Man arrested at Typhoon Lagoon

[BostonRob]

Most definitely will be put on the Sex Offender Registry.......

I wish I had your prosecutors.

Two weeks ago I sent a similar incident through court---5 year Confinement, Suspended to 4 years Supervised Probation, additional 2 years unsupervised probation....over our objections and not in line with what the parents had been informed the plea would entail....

For those of you not up to speed on legal speak---this means the only time he spent in jail was the 24 hours we had him in before he bonded out....

DF

I don't know if any of you are familiar with the law in Fla, but I'm puzzled why the guy wasn't charged for groping the second girl anyway. Who cares that her or her parents didn't want to press charges. If there were that many witnesses, why can't they prosecute him without the victim?

 

[cmurray234]

As a father of a 2 y.o. girl....and 4 y.o. boy...id personally take care of this guy myself if he did this to my kids.......
Just sayin.

Yep. I'm a mother, not a father, but you can believe if someone was hurting my babies (7 and 8), I'd inflict some damage.

 

[Brer Chump]

Everyone can follow the case on the Orange County's website here. The case number is 2009-CF-0009805-O. The last digit is the letter "O" as in Orlando and the defendant is the only party listed with the DOB listed (The other man listed is the arresting officer).

Looking through the case, he is free on bond after a bailbonds-man posted $5000. His offense is a second degree felony. No further hearings are scheduled yet.

Also keep in mind that victims will likely be needed not only for trial, but for Grand Jury testimony, preliminary hearings, supression hearings, pre-trial conferences and victim impact statements at sentencing. If a victim lives out of state or country, that is a lot of airfare and lost income for taking time off work. Hopefully webcam testimony is part of the future for the justice system (but I wouldn't count on it).

 

[Texas Rob]

I don't care how many you prosecute there are always going to be freaks in our world trying to do things that are sick and disgusting (both men and women).

One lesson which should be learned from this is not to put yourself or your daughters (or even sons) in this situation.

First, my daughter (and I have one) would never be allowed to wear a two piece bikini into a pool. Second, I am not going to allow my daughter dressed scantily into a pool with a bunch of men and boys.

We as parents have a responsibility to protect our children (even when all their other friends do it or society says it is okay).

I think there is a lesson to be learned here for both parents and people putting themselves in harms way.

 

[DisneyFed]

DisneyFed, I can't believe the judge accepted that plea! I would imagine that Disney being the money generating center of the Orlando area, the prosecutors must take Disney-related crimes more seriously, as if crime gets out of hand at Disney, families will be less likely to come, cutting off the money river (all those taxes on hotels!). Not that victims should get less justice in one spot than another, but you do try to protect the hand that feeds you.

Agreed, and we couldn't believe it either.....we had a pretty stern conversation with the "Elected Prosecutor" shortly thereafter...

And for the person asking about Florida Law...it really depends on the facts of the case, which I have none, so I'm not sure....

 

[onelilspark]

I just found out that this guy lives in a neighboring town to me AND apparently he is very active in his church.

Yeah...just saw this article on the local news...

http://rochesterhomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=104092

Ugh. People make me sick.

 

[meandmytwogirls]

It's situations like this when parents need to handle this themselves without waiting on a liberal judge to give them probation. The dad and the other dads there should have beat the guy to within an inch of his life and he'll think better about it next time.

 

[ParrotBill]

It's situations like this when parents need to handle this themselves without waiting on a liberal judge to give them probation. The dad and the other dads there should have beat the guy to within an inch of his life and he'll think better about it next time.

That's a good way to get 1 year or two in jail yourself and all the other fun that comes with a felony conviction like losing your job and your home.

I also live within 30 minutes of the jerk. Will be watching to see if he gets put in the sex offender database across state lines or not. I wonder if he has a season pass to the local waterpark, which has a wave pool.

