For most youth, childhood is a seemingly innocent and simple time, typically full of school work, play time and life lessons.
But when a child becomes a registered sex offender when they are as young as 10, those years are full of probation, detention and life lessons of another kind: living with a label. Full Article
Sad story. Points to many of the the hurdles that ALL of us as registrants face day to day. The fact that there is no way off should be a huge red flag when defending constitutional laws.
And I absolutely agree that those under 25 should not face the Registry. Under 25 is biologically an adolescent yet they are swept under the Same blanket law as violent offenders?!?
What about those that are innocent but pushed to plea? They’re in the same boat with NO way out. This whole thing is Fu€t. I hope 2019 brings on the changes we need.
Where is this cops statistics? This is a story about juvenal offenders with statistics showing a 2% reoffense rate, but then they include this ignorant statement:
“I don’t think sex offenders can be fixed, period,” said police Sgt. Dave Lewis, who has worked in the Springfield Police Department for more than 30 years. “It’s strictly my opinion, but having worked my entire career around this, I don’t think sex offenders can be rehabbed.
Well, if a 30 year officer said it, the public will believe it over factual statistics. But as we know, these days people just make up their own facts based on personal bias.
I was 19 when i got convicted. I’m 41 now. Lived my whole adult life with a label. Not sure what it would even feel like now to not have that feeling. I was originally going to fight it, but the DA convinced me I could apply to get off registry 10 years from my conviction date if I had no more felony’s. Well that law changed 2 years after my plea bargain. Even though I have it in the court records that the DA and Judge both acknowledged that I had a right to petition in 10 years, it doesn’t mean anything. They can change the laws and requirements on a whim. I was so young and my public pretender wasn’t much help on advising me what to do. Multiple private attorneys have told me for a little money they would have been able to fight it and win. Craziness that a “kid” can sign their life away and nobody gives a shit.