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Stories of those Affected |
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Jessica Clements
I'm the wife of a registered "sex offender." The state and media have thrown all sex offenders in one basket, even though they're not the same. That affects the sex offenders' families. That affects me, our daughter, his parents, his sisters and their children. This is a living nightmare. My husband is subjected to a lie-detector test once a year, and he has to pay for it. He must go to a psychologist once a week and pay for that. He cannot be out after 10 o'clock at night and he cannot leave our house before 6 in the morning. We had to go to court and stand before a judge for him to get permission to be around his nieces and nephews. We had to do the same when I was pregnant with our daughter! We had to get a lawyer and go to court to get permission for him to be around our little girl. We live in constant fear that someday they will find a way to take him away from us. My husband is a good man who made a mistake. Why must we be punished for so long? Why must we live in fear of vigilantes? Why must we suffer through the humiliation of having our names in the newspaper and on the Internet? Why is my husband's face and name published with little or no regard as to what it does to our family? A convicted sex offender can't rent a home or even go to church without being afraid of being found out and shamed. This isn't something for which one can pay his dues, have that second chance, move on and live a normal life. Where and when do we draw the line?
The following story is taken from ReformSexOffender Laws.Org
Anonymous
In late 1997, I was convicted of second degree sexual assault of a child. I was 19 years old when the consensual "offense" occured. I served 6 months jail and 3/12 years probation for the crime. Now 10 years later I find myself back on probation for something completely unrelated (domestic disorder for arguing with girlfriend) and I am forced to comply with sex offender probation rules and restrictions once again because I was formerly on sex offender probation. I just doesn't make sense. I have worn this scarlet letter for ten years already. When I was sentenced I was only required to register for 15 years; then they changed it to lifetime registrant. How can they legally keep changing these rules and restrictions? Why should this affect me and my family 10 years after I've been sentenced and served my time? Most recently I was notified that I am to immediately evacuate my residence because I live close to a "park". If by "park" they mean a section of grass with a sidewalk running through it and a couple benches then I guess I do. I guess they don't take into consideration that I live just as close to the police station next to the park.
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