Don't be hard on the family who would not press charges. Few people can fly to florida on 24 hour notices 3 or 4 times to see it through. It would cost thousands of dollars and time lost from work and school.

Also, for those who were talking about monetary damages: The crime does not involve taking money so there can be no judgement of restitution. That requires a separate legal action to file a civil suit, which must be filed in the home state of the defendant, and if you need testimony from Florida people you need to pay for that... and chances are very good you would get nothing paid even if you were award damages. If they don't have the insurance or the means to pay, that's the end of it.

 

[Sir Robin Hood]

but you can believe if someone was hurting my babies (7 and 8), I'd inflict some damage.

Amen. I don't even have children of my own yet, but a sister 8 years younger than me. I can understand the anger and would have a hard time restraining myself from totally mutilating this sicko.

 

[Kellylynn3]

I don't care how many you prosecute there are always going to be freaks in our world trying to do things that are sick and disgusting (both men and women).

One lesson which should be learned from this is not to put yourself or your daughters (or even sons) in this situation.

First, my daughter (and I have one) would never be allowed to wear a two piece bikini into a pool. Second, I am not going to allow my daughter dressed scantily into a pool with a bunch of men and boys.

We as parents have a responsibility to protect our children (even when all their other friends do it or society says it is okay).

I think there is a lesson to be learned here for both parents and people putting themselves in harms way.

this kind of goes back to what I said earlier. I know Disney seems like a happy safe place but sometimes it can be just the opposite. Letting young children run around or changing their clothing in a public area can catch the attention of people like this. Especially when people change their older children like some 6 or 7 year old girls I saw a parent changing. Taking the extra time to take your kids to a changing room is well worth it in my opinion because you never know who is watching.

 

[disneylove69]

There were several posts like this in this thread.

You would really rather spend time in jail for manslaughter or murder and potentially ruin your life and that of your family and not be able to be there for your kids as they grow up rather than let the authorities take care of the situation?

When people think of what they would do if someone hurt their child the first thing that comes to mind is to take care of the intruder in a way they will remember the pain. When it comes down to it I don't think many would act out in the viloence. Reality is that this guy will probably get away with it and do it again.

No, I don't think there's any monetary benefit to the victim in a criminal trial.

The girl could file civil claim. Also in most jurisdictions you can ask the court for restitution.

In the unlikely event that a molestation of a child under age 16 does result in a plea for probation (which after working in the local court system, I find highly unlikely) there is no way the prosecutor wouldn't require as part of the plea that this guy also become a registered sex offender. Then everyone can know where he lives and know what he does. But I find that in this type of case, there is little chance he'd escape any time.

Unfortunatley it is her word against his. He could also make a plea for a lessor misdemeanor crime. Happens all the time.

DisneyFed, I can't believe the judge accepted that plea! I would imagine that Disney being the money generating center of the Orlando area, the prosecutors must take Disney-related crimes more seriously, as if crime gets out of hand at Disney, families will be less likely to come, cutting off the money river (all those taxes on hotels!). Not that victims should get less justice in one spot than another, but you do try to protect the hand that feeds you.

In California due to the budget cuts many District Attorney's are not filing charges on dozens of types of crime. Everything from vandalism, shoplifting, embezzlement, burglary, drug posession and sales. They are also getting ready to let 10 of thousands of prisoners out including child molestors.

 

[3 MEN AND A BOAT]

That's a good way to get 1 year or two in jail yourself and all the other fun that comes with a felony conviction like losing your job and your home.

i doubt you would get that kind of time, my home is already paid off and i'm self-employed so no worries there.
more realistically a person would pay some fines, 1-2 years probation and some anger-management classes, all of which i can handle.
i'd be willing to take the risk and do the time, thats just me.

 

[BostonRob]

The girl could file civil claim. Also in most jurisdictions you can ask the court for restitution.

