Another informative story from CNN features Ricky Blackman, a now 20 year old ex-registered sex offender. When Ricky was 16, he engaged in a sexual encounter with a girl he met at a teen club in Iowa. He was under the impression she was 15. When the girl ran away from home, the police traced her to Blackman. He admitted to having a sexual relationship with her and was informed that she was only 13. He was arrested and had to register as a sex offender or the registry. After undergoing court ordered treatment, he was released from the list in Iowa, but was placed on it when he moved to Oklahoma. Blackman described the treatment he has received after being labeled a sex offender and the way it affected his family as well.
This story has many levels and it seems that each brings a different emotion. I can understand the shame he must have felt after being arrested for something that he didn't even know he had done wrong. I have seen girls who look like they are much older to find out later that they were only twelve or thirteen. Based on looks, it would be hard to guess how old someone is. When he moved to Oklahoma and was harassed by people who didn't know him or his situation, it was an unfortunate side affect of his previous actions. If you look on the sex offender website, you can see who lives in your area, and it wasn't meant to protect the offenders, but it is terrible that he wasn't even allowed to graduate from high school because he was a supposed "threat" to the other students.
At the end of the article, I was empathetic to his situation and I feel as though he had made a mistake that truly changed the person he could have been to the person he is now. It is strange how one mistake can suddenly put you in the same league as child molesters and pedophiles. The harassment he has endured is not justified by the fact that he was on a list.
It is disappointing that someone can be judged so unfairly after already having to go through so much. If he could change his actions I believe he would without a doubt, but this is another example of hindsight being 20/20.
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Brandie, what a hot topic these days! There are passionate arguments on both sides of this issue, and it is somewhat easy to see the viewpoint of each side.
ReplyDeleteBut one thing seems to be clear to me. The current laws do not work as they should, and that is because the focus is all wrong. Instead of trying to solve the problem with sex offenders, legislators seem only interested in punishing them after the fact. In addition, all offenders are put into one huge group, where as you say, they are lumped in with all "molesters and pedophiles."
I've often thought that there needs to be a group that is a watchdog for sex in advertising, especially when it comes to sexualizing our children. Maybe if we could stop behaviors and attractions before they get out of hand, we could see a reduction in these offenses.
There are too many sides to address on this issue. But it seems clear to me that legislation needs to be re-visited and re-written in terms that actually help solve the problem instead of just appealing to the fears of society.
Sadly, it is true that one mistake can change a person's entire life. Seems like there needs to be a difference in punishment when someone makes a mistake vs. an intention to break a law. But how do you determine such a thing?
If the justice system worked, kids like this wouldn't fall into the "sex offender" catagory at all. Obviously he is not a threat and the fault lies just as much with the girl as with him, this young man's life is ruined and for what? People will harrass him forever and he didn't do anything than any other teenager wouldn't have done.
ReplyDeleteThis story amazed me.... wow poor guy. I know many girls that have told a guy they were older just so they could hang out and what not. I dont understand why they would just do that to him, to be honest i think this happens alot to boys. Why should it be their fault if the girl was the one that caused this to herself? He could have been an amazing person but because of this girl, im sure he has problems he would have never had. Dont get me wrong, people should get in trouble for things like this, but he was only 16, and she was 13 yes im sure that "sounds" bad but really thats only 3 years apart. how many of us are married/dating to someone younger/older? I could understand if he was over the age of 18, but he was just a child his self. I feel this is very wrong, and i hope he gets a break in life! As for her i hope she lives with the guilt of destroying a person and their life.
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