This story is starting to make national headlines and is on CNN's front page. I am saddened by the story. I live in a neighborhood right next to where Chelsea King disappeared. A sex offender is connected with the disappearance. I just don't understand why these people are allowed to live among us and not be locked way for life or executed. I can't count how many cases a registered sex offender has committed a rape and murder once they were released. -------------- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/28/lake-elsinore-man-arrested-poway-teens-disappearan/ Click here for details on the story and pictures ----- Summary Below ---- ASSOCIATED PRESS -- The search has resumed in San Diego County for a 17-year-old girl who authorities fear was killed by a sex offender. Sheriff's spokeswoman Susan Plese says hundreds of volunteers and searchers went back to work Monday. Chelsea King of Poway didn't return home Thursday after a run in Rancho Bernardo Community Park and Lake Hughes. John Gardner III, a Riverside County man, remains jailed for investigation of rape and murder following his weekend arrest. The mood at Poway High School was somber Monday morning after students were told that a registered sex offender was arrested on suspicion of murder and rape in connection with the disappearance of classmate Chelsea King.
This seems more like a Hangout thread... not much to debate here. Terrible thing happened, we are all saddened. Unless... Let's lock up all sex offenders for all eternity! What? Don't like the idea? Let's debate.
tottaly random but does anyone know the name of the guy who admitted to being attractive to little girls. Edit: Found it "Jack McClellan"
if you commit rape, especially on a child you should be locked away for life. That's it. Another young innocent life was taken away just because our justice system failed. If he was locked away for life Chelsea would still be alive and with her family and looking forward to college.
attracted I don't normally correct mistakes because I make plenty, but that takes on whole new meaning
This is really a terrible case and I don't want to make light of the terrible suffering of the victim in this case but allow me state something of a counter position. At the moment we don't know for sure that the person arrested was the person responsible. We have a suspicion but again our system is innocent until proven guilty. As such it may be jumping the gun to say that the judicial system failed by letting this guy out. For that matter I think there are several problems in regard to the laws around sex offenders. Consider the case mentioned in this thread. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=182910 A man was incarcerated as a sex offender only to have it turn out that the victim in this case had lied. Obviously that case involved an adult woman whereas this case involves a minor but in both cases the suspect is considered a sex offender so I need to be very careful in regard to saying sex offenders should be subject to the most draconian punishments as for one not all commit the smae crimes or have the same possibility of recidivism. Also as the case shows in the thread that I am linking mistakes are made in the judicial system and its also possible that innocent people will also be caught up too. While we need to consider public safety at the sametime this needs to be balanced with the rights of those accused in the justice system.
http://www.familywatchdog.us/ This website is pretty cool. You can look up where all the registered sex offenders are living on Google maps. I apparently have 1 rapist and 2 child molesters living within a 2-block radius of my home. =( They even give mugshots so you know what they look like.
I think required sex offender registration is stupid. I remember some kid went to prison for getting a BJ.
I think you are talking about Genarlow Wilson's case. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=Wilson It's totally outrageous what happened to this guy. Anyways these are two separate issues. The case above is simply justice gone wrong and how laws can sometimes be pretty stupid and unfair. In other cases where someone is found to be guilty without any doubt (physical evidence to raping or molesting a child) these people should be locked away for life so they cant harm anyone else. Look at the last two big cases Phillip Garrido was also a repeat sex offender who held Jacey Dugard as a sex slave for 18 years. That is 18 years she will never get back and it will haunt her and her family for the rest of their lives. If he was never let out that never would have happened. Agree registering as a sex offender is stupid since it doesn't do anything to protect anyone.
What do you mean the sex offender registry doesn't do anything? That is something a sex offender would say. =P I think everyone has the right to know if their next door neighbor is a pedophile or rapist. I'm sure you would change the way you live and watch your kids and family if you knew your neighbor had a track record of molesting or raping someone. I sure as hell wouldn't let my kids go over to my neighbor's house if I knew that they were pedophiles.
A big problem is the term "sex offender" itself. It is used so broadly that it often doesn't mean what people think it does. Some (ignorant) folks think it always refers to violent rapists or perverts who force themselves on children. THESE type of sex offenders deserve the worst punishment possible, including life in prison and possibly the death penalty. But 17 year-olds who have sex with 15 year-olds should be in a completely different category. Lumping people who commit such a broad range of offenses with the same pejorative term is a mistake.
