lucky, their friends will. And, unless you are very lucky (or very stupid and immature yourself) their friends will **not** give them the kind of advice you want them to get.
I grew up with kids who made endless fun of me because, at 12, I had no interest in sex. I remember being called "baby" and "dyke" and "Frigidaire" and names that were a lot worse. I remember losing friends because I didn't want to stuff my bra and talk about who I wanted to "make it" with.
I went to high school (my high school was 7-12) with 12-year-old girls who were continually trying to get into the pants of teachers or friends' much-older siblings. They got real hurt when someone said, "No! You're, like, 12!"
When my cousin was 12, she was always looking for a chance to come into Morgantown to "score some good weed and pick up college guys."
I work with 12-year-olds who spend every minute they can grab flirting with "the high school guys." A couple of them have even made passes at me. They would be considered "troubled" under just about any criteria-- but do you have any idea how easy it is to end up "troubled" in this mess we call modern culture?!
We live in a culture that demonizes sex with one hand and glamorizes and flaunts it with the other. One hand teaches that it is "evil," while the other hand teaches that it is "glamorous" and "grown up." That makes confusion, misinformation, and a whole hell of a lot of romanticism. Especially for someone who is at a stage in life where testing boundaries is a massive part of their main developmental work.
I do believe that, if it can be proven, cases where the child initiated contact should be punished less severely than cases where the adult forced themselves upon the child.
**NOT** because I think it's right or even vaguely acceptable for an adult to have sex with a child. I DON'T. Because I think it's **worse** to force yourself on someone. Even more damaging. And therefore more punishable.
Some cultures think it's perfectly fine to marry a 12-year-old to a 40-year-old. Some cultures consider 12-year-olds adults. In some cultures, maybe 12-year-olds are adults.
THIS AIN'T ONE OF THEM!!!
Cultural values are cultural values, not moral absolutes. I'm more capable of seeing that than most people-- to an extent that most people find shocking.
I'm also capable of understanding that you cannot place a person of any age in direct opposition to the values they have been taught since infancy without setting them up for some **serious** mental and emotional anguish. This is called "cognitive dissonance," and don't let the clean clinical terminology fool you-- it HURTS like a B*TCH.
You can't really do it with an adult, and (most) adults have more advanced reasoning skills than (most) 12-year-olds.
Our culture says its wrong. Our culture teaches everyone-- particularly children-- that it's wrong. Regardless of any considerations of relativity, THAT MAKES IT WRONG.
Adults are supposed to have better reasoning skills than 12-year-olds. Adults are supposed to have more self-control than 12-year-olds. That makes it the adult's responsibility to make sure nothing happens, **even if** a child attempts to initiate sexual behavior.
Throw his short a*s in prison. If it was consensual, maybe give him the consideration of being kept isolated from other prisoners. Because, maybe he doesn't deserve to be brutally killed for showing such incredibly poor judgment that I have no problem at all terming it "criminal selfishness and stupidity."
And if it wasn't-- gift wrap the son of a b*tch and hand him to Bubba. With my compliments.
Does that clear anything up??
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| Aside From Makeing Things Vanish... | May 27th. at 1:23:21 am EDT
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Gypsy (Zanesville, Ohio) - Email Me
From what I gathered the ACLU is actually saying that the VICTIM'S rights to be protected were violated by this decision...I think they are correct. However part of the problem is that we have forgotten something about the US prison system. It's main purpose, and only constitutional purpose is not about punishment and rehabilitation, it is about protecting the innocent public. Period. Since when is a child rapist safe to have anywhere children might possibly come near. He could go to a store and drag one in the restroom or go online and find one... I am fairly certain that he's smart enough in four months to use a computer other than the one in his home for *chat* Obviously he was intelligent enough to utilize the fact that the judge found his three inches shorter than myself height to be a reason not to send him to prison...Of course there is also the issue that it might be easier protecting him inside of prison walls...If that were my daughter and I knew that my husband would be ok raising a daughter without me there I would sit in a prision for the rest of my life with a smile knowing that freak would never touch anyone's child again.
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| Just A Thought | May 27th. at 1:08:05 am EDT
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Gypsy (Zanesville, Ohio) - Email Me
But don't you think something besides his height should be shorter than average?Something generally measured in inches rather than feet?
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| Kissing? I Think Not | May 26th. at 9:24:52 pm EDT
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Dee Moonhawk (Florence, Alabama) - Email Me
To quote the judge who made this ridiculous ruling:
"Cheyenne County District Judge Kristine Cecava issued the sentence Tuesday. She told Richard W. Thompson that his crimes deserved a long prison sentence but that he was too small to survive in a state prison."
Somehow I don't think merely kissing a child on the mouth would elicit a statement from the judge that he 'deserved a long prison sentence' for his crimes (multiple crimes) . True, no details are given but that statement from the judge is enough for me to read more into his crime that merely kissing.
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| Definition, Myth, Fact | May 26th. at 9:20:36 pm EDT
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
Question: What is sexual contact?
Answer: “Sexual contact” means any direct or indirect touching, fondling or manipulating of any part of the genitals, anus or female breast by any part of the body or by any object, or causing a person to engage in such contact (ARS §13-1401) .
Source: [Web LINK]
The same definition is found elsewhere -- on many sites.
Myth: Acts like fondling, french kissing, or touching, for example, are not really sexually abusive, and don't really harm the young person...in fact, such acts may be helpful and educational.
Fact: Any form of direct or indirect sexual contact with a young person by an adult, an older child, or a sibling who is more mature, is abusive. Every individual has a unique reaction to sexual abuse regardless of the type, extent or duration of the abuse.
