.One small step.......

  As you know I write a letter to about 40 people. One wrote me back.

If I can change her mind or at least make her think before she passes a bill.. then I have won a battle maybe not the war.. but one small step at a time.

I have Common sense.  I can tell right from wrong. The Sex Offender laws are messed up. Someone really needs to look into them.

  

1. When some needs help with alcohol addiction they go to AA. When a drug user needs help, he can go to NA. When someone needs help with Porn, where do they go? If  they go to a Dr, then the Dr. has to report it. How is this right? The person was trying to get help.

  

2.  People don't believe that someone wants to just look at underage porn. This is all they want to do, they don't have any desire to touch a kid. I Know it is wrong to look, so put them in jail, but do they have to register afterwards? I do believe only Level 3 and 4 need to register, and then it should be based on each case.

   

3. When you are convicted for a sexual crime you get labeled Level 1, level 2 etc. But Pine Bluff can change it  to whatever level they want. By reading the rules on the different levels someone who should be a level 1 could walk out as a Level 3 Just because Pine Bluff thinks they might do something worse. Well then if they do, then make them a level 3 but not until they do the crime.  If everyone is automatically a  level 3, then How do you get to be a level 1. just by Thinking of looking at Porn? Again common sense.

     

 4.  I have a question for you. You tell me who do you want walking on the street. A guy who did his time, got help. Now has a job. A family. Or someone who can't get a job because he has a label, who can't get a house, now you tell me. Who is going to mess up? And who do you want as a neighbor? I hope I made you think on this one.

    

 3.5 % of sex offenders go back to prison compared to 30% for Drug related crimes. Who are the bad people here?

    

I am willing to talk about this to anyone. And I just hope this letter come across your desk.

By the way.. who am I? The mother of a soon to be S.O. My son is 21, all he did was look at underage porn.  Where is his second chance?

From:  Sue

 Looking at underage porn means a child was victimized. The pictures are of real children, when people pay "just to look" as you say, they are creating a market that results in more children being victimized.

From: Jane Smith

I understand that, but at the same time  why not go after the people who take the picture. When they arrest people who do drug they also get the person who sold the drug. They have sting operation for child porn but they get the guy who was viewing it but not who put it up.  We need to put a stop to this or its going to get worst.  Then you will have over the male population as being a Sex offender.

By the way, yes I know it is wrong for my son to look but he would never victimized a child. He is only 21. Just like any other male,, He just wanted to look at porn.

From Sue

It is extremely hard to figure out where the people are located who are taking pictures of these children.  The National Center for Missing and Abused Children in Alexandria, Virginia has people on staff whose full time job is to look at these photos and try to figure out where the children pictured are located.  They do that all day long. Sometimes they figure it out and rescue the children.  Most times they don't

I know you are upset about your son.  I have a son too.  And a daughter.  They make mistakes.  Your son is lucky to have caring parents.  Try to understand the other side of this problem.  Somebody's son or daughter is being sexually abused...for profit.

I assume you have an attorney for your son--perhaps if would be helpful if he could provide his sources.  Sue

From Jane

I do understand both sides. I have a daughter who is about to go to college, I also have two young nieces. I do care about the safety of the kids, but a lot of time the pictures that are on the internet are from other countries, Why can't we stop it from getting over to here?

 I know my son real well, I know he would benefit more from getting help just like anyone else who is caught the first time with drugs or alcohol. As a country we have AA and Drug rehabs for a first time offender if he/she chooses. Why not a Sex offender? Especially the ones who didn't harm a child or was having sex with their underage partner. There are really bad Sex offender. Those are the one we need to be watching.

All I am asking, if a bill comes up please look at it carefully and think of me and my son. My son has already learned his lesson, but he is going to have to pay for it for the rest of his life. That part I don't think is right. He is only 21. Let him and other like him live a decent life.