Thumbs up or thumbs down?

[Beer and Pizza]

Sexual Predator Attacked By Eight Men (http://www.news4jax.com/news/5115079/detail.html)

Police said a sexual predator in Jacksonville was attacked Saturday night by eight men who claimed he tried to grab a 12-year-old child on the street.

Officials said the men confronted John Childers, 46, and beat him with their fists. Police found Childers on the ground in front of the Evergreen Avenue half-way house where he lived and called rescue.

Childers had bruises on his head and face, but was not hospitalized.

Witnesses told police that eight men arrived in a 1993 Lincoln Continental and another vehicle, beat Childers, then left. The witness said the men had come around looking for Childers before.

Childers has been convicted of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 16. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said he had registered as a sex offender at the halfway house address.

http://www.platywebs.com.au/pic/thumbs_down.gif

[Phoenix1010]

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[swede123]

As a rule I'd vote thumbs down to any type of vigilanteism, but if child molestors are the target I'd be a lot more inclined to look the other way and let things happen.

Swede

[Beer and Pizza]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v387/elkgrovedan/Applause.gif

[Cancer Merchant]

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As a rule I'd vote thumbs down to any type of vigilanteism, but if child molestors are the target I'd be a lot more inclined to look the other way and let things happen.

Swede

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Almost as important is that said vigilantes will more likely than not beat on anyone who objected to their actions.

[MEbenhoe]

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As a rule I'd vote thumbs down to any type of vigilanteism, but if child molestors are the target I'd be a lot more inclined to look the other way and let things happen.



[/ QUOTE ]

i have to agree to this statement, not a huge fan of the idea, but given that i have zero sympathy for a child molestor i wouldnt be too inclined to stop this type of thing either.

[4_2_it]

If this guy really tried to molest a 12-year-old girl on the street and the police won't arrest him, I'll lead the next beat down.

That car was probably full of the girl's male relatives. That guy was lucky to just get a beat down. If it was my daughter he put his 'move' on, his face would have ended up on a milk carton.

[[censored]]

In a strict sense this is a case of two wrongs. However I just can't bring myself to do anything but want to pat these guys on the back. If it was a non violent crime which was caught in the act I would feel differently. Perhaps it is just due to media attention but lately it seems as though our children are under attack and our government and legal system has let us down when it comes to protecting them. At some point I think it is reasonable for communitities to take matters into their own hands and make it clear that they are not going to tolerate predation of its children.

[brassnuts]

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Childers had bruises on his head and face, but was not hospitalized.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thumbs down. The man was not beaten nearly enough.

[CrazyEyez]

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eight men...beat him with their fists...
Childers had bruises on his head and face, but was not hospitalized.

[/ QUOTE ]
Pu**ies.

Edit: I'm too slow. May eight men beat me just short of hospitalization.

[MonkeeMan]

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Childers had bruises on his head and face, but was not hospitalized.

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Thumbs down. The man was not beaten nearly enough.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yea, no mention of missing genitals.

[fluorescenthippo]

this is sorta like the boondock saints

[Warik]

[ QUOTE ]
Childers has been convicted of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 16.

[/ QUOTE ]

Since the penalty for child molestation (as well as rape) should be death, I see nothing wrong with the actions of these eight men due to the fact that Childers had been convicted of this crime in a court of law. A mere "so and so molested/raped me. Go beat him up" would not be enough for me in this case.

However, I wouldn't personally participate in the beating unless the victim were someone important to me... in which case I'd be too selfish to share with the other 7 dudes.

[Cancer Merchant]

On a related note, many released sex offenders have been hounded out of towns and cities, since they must identify themselves to local law enforcement. Concerned citizens then force said ex-con out of the area by various means. Should these people be locked up forever, or can they be cured? If the latter, will parents believe it to be true?

[samjjones]

Since they have been ostracized from society, why not go all the way? Put them in isolated communities, similar to leper colonies.

[MonkeeMan]

[ QUOTE ]
On a related note, many released sex offenders have been hounded out of towns and cities, since they must identify themselves to local law enforcement. Concerned citizens then force said ex-con out of the area by various means. Should these people be locked up forever, or can they be cured? If the latter, will parents believe it to be true?

[/ QUOTE ]

They can be cured the same way I cured my cats and dog. snip snip.

[Beer and Pizza]

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why not go all the way? Put them in isolated communities, similar to leper colonies.

