Once Fallen Archives

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This page is here for the purpose of keeping old notices, alerts, and factoids featured at Once Fallen

April 2010
As the city of Philadelphia opposed and killed an attempt to open a transitional home for juvenile sex offenders, I was reflecting on a case that was close to
home for me last year, the tragic death of Esme Kenney at the hands of Anthony Kirkland, a man with a long criminal history including murder and a sex
offense. It was a tragedy indeed, but the Kenney family have bucked the trend by advocating "get smart, not tough on crime." Not everyone had embraced
their stance, as they faced criticism for not joining the public attempt to close down the Pogue Rehabilitation Center, where Kirkland escaped. "We don't
need another knee-jerk reaction to a horrible event," [Brad] Kenney said. "We need somebody to take a measured look at whether or not these systems are
performing." I am sorry for their tragedy, but the Kenney family has done what few people who experience this tragedy have done. They have not called for
a knee-jerk law named after Esme, but instead look for sensible solutions to address the issue of sexual abuse and offending. Once Fallen commends them
as survivors and heroes. Click below for an editorial by Tom and Lisa Kenney, Esme's parents
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090906/EDIT02/909060343/What+our+Esme+s+death+has+taught+us
NOTE: This is merely a thought and my opinion. This does not imply any mutual support, cooperation, affiliation or connection between Once Fallen and
the Kenney family's work. I do, however, admire what they have done and to and of this writing agree 100% with their efforts to reform the current system. It
does not imply they share my views or support my personal efforts.

NOVEMER 2009
America's contrary attitudes on teen sexuality

“Current youth policy and parenting advice teeter between high anxiety child protection and high anger child punishment. It would appear that
children are fragilely innocent until the moment they step over some line, at which point they become instantly, irredeemably wicked. One striking
pair of contradictory trends: as we raise the age of consent for sex, we lower the age at which a wrongdoing child may be tried and sentenced as an
adult criminal. Both, needless to say, are ‘in the best interests’ of the child and society.” -- From Judith Levine, "Harmful to Minors," p. xxxi-xxxii

THOUGHT OF THE MONTH OCTOBER 2009

Lauren Book on the situation with "Bookville," a.k.a., the Julia Tuttle Causeway proves she's actually smarter and more compassionate than her
father, Ron Book: "It's a terrible situation under there, it is awful. I don't think them living under a bridge or absconding keeps children safe." Source:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1262398.html

THOUGHT OF THE MONTH AUGUST 2009
Criticism from a Brevard Co., FL Cop on a Former *ex Offender's program to house other Former *ex Offenders. You'd think he'd be grateful for the
help. Simple math -- Make 99% of an area off limits to a group and they live in the final 1%. From USA TODAY: Lt. Tod Goodyear, head of the Brevard
County Sheriff's Office Sex Crimes unit, tells Florida Today it's not uncommon for offenders to cluster, but that he doesn't like what Young is doing.
"He brings in people from out of the county that normally would not be settling in Brevard," he says. "I also don't like that he's making money off of
this because he knows the system as a sex offender." (Think the cop is jealous?)

THOUGHT OF THE MONTH JULY 2009
Florida Lobbyist Ron Book forgives no one but demands forgiveness from us? WTF? A quote from Ron Book from his 1995 Illegal Campaign
Contribution Scandal: or "why people in glass houses should never throw stones" or "practice what you preach"
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/1995-11-09/news/crime-politics
This past September 21 [1995], Book pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges and was fined $2000. He also agreed to donate $40,000 to charity
as an additional punishment. But rather than express remorse at having cynically subverted the public trust, Book asks for sympathy and says he
should be given some credit for being man enough to plead guilty and admit his mistakes: "Anyone who says the decision to stand up and accept
responsibility was an easy one, I tell them: 'Get in my shoes, get in my clothes and feel it.' I have been pained and I have been hurt. It hasn't been
easy. Not at all."

THOUGHT OF THE MONTH MAY 2009

Ponder this following statement in an article on an Alabama proposal to restrict Former Offenders from LIVING ON [but not restricting ATTENDING]
College Campuses: "The bill doesn't prohibit convicted sex offenders from attending a college or university, but they wouldn't be able to live on
campus."Okay, I can GO TO COLLEGE but I can't LIVE within a quarter mile of the place? What kind of logic is that?!?

THOUGHT OF THE MONTH APRIL 2009
MARK LUNSFORD THREATENS PROSECUTOR TO KEEP HIS SON OFF THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY:

The following was forwarded to me and will be available in the March 09 edition of the RSOL Digest at http://reformsexoffenderlaws.org/digest.php
once available. I'd like to point out that when Lunsford testified before the March 10th SORNA hearing, he stated sacrificing innocent people to protect
children is necessary. Really now?

This gave me the opportunity to approach Mark Lunsford. Explaining that my husband was on the registry for life for consensual sex as a teen. An
‘offense’ similar to the ‘offense’ his son would have faced if it were not for his intervention. Mr. Lunsford said that his son served ten days, on a plea
to a felony offense. He said that he told the prosecuting attorney that he would “expose every sex offense case where they gave a lenient sentence
to a true sex offender if they treated his son like one of those predators”. Thus, his son avoided registration.

Thought of the month: March 2009
Disturbing Decision for 1st District Appellate Court of Ohio Officially Calls Former Sex Offenders a Degraded Class! [Sewell v. Ohio]
Presiding judge Sylvia Henton, mother-in-law of Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, who was the defendant in this lawsuit, states:
"By their voluntary acts, sex offenders have surrendered certain protections that arguably are afforded to other citizens. Their conviction of felony
offenses puts them into a class that has already been deemed to have no expectation of finality in the consequences of the judgments against them...
The fact that Sewell belongs to a class that has voluntarily surrendered certain protections and rights makes the conclusion that Senate Bill 10‟s tier-
classification and registration requirements are constitutional even more certain..." She officially recognizes sex offenders as a class of individuals
with degraded rights!

Thought of the month: FEBRUARY 2009
An interesting observation on Facebook's move to ban 90,000 alleged sex offenders from using their services shows the extent of Predator Panic:
Banning everyone on the sex offenders register sends out a very strange message indeed... Made a webcam video for your 16-year-old boyfriend?
We'll chase you away with pitchforks, you evil, sick scum. Murdered your wife and eaten her liver with a stir-in sauce? Welcome to Facebook! Come
on in! Play Scrabble! Throw a sheep or two!

Thought of the month: JANUARY 2009
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children noted in Sept, 2008, there are 664,731 RSOs in the US. In May 2007, that number was
602,189. In 16 months, there were 62,524 new registrants added. That's 3908.8 per month, 130.3 per day, 5.4 per hour. In other words, every 11
minutes and 6 seconds another person is added to the SO registry!