I have been following this thread for a while now; ever since I read the article about sex offenders being turned away.
I have never knowingly been around sex offenders. I have only seen their photos on the database. In fact, only until recently did I even pay attention to the sex offender registry and the laws surrounding it. Mostly because two years ago I was placed on the registry myself.
I was 32 years old, in an AOL chat room for 30 year olds. The chat room is called "Thirties Friends". I was always socializing in chat rooms since 1999 when I first discovered AOL and I was definitely a computer nerd.
While in the chat room a girl advertised herself as wanting to engage in a sexual conversation. So being the computer nerd and horny I messaged her instantaneously. She was very aggressive and requests for photos were made but none were fulfilled. I wasn't about to send out a picture of myself for the world to see, and she wouldn't do it either. We ended up shifting the sexual conversation to something more normal. That is when I found out she was 14 and looking for an older guy. I spoke to her a few more times online, and eventually after two days I never spoke to her again.
A month later I was contacted by a detective in her home state asking me if I spoke to her. I said I did. I answered a few personal questions and that was that.
What had happened was her parents kept a log of everything she does on the computer, and they saved the transcript of our sexual conversation and delivered it to the local police even though the sexual conversation had not happened again since learning her age.
I traveled to the girls home state to turn myself in once I learned that an arrest warrant was issued for me. I was told that these crimes are punished hard, and since I have no proof of my conversations (I don't keep logs) it would be my word against actual proof that I engaged in a sexual conversation with a 14 year old even though it was before I knew her age.
I was left with two options: take it to trial and risk having added charges and at least 1 year in jail, or admit guilt and receive no jail time and just 2 years probation; but have to be placed on the registry.
The reason why one of my options included no jail time was because the detective handling the case against me recommended to the prosecutor that the case be dropped. When the prosecutor refused, he recommended no jail time; to which they agreed. I had also voluntarily been tested by two independent forensic psychologists to ensure that I was "normal" and not someone who is sexually deviant.
When I returned back to Florida; I was told that I was no longer allowed to live in my condo. A condo that I owned outright and had been living there since 2007. Since a law passed in 2005 preventing sex offenders from living within 2500 feet of a school, I was forced to sell my condo and find another place to live. My condo was 2100 feet from a school.
I could not move in with my parents because they lived a block away from a school, my sister lived within 1000 feet of a school, and most of my friends live near a school or a park.
I was told to get a tent and live under the Julia Tuttle Bridge. Luckily, I didn't have to do that as I was able to find suitable housing.
The reason why I am posting this is to illustrate how easy it was to be placed on the registry. I had no criminal history and I lock my car doors in bad areas just like everyone else. I don't rape babies and hide in bushes to molest people. I have never traveled to meet a minor for sex, and I have never attempted to abduct a child, or touch them inappropriately.
I finished my 2 year probation without any problems; not even a traffic ticket.
In terms of recidivism; it annoys me when people say all sex offenders re-offend when I am sitting here as proof that they all don't.
I love Disneyworld, I love the rides, and I love the atmosphere. Disneyworld is not just a place for kids. In fact, they made a commercial probably a decade ago specifically stating it isn't just for kids.
It is troublesome that I could potentially be turned away just because I am on a list. Yet, the drug dealer who sells pot to kids is allowed inside.
*sigh*