[/ QUOTE ]

2 words:


trial lawyers

[HopeydaFish]

Disclaimer: Before I get flames, I'd just like to point out that I believe that pedophiles should be be thrown in jail and they should throw away the key after doing so. There's nothing more disgusting than someone who molests a child.

That being said...

The story sounds more like a car full of drunken good ole' boys who had a great excuse to go beat someone down. My gut feeling is that there never was any "attempted assault" of a 12 year old girl. The car full of rednecks had a few too many beers, someone mentioned that there's a sex offender in the neighbourhood, and next thing you know they're all piling in the '93 Oldsmobile for a beat-down.

We have no idea what this "sex offender" really did to be labelled as such. He was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 16. Maybe he picked up some girl at a bar who "looked 18" but turned out to be 15 (though he doesn't look like the type an 18 year old would be all that interested in). Maybe he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a 15 year old runaway. My point is that we don't really know, and I'm suspecting that the guys who laid a beating on him didn't really know either.

[pudley4]

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why not go all the way? Put them in isolated communities, similar to leper colonies.

[/ QUOTE ]

2 words:


trial lawyers

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Yes, they'd go too.

[MCS]

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Maybe he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a 15 year old runaway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Something like this happened to me once.

I almost had a heart attack that day. Come to find out the girl was a 12-year old runaway. I was arrested; my car was impounded.

[HopeydaFish]

[ QUOTE ]
On a related note, many released sex offenders have been hounded out of towns and cities, since they must identify themselves to local law enforcement. Concerned citizens then force said ex-con out of the area by various means. Should these people be locked up forever, or can they be cured? If the latter, will parents believe it to be true?

[/ QUOTE ]

Pedophiles can't be cured. Even if they're chemically castrated, the compulsion is still there. Pedophiles need to be locked up forever for the safety of society.

But not all sex offenders are pedophiles. And not everyone who is convicted of "statury rape" and such is a pedophile.

[brassnuts]

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Maybe he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a 15 year old runaway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Something like this happened to me once.

I almost had a heart attack that day. Come to find out the girl was a 12-year old runaway. I was arrested; my car was impounded.

[/ QUOTE ]

Couldn't you tell she was a bit too young?

[HopeydaFish]

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[ QUOTE ]
On a related note, many released sex offenders have been hounded out of towns and cities, since they must identify themselves to local law enforcement. Concerned citizens then force said ex-con out of the area by various means. Should these people be locked up forever, or can they be cured? If the latter, will parents believe it to be true?

[/ QUOTE ]

They can be cured the same way I cured my cats and dog. snip snip.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not in many cases. The compulsion is still there, even after castration. Pedophilia is basically a form of mental illness.

[HopeydaFish]

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Maybe he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a 15 year old runaway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Something like this happened to me once.

I almost had a heart attack that day. Come to find out the girl was a 12-year old runaway. I was arrested; my car was impounded.

[/ QUOTE ]

Couldn't you tell she was a bit too young?

[/ QUOTE ]

"I swear, officer, she looked at least 14!"

[HopeydaFish]

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[ QUOTE ]
Maybe he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a 15 year old runaway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Something like this happened to me once.

I almost had a heart attack that day. Come to find out the girl was a 12-year old runaway. I was arrested; my car was impounded.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you have to register as a sex offender?

[TheMainEvent]

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Maybe he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a 15 year old runaway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Something like this happened to me once.

I almost had a heart attack that day. Come to find out the girl was a 12-year old runaway. I was arrested; my car was impounded.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, if this happened to me I certainly wouldn't ever admit it, even on the internet.

[Cancer Merchant]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
On a related note, many released sex offenders have been hounded out of towns and cities, since they must identify themselves to local law enforcement. Concerned citizens then force said ex-con out of the area by various means. Should these people be locked up forever, or can they be cured? If the latter, will parents believe it to be true?

[/ QUOTE ]

They can be cured the same way I cured my cats and dog. snip snip.

[/ QUOTE ]

This can and has been done via chemical castration. Once treated, I still doubt they'll be considered safe. When you're on a Megan's Law list, you don't get off.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
On a related note, many released sex offenders have been hounded out of towns and cities, since they must identify themselves to local law enforcement. Concerned citizens then force said ex-con out of the area by various means. Should these people be locked up forever, or can they be cured? If the latter, will parents believe it to be true?