Restitution in a criminal court (as explained earlier) is reserved for money damages. So if you vandalize my car and you are found guilty of vandalism, you can be forced to pay to fix my car. The emotional damages caused by an assault aren't something that criminal courts deal with. So a civil claim is the only option, but (also as pointed out earlier), the sleezeball would actually have to have some money. He may have screwed up this girl for life; a jury might decide her emotional damages are worth a million dollars, but if he doesn't have any money, not only would the girl never get anything out of that verdict, but she'd never even get that far, because no attorney would take the case on contingency. Our legal system is far from perfect.

 

[Tomh]

3 Men and a boat, I'm with you. No price is too high to pay when it comes to the safety of my daughter. Knowing the mess our legal system is, and the odds that the sicko would be out on bail in 24 hours, and never serve any time for the crime, I'm pretty certain that if I knew someone had done that to my daughter, they'd get the beating of a lifetime, at the least, and perhaps worse, as I'm really not certain that I would know enough to stop.

Because of these kinds of people, I don't let my daughter (now 14) roam around much unless there is an adult around, or she is with other people, and I have to know where she is going, and when she is getting back. She isn't allowed to wear two piece swim suits, nor is she allowed swimming anywhere unless she is with me, her mother, or my mother, no exceptions. While at Disney, or other parks, she isn't allowed away from my wife or I unless she has her older sister with her (20), and then it is only for short periods of time, and they both have their cell phones with them. Perhaps I'm a bit paranoid, but I figure if I make sure that nothing like this happens to her, then I know I'm not going to be tempted to beat someone to death.

 

[CathrynRose]

I think to not press charges sends the wrong message to the daughter, and perpetuates this problem. It certainly doesnt draw any attention to the issue. I would have pressed charges, and then he couldve paid for her college and wedding..

That was my thought, as well. She is brave enough to tell her parents, and they say "we don't want to press charges?"

There were several posts like this in this thread.

You would really rather spend time in jail for manslaughter or murder and potentially ruin your life and that of your family and not be able to be there for your kids as they grow up rather than let the authorities take care of the situation?

I may not have killed him - however a nice smack upside the head with a pool chair would have sufficed.

I don't know if any of you are familiar with the law in Fla, but I'm puzzled why the guy wasn't charged for groping the second girl anyway. Who cares that her or her parents didn't want to press charges. If there were that many witnesses, why can't they prosecute him without the victim?

Good question.

 

[Nikisha421]

what a nasty nasty dirty piece of work this man!...also im quite sure this poor child wishes that this whole situation would jsut disappear...

 

[luvthemouse71]

I don't know if any of you are familiar with the law in Fla, but I'm puzzled why the guy wasn't charged for groping the second girl anyway. Who cares that her or her parents didn't want to press charges. If there were that many witnesses, why can't they prosecute him without the victim?

Good question, being that the victims were minors. I know in domestic violence situations, the victim doesn't get the choice, the perpetrator is charged regardless. I thought it was similar in abuse/assault cases against children.

 

[fan1080]

Good question, being that the victims were minors. I know in domestic violence situations, the victim doesn't get the choice, the perpetrator is charged regardless. I thought it was similar in abuse/assault cases against children.

I beleive it depends on the local laws.

I'm not a lawyer, judge, police officer, etc...... but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.....

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I'm not a lawyer, judge, police officer, etc...... but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.....

 

[TXSchoolNurse]

Unfotunately, this is a prime example as why we should never let our guard down with our kids......even in the happiest place on earth!

I am a school nurse at an urban middle school and in 3 years I have had to file numerous CPS reports with some of them being in regards to sexual abuse.

You bet I keep a very close eye on my 12 year old DD as well as my 2 year old DD. it drives the 12 year old crazy.......but, oh well...my job is to keep her safe.

I cannot agree or disagree with the dad that did not press charges because I do not know his full story. Personally, I would feel responsible for pursuing the matter not only to stand up for my child but for future victims and past victims that had no voice. This guy needs to be stopped!