Source: [Web LINK]
Fact: Full penetration does not have to occur in order to cause serious psychological harm.
No nice equivalency charts can say that such-and-such type of unwanted touching/assault will produce only such and such level of hurt -- or for how long.
It's like ... a *delayed* Russian Roulette game involving betrayal, fear, power & control, and sexuality.
Not all sexual abuse survivors live. Some will die later of drug abuse and other problems. Some will go on to have productive lives.
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| So What Happens If He Does It Again ? | May 26th. at 8:30:56 pm EDT
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Libertarian (Langley, Washington) - Email Me - Web
If he should do it again, would his being short keep hin out of jail ? And if he should be tried by the same judge, what would she do then ? This creep needs to be locked up for a long time. He also needs to be in a committed long term relationship as the bride of Bubbah. Sorry for the hate speech but I'm thinking about the young girl who may never recover from this crime.
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| Why The Hate? | May 26th. at 8:07:25 pm EDT
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Opus the Poet (Garland, Texas) - Email Me - Web
I see an incredible amount of hate in this forum, when we don't even have all the facts. The news article said sexual contact, not rape, up to the late 1940's 12 was legally old enough to marry in most states. And lately the laws about sexual contact have gotten so bizarre that I wouldn't want to be around children any more. Did you know that at least 4 states have made kissing a punishable form of sexual contact? That what is normal conduct at most Pagan gatherings is illegal in the presence of minors (under 18) in some states? Just being nude in the presence of someone under 12 is a felony? We are supposed to be sex positive as Pagans, but some here are reacting like Fundies. And some laws aren't helping, either.
Opus
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| Way Too Little Information (no Pun Intended) | May 26th. at 1:33:56 pm EDT
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Opus the Poet (Garland, Texas) - Email Me - Web
First of all we have no knowledge of the "sexual contact" this man had with the girl in question, since kissing a minor on the lips is now classified as "sexual contact". How many people would be in prison if that was the standard "back in the day?" I can think of a number of creepy aunts and uncles that would have been charged if that had been the case, and that's just in my family.
Second, we don't know if the contact was consensual or not, I have seen 12 year olds seeking out sexual contact with adults to validate their feeling of not fitting in with their peers and feeling like an adult trapped in a child's body.
Opus
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| I'm Not Usually Vicious | May 26th. at 1:08:58 pm EDT
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Titania (Smallville, New York) - Email Me
but maybe he doesn't deserve to survive anywhere.
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| Judge Short On Common Sense | May 26th. at 12:33:53 pm EDT
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Sea Raven (New Haven, Connecticut) - Email Me
Seriously... the man is 5' 1" tall.... shorter than "average" maybe... but by no means "little". It's not like he's 3 or 4 fee tall.
And another thing... he's a 50 year old man who had sexual contact with a TWELVE YEAR OLD. Of course it's a disease... it's called pedophelia... and I'm certain it's NOT treatable with counseling and medication.
This was a disgusting, hateful crime for which prison is too good a punishment. But, he's got a "right" to be protected from the harm he may encounter in prison.
The victim will probably have nightmares and a liftime of emotional scars to tend to. There is also the possibility she may never have a decent, loving adult relationship because of what this man has done to her.
But, he's got "rights".
Ok... down from my soap-box.
C
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| Short Sighted? | May 26th. at 12:29:35 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
I guess we'll have to start building prisons for short people and hiring short guards. Will they have short sentences and short bars?
I guess this decision wasn't the only thing that got short shrift.
the kids did. And that's a problem. They're short too.
I am not against short people- as I am only about five feet myself, and I have to crane my neck at anyone taller, but I find it incongruous to believe that size can be an excuse for criminality of any nature.
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| I Wonder How Tall | May 26th. at 12:28:37 pm EDT
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Candleberry (Port Angeles, Alaska) - Email Me
the 12 year old is? Was she shorter than he was? Best guess would be yes.
I'm only 5 foot so I know what being short is like but I don't think it is any excuse to keep this twit out of prison. He only has to wear a tracking device for 4 month of a 10 year probation. Now that is ridiculous! If he had to wear it for the whole 10 years this sentence might start making some kind of sense but as it stands this guy was basically told go ahead and do it again, nothing is going to happen to you.
This judge really need to be removed. I don't know how that is done in her state but I suggest that someone in that state find out and start the proceedings.
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| More Commentary On The State Of Our Society. | May 26th. at 12:15:36 pm EDT
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Paul Bagosy (Norristown, Pennsylvania) - Email Me - Web
Perhaps, if our prison system was focused on rehabilitation instead of simple incarceration, we wouldn't be having this problem.
Perhaps, if our prisons weren't run on an anarchist, survival-of-the-fittest "Lord of the Flies" system, where weaker inmates are used as blow-up dolls and commodities, this wouldn't be an issue.
Perhaps, if prison was less of a death sentence for people unable to defend themselves against brutalitiy and rape by stronger, STD-infected inmates, this conversation would never come to this.
The problem is, however, that our prisons are broken. When someone commits a crime, we have no desire to find the cause, find a way to make sure they won't do it again, and get them back into society. Regardless of the crime, we consider the person guilty and throw them away. Didn't anyone ever stop to think that this child molester isn't just your average, well-adjusted person, and may in fact suffer from a treatable ailment?
I'm not against incarceration and justice, but with a surging prison population and one of the highest rates of recidivism in the world, I think it's time we stopped kidding ourselves and started treating prisoners like citizens, and make a better effort to make them healthy, productive members of society again.
-pb
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