House-hunting always comes with challenges, right? One bed or two? Are the bills included? And, of course, the location. But, for my boyfriend and I, it was on a whole new level, because we had to find somewhere very specific.
He’s on probation, convicted nearly nine years ago, when he was 18, of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation and one count of Lewd and Lascivious Battery, more commonly known as statutory rape of a child older than 12 but younger than 16. The probation means that any flat or house we live in can’t be within 1000ft of anywhere children congregate – obvious places like a park or a school, but even a bus stop. He has to wear an electronic tag, which will track his movements until he’s 30 (he’s 26 now), and he can’t be outdoors later than 10pm.
Chris is a registered sex offender. His crime was having sex with his 14-year-old girlfriend when he was 19. I love him and have been in a relationship with him for four years. We met in May 2013 at my local church, the United Methodist Church of Pahokee, Florida. My mum’s the minister there, and it was actually Mum who introduced us. Two young people who might be friends, she thought. She knew about his conviction, and told me about it at the very beginning.
Great story and glad there are still places or even a single place where there are people that are still accepting of others regardless of their past.
Throughout my life, I have known a few people who have done probation. The usual sentence is 1 or 3 years even for some serious crime. Just monthly check ins, then reduced to phone ins. Sex offender probation is crushing! Very little or no easing of the rules and very, very expensive and for many, many, many years.