[/ QUOTE ]

Robert Ressler, founder of the F.B.I.'s profiling system, VICAP(Vicious Criminals Apprehension Program) database, and the man who coined the term "serial killer," believes child molesters cannot be rehabilitated, and that their sexuality is as much a core part of them as anything could be. I agree. By this he doesn't mean a 17 year old who sleeps with a 15 year old, or even a 30 year old who sleeps with a 15 year old, but the type who go after real, pre-sexual children. Fixation on this type of unlikely partner is not just a wayward impulse, but a sign of, of course, a seriously deranged sexuality and one that took a long time to become that way. You could no more undo their sexuality by rehabilitation than you could undo the entire personality or pull out the spinal cord. It's an organic part of the whole.

Many careers have been built on asserting that one has the cure for something or someone, and has applied it successfully. Psychologists let dangerous criminals out of institutionalization all the time, not only because there aren't enough places to put them in our crowded and underfunded hospitals and in our prisons, but also because their own paychecks and reputations can be tied to their supposed success with their patients. And also because, like anyone, they are subject to wishful thinking, simple error, and being conned. There will always be people who claim anyone with any problem can be cured, because the idea of a cure is not a strictly medical one. but is entangled with philosophy and even politics and religion. Whether child molesters should be locked up forever or not, they probably never will be.

[Blarg]

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why not go all the way? Put them in isolated communities, similar to leper colonies.

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2 words:


trial lawyers

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LOL, somebody found a political buzz word.

[MonkeeMan]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
On a related note, many released sex offenders have been hounded out of towns and cities, since they must identify themselves to local law enforcement. Concerned citizens then force said ex-con out of the area by various means. Should these people be locked up forever, or can they be cured? If the latter, will parents believe it to be true?

[/ QUOTE ]

They can be cured the same way I cured my cats and dog. snip snip.

[/ QUOTE ]

This can and has been done via chemical castration. Once treated, I still doubt they'll be considered safe. When you're on a Megan's Law list, you don't get off.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sigh, then I guess it's time for the McMurphy cure. snip snip SNIP.

[MCS]

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Maybe he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a 15 year old runaway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Something like this happened to me once.

I almost had a heart attack that day. Come to find out the girl was a 12-year old runaway. I was arrested; my car was impounded.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here is more on that story. (http://www.ohhla.com/anonymous/frprince/hesthedj/parents.jfr.txt)

(Look near the bottom of the page for the pertinent info.)

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
Disclaimer: Before I get flames, I'd just like to point out that I believe that pedophiles should be be thrown in jail and they should throw away the key after doing so. There's nothing more disgusting than someone who molests a child.

That being said...

The story sounds more like a car full of drunken good ole' boys who had a great excuse to go beat someone down. My gut feeling is that there never was any "attempted assault" of a 12 year old girl. The car full of rednecks had a few too many beers, someone mentioned that there's a sex offender in the neighbourhood, and next thing you know they're all piling in the '93 Oldsmobile for a beat-down.

We have no idea what this "sex offender" really did to be labelled as such. He was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 16. Maybe he picked up some girl at a bar who "looked 18" but turned out to be 15 (though he doesn't look like the type an 18 year old would be all that interested in). Maybe he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a 15 year old runaway. My point is that we don't really know, and I'm suspecting that the guys who laid a beating on him didn't really know either.

[/ QUOTE ]

In many states, the age of majority, for statutory rape, is higher for the girl than the boy. There are boys who have gone to prison for rape for having sex with their girlfriends when they were 16 and the girl was 17, older than they were, and when they were both the same age.

A friend of mine is a prosecutor in L.A. She told us a story about a guy who got caught beating off in a curtained booth in a porno store, the kind where you pay 25c to keep a porno movie going. It's illegal to beat off there, but the booths are basically set up for beating off; it's a beat off business. Anyway, the cops did a raid and caught the customers whacking away, and they from that point on got permanent records as sex offenders, and would have to register with the sheriff everywhere they went. It was a major mark against them, and the information is now publically available to all. And, I submit to the OOT jury, this is a victimless crime. Heck, the beat off joint was set up to make money off his jerking, and he paid up. To me, this is an example of ridiculous laws run amuck, and it's very sad what happened to the pecker pounders.

The stigma of sex crime is so awful, and the punishments and life consequences can be so cruelly severe, that we really should be careful we don't lump all sex criminals in with each other, because there are night and day differences. Frankly, if I had a 17 year old daughter who slept with an 18 year old guy, I'd hope it was done safely and was a good relationship, not that the law would throw him in the slammer and ruin his life. Heck, oral, anal, and homosexual sex are still against the law in some places. I'm all for people paying the price for doing really terrible things, but the law often has no clue or concern what crimes should be, and destroys as much as or more than it protects. The idea of what properly constitutes a sex criminal is unforgivably sloppy, considering the effect of the designation.

