My wife and I were out for a spin -- fortunately, not literally; though it is sleeting a a bit, it's only a bit, with no sight of the snow at all -- when we got to talking about our neighbor who was convicted of 'aggravated indecent assault' for having sex with a 15-year-old student at his karate studio. He'd made a plea bargain, resulting in having additional charges of
involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with minor, corruption of minors and indecent assault being dropped. The conviction carries a minimum sentence of five years, though I imagine he'll be able to get parole before then.
She wondered if the proximity to his home would have an effect on the value of ours -- known sexual predator living a quarter mile away -- and I said that I doubted it, though truthfully, I don't know. We're not all that concerned about that. It was just a way of easing into an uncomfortable topic.
Neither of us felt very comfortable with the idea of this guy going to jail -- we know that punishment is warranted, but jail time seems excessive, Mostly that's because its someone we know . We've seen pictures of people who were convicted for this, and they're always these slimy looking people that would seem more comfortable in an alley selling drugs than in a neighborhood. This is, not to hit that nail again, someone we know. His wife is a very nice, sweet person, one who's very easy to like. Her, we're sorry for, and wish we could do something to help. We're not terribly distressed about the effect on him, but jail? That seems a bit much.
The idea that he could have difficulty finding a place to live, afterwards, also bothers us. It seems excessive. People who get arrested for violent crime don't get told they can't live somewhere when they get out. We know that the reason for restrictions is the nature of the crime - and yet, somehow, there's a difference between this, which happened once, and people who do it more than once, or to young children. On the other hand, if the one time was my daughter... I know I'd feel differently. Its almost as if its - well, not okay, but somehow more okay if it is just once.....with someone else's daughter. I said that if someone asked me to sign a petition for leniency for this guy, I would.... but if they asked me to sign a petition for leniency for child molesters generally, I wouldn't.
I don't have an answer. Its all mixed up in my mind.
4 comments:
That's because it is a very complicated situation and the law does not see all the gray areas. People who are convicted aren't necessarily deviants...just stupid.
That's a good way to put it. I don't have any reason to think he's a deviant, though, of course, they don't wear badges. My wife said that part of it might be how willing the girl was. If she was perfectly willing, that certainly doesn't excuse his action, but perhaps it ameliorates it. Somewhat.
And I thought making the crepes was hard....
I feel the need to comment on this one. Just because she was willing doesn't mean she understood the weight of what was about to happen. He did understand the weight of it and took advantage. Yes there are gray areas and I think that this guy needs treatment more than jail time. Therapy.
Oh, absolutely. She might even have been a mature kid, but there was one adult in all of this.
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