When Society Shook Its Scornful Finger…

Thank you for your letter, Ron.

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My name is Ronald; most of my friends and family call me Ron or Ronnie. I am 39 years old and a registered Sex Offender. The Story I am about to share with you regarding how I became a sex offender is both surprising and upsetting yet not uncommon in today’s politically charged hot topic regarding Sex Offender Laws and the  socially hysterical climate surrounding sex offenses.

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I’ll never forget what my dad has always said about our countries justice system, “It’s not perfect however it’s the one we have…We must be willing to work towards improving its purpose in seeking justice and restoring peace.” This is from a man who also believes that a well prepared military is what maintains peace and stability. I don’t subscribe to the later, however, here I am, here we all are; a people, exercising our voice to direct and encourage you, our elected representatives, to work towards abolishing unjust Sex Offender Laws and irrational punishments that are Draconian and unconstitutional by design and merely vengeful in their purpose

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Apparently I committed a crime, one of selfish lustful behavior and poor judgment; is there any other type? That selfish lustful behavior… Cheap thrills aroused from browsing adult web-cites filled with quirky profiles and amusingly risqué and grotesque pictures on a cyber space meat market.

One evening while browsing a multitude of these profiles, I received a message and an invite to chat from a girl in North Dakota. I accepted and replied back; commenting on her profile picture which indicated she had a fetish for bondage. From that moment on we began communicating – via the web – on a regular basis. After about three weeks of on-line chatting – with this attractive female – we exchanged e-mail addresses; which isn’t uncommon…nor were the nude and sexually explicit pictures she had taken of herself and sent me, given how we both indicated an interest in communicating with those interested in sharing sexual fantasies. However, (and this is where my accountability for being careless comes into play), I had no knowledge that this girl was a minor. Her body was well developed, like that of a full figured woman, and she communicated with a sense of maturity and intelligence. No she did not lie about her age….she just wasn’t up front with me. It would be another four weeks, when we began to discuss the possibility of meeting in person, that she told me her age. At first I was annoyed with her…I felt duped, but then I foolishly ignored my better judgment and continued to communicate with her.

It would be a week later, on the eve of when we were to meet, as I began driving to North Dakota from Muncie Indiana, that I realized, with so much at stake personally, just how silly and stupid I was behaving. I pulled off the highway and called her cell phone with the intention of calling off our plans to meet. Instead though I was greeted by what turned out to be her parents and ended up having a very short and unpleasant conversation with them. I could tell by the tone in their voices that they were upset and frightened…even hostile; and rightfully so since their little girl had given out personal information to a stranger, exploited herself sexually over the internet and deceived everyone, and all from the sanctity of their own home. Without hesitation I distanced myself, assuring them that they and their daughter would never hear from me again; no need to further condemn myself over a situation that I never originally intended on getting involved in. I was sure that this would quill all questions regarding this matter.

Unfortunately this would not be the case; a precious little princess was out of control and someone was going to be held accountable. Unknown to me, a warrant was out for my arrest and three months later on March 6^th 2006 I was besieged by some of Muncie’s finest as I walked out of the public library. I was pat down, read my rights, arrested and taken to the police station where I was then shackled to the floor in a room no larger than a broom closet and questioned for several hours before I realized just how bad this situation was getting. Based on what I knew I had nothing to hide and gave up my Miranda rights in order to cooperate with the detectives. To me I thought this was best since what actually happened was nothing criminal…Careless and foolish yes, but I did not have intensions to lure and take advantage of a minor. Unfortunately I was not aware of the severity that the charges against me carried, as well the career points such a case creates for Police, Prosecutors and Politicians. That very evening I made the six and ten o’clock news and became front page headlines in the local paper. Tried and fried before I obtained an attorney. When they say, “anything you say can and will be used against you…” they are not kidding! Hard lesson learned!!

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One month after my arrest I was extradited to Fargo N.D. There I plead not guilty, hired an attorney – since a mountain was being made out of a mole hill – and prepared to defend that there was never any criminal intent on my part to support the charges of Luring a Minor By Use Of An Electronic Device, and Use Of A Minor In A Sexual Performance. But such a defense would never come to light, as matters went from a simple misunderstanding, to bad, to worse, when a Federal Prosecutor expressed interest in taking the case from the State Prosecutor. [If anyone is unaware of how the Federal Judiciary process works…it’s much more mandated and severe compared to State.] Within the snap of a finger I was looking at the possibility of having to face a mandatory trial by jury in Federal Court. My main concern over this matter was in sentencing. Under federal sentencing guidelines I would face – if found guilty – a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison without the option for parole. In state, the two charges pending against me carried a combined total sentence of “up to” 15 years. And given certain specifics involved in the case, i.e. my cooperation, no prior criminal history, and the fact that I never meet the girl, if I was found guilty it was likely that I would receive a light sentence. What blew my hair back was the mandatory minimum of 20 years, even though I was a “first time non-violent offender”, who did not kiss, fondle, or have sexual intercourse with the girl I was being questioned over. In fact I didn’t even come with in 900 miles of her. Bottom line…murderers do less than 20 years.