[Aloysius]

I guess the post subject is too "on-the-nose" for Commodus to make an appearance...

[send_the_msg]

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Heck, oral, anal, and homosexual sex are still against the law in some places.

[/ QUOTE ]

is this true?

[Blarg]

Sure is. Almost every place used to have these laws, and quite a lot of them. Many have been removed, but many have not. Laws can hang around many decades after societal mores have changed; they basically live forever until the courts or the legislatures get rid of them. The incentive for a legislator to take on the identity of the guy who said butt sex should be okay is a pretty low one.

[MCS]

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Heck, oral, anal, and homosexual sex are still against the law in some places.

[/ QUOTE ]

is this true?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm just here to confirm that it is.

And also to point out to the people that read my first post in this thread and wondered about what happened with the 12-year old, I provided a link for you.

[Namdrahsirhc]

[ QUOTE ]
The story sounds more like a car full of drunken good ole' boys who had a great excuse to go beat someone down. My gut feeling is that there never was any "attempted assault" of a 12 year old girl. The car full of rednecks had a few too many beers, someone mentioned that there's a sex offender in the neighbourhood, and next thing you know they're all piling in the '93 Oldsmobile for a beat-down.


[/ QUOTE ]

Im gonna have to go with this answer. Although anyone who molests a kid should be knelt down, and shot in the back of the skull.

[Cancer Merchant]

All US state sodomy laws were declared unconstitutional in 2003; a list of laws on the books by state can be found here. (http://www.sodomylaws.org/usa/usa.htm)

[PoBoy321]

HopeyDaFish, you're my new favorite poster. I agree completely that sex offenders should be locked up forever, or at the very least, admitted into civil commitment or kept under strict supervision, but he committed a crime, served his time, and now these assholes are just trying to play judge, jury and executioner.

[PoBoy321]

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When you're on a Megan's Law list, you don't get off.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not true. After a certain period of time, you can petition to have your name removed from the Sex Offender list. I have no idea how common that is though, and I doubt it happens very often.

[PoBoy321]

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Im gonna have to go with this answer. Although anyone who molests a kid should be knelt down, and shot in the back of the skull.

[/ QUOTE ]

The sex offender wasn't necessarily a child molester, and it seems from the eye witnesses that he never tried to grab a chlid on the street.

[Blarg]

Very cool, it's about time.

[Jules22]

2 thumbs way up. shoulda left the creep bleeding in a gutter

[HopeydaFish]

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Maybe he picked up a hooker who turned out to be a 15 year old runaway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Something like this happened to me once.

I almost had a heart attack that day. Come to find out the girl was a 12-year old runaway. I was arrested; my car was impounded.

[/ QUOTE ]

Here is more on that story. (http://www.ohhla.com/anonymous/frprince/hesthedj/parents.jfr.txt)

(Look near the bottom of the page for the pertinent info.)

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL...I'm usually pretty good at picking up obscure references, but that one went right over my head. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[James Boston]

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eight men who claimed he tried to grab a 12-year-old child on the street.


[/ QUOTE ]

If this is true, thumbs up, even though I don't agree with vigilante justice. If he's a convicted sex offender, who hasn't learned his leason, these guys sent a pretty clear message.

I have no sympathy for child molesters. But, if this guy has been "clean" for a while, and these guys just beat the crap out of him for finding out what he had done in the past, that's not really cool.

My interpretation of the story didn't really give me any conclusion as to what really happened.

[HopeydaFish]

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eight men who claimed he tried to grab a 12-year-old child on the street.


[/ QUOTE ]

If this is true, thumbs up, even though I don't agree with vigilante justice. If he's a convicted sex offender, who hasn't learned his leason, these guys sent a pretty clear message.

I have no sympathy for child molesters. But, if this guy has been "clean" for a while, and these guys just beat the crap out of him for finding out what he had done in the past, that's not really cool.

My interpretation of the story didn't really give me any conclusion as to what really happened.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice how the newspaper repeatedly referred to the guy as a "sexual predator". Real objective journalism there.

[DMBFan23]

I don't know of any news source with zero political spin, sad as it is.

[PoBoy321]

"Sexual predator" is the term used by the Florida State DOJ, so it's not the newspaper that's being unjustly biased.