Source: palmbeachpost.com 8/31/26
The families of both Ruben Tirado and his 14-year-old victim asked a judge to spare him from prison. She didn’t
Faced with more than a decade in prison, a sex-offending football coach called upon the family of his 14-year-old victim to ask a judge for mercy.
“He made a mistake, yes, but he’s not a monster,” said the girl’s father, speaking on behalf of his wife and daughter. “He’s not a rapist. He’s not a sex offender. He fell in love with the wrong person. That’s all.”
Circuit Judge Sherri Collins disagreed. She sentenced 21-year-old Ruben Tirado of West Palm Beach to two years in prison, …
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Are we surprised by this? And if so, why? Since when did victims matter?
That sorry excuse for a judge needs to lose her seat! Even the “victim” said, to the court it was consensual. What more do you want????
Not at all surprised. They don’t care about “victims” or “survivors,” they care about power. In any other age, in any other society, this 19 year old and 15 year old falling in love would have been a lovely romance. Only in a place as truly perverse as the modern US is it criminalized.
Judges like this one need to be recalled pronto and she needs to lose all of her benefits. Judge you are supposed to interpret the law and not do whatever the hell you feel like doing.
I feel terrible for all of these people and their pain (except the judge). I should reach out to his parents to lend some emotional support in witnessing your young son’s life irreparably harmed forever due to a mistake. I also should direct them to FAC. They need to be involved in registry abolition – FLA will never let him off.
People should get real. This kind of relationship and age difference between young high school students and 20 year-olds is not uncommon. Kids are having s3x, period. This was not assault. Call it underage or whatever, but the charges are stupid.
This is akin to elected officials voting however they want despite the wishes of the majority of people who speak on the topic being discussed and voted on. It does not matter. Once the matter becomes part of the legal system, it is no longer in the hands of the people and their considerations are usually hardly part of the final solution and conditions.
The final arbiter, the judge, has the final say over the matter and usually won’t go against what the system has done in the end to save their own legal souls for the future. This is one wrinkle in the system that needs to be ironed out but never will be because the system doesn’t want it and won’t allow it.
This was never about protecting anyone. They know it.
Who are these laws protecting when the voice of the only person who could reasonably be considered a victim is completely disregarded? This is a farce.
Who is this protecting when the voice of the only person who could possibly be considered a victim gets totally ignored?
Looks like Floriduh improved a little since they’re now handing out 2 year sentences, rather than 30 years sentences like Denise Harvey faced a few years ago for the same behavior with a 16 year old. I hope life is still good and the canucks are treating her well.
The only use the justice system has for a victim is to help with the prosecution. When it fails that, victims are TRULY USELESS in the eyes of the law. PERIOD!
I know a case kinda similar where the guy got a prison term when the victim and her parents wrote on his behalf. They guy was in his late 20’s and the girl was 15 and a friend of his sister.