In the end it would be a plea deal of 8 years (5 suspended to probation), arranged by the States Prosecutor vs. a trial in federal court that I would have to decide on. And when society shook its scornful and shaming finger, I knew right away we would no longer know one another as equals; fear and loathing had created a great divide- one of social ignorance and political hype. A fatal dose of ill-minded justice had been served. On October 3^rd 2006 I began my 8 year sentence.

If you are wondering why I took the deal when I felt so strongly of my innocence and was willing to defend myself in court…Well let me put it to you this way: We are living in a time where the John Walshes’ and Mark Lunsfords’ of the country are seething and out for revenge – someone was going to lose their head.

On the advice of my attorney – who was very tactful and lucid on the seriousness and public tone surrounding any and all cases of sex offenses – I took the deal; since a trial in federal court would be like playing Russian roulette with five bullets loaded instead of one. As well, the Federal Prosecutor who was interested in taking the case had just finished putting Alfonzo Rodriguez – who had kidnapped, raped, and murdered a 21 year old woman – away for life. She was being celebrated in the local news…The Champaign wasn’t even popped when she put me in her cross hairs.

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In June of 2009 I was released from prison in North Dakota and immediately returned to my home town in Florida where I am now serving five years of probation. To say that life is a struggle does not even come close to putting matters into perspective. Life before I was arrested was a struggle, now it is debilitating.

During my time on probation there has never been one incident that would raise a red flag indicating that my behavior or actions to be disgruntle, combative, or menacing. Of my life, I have always strived to maintain a healthy and functional attitude. Currently I am trying to do my best in an awkward and difficult time. That being said…It has become obvious that certain terms and conditions of my probation, i.e., G.P.S. monitoring (also known as the Jessica Lunsford act), and Sex Offender Registration, (known as Megan’s Law), have well proven themselves to be unreasonable in purpose, dysfunctional by design, and bare no supportive evidence to the claims that they keep society and children safe.

The aforementioned laws have gravely undermined my efforts to maintain gainful employment and self autonomy; which in turn disables my ability to keep good financial order, and from moving forward as a healthy and contributing member of my community. To date I have been unemployed since September of 2010, after having to resign my position in a field I was highly qualified in since 1992. This is due to the terms and conditions of these unjust laws.

As well, I will never be allowed the right to vote nor own or posses a firearm legally; two rights that define every U.S. Citizen. To have these rights denied is unconstitutional and implies that I am no longer a legal U.S. citizen.

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I may have a lot to answer for, but those questions all seem tardy and pointless since the opportunity to rationally restore peace, and settle any reasonable doubts have since long passed; abandoned by a system that though we admit is not perfect – and has also been socially thrashed by ignorance and knee-jerk reactions – we would rather rest on our laurels of when we have been right than to face the challenge of when we have been wrong; opting to give up, and allow vengeance to define our quest for justice. Such a means is not justified by its ends.

Every one of us is faced with an important responsibility: How do we achieve justice without mass social destruction? Such a great moral and tactical challenge is demanding of our ingenuity, our patience and our willingness to renounce old ways, but it cannot be ignored. To do so speaks volumes of what our true intensions are and will only further perpetuate an already vicious cycle; soon everyone will ask the same question I asked myself on my first day of prison, “What am I doing in here…How did this happen?”

There are vast differences between those who plot and set out to harm others, and the person who mistakenly gets caught up in a bad situation. I’m not in anyway suggesting that accountability doesn’t apply to the latter, however, I am suggesting that we recognize the difference between the two and treat each separately. I hope we will finally learn from history: That hasty decisions – based on fear and popular politics – do not resolve our issues and revenge is not sweet; it only leads to greater problems. I hope we will once again become neighbors who, at the very least, meet at the fence to chat. I hope we will make our streets safe by being a part of them rather than assuming of them. I hope…

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Between security and freedom…I always choose freedom!

…Just the Beginning.