When I was a kid I grew up on a dead end street. Most of my friends in the neighborhood lived down the street and we were always going back and forth to each others houses. There was never a fear of being out after dark but the rule was when the street lights came on it was time to go home unless previous arrangements were made. Even on those occasions there was still no reason to fear being out in the dark walking home. What happened to those days? It is no longer safe for a child to walk alone on a street anywhere.
I just posted an article about little 7 year old Somer Renee Thompson being found dead in a landfill in Georgia after she had been missing since Monday. She was on her way home from school walking with her twin brother and older sister when an argument prompted her to run ahead of her siblings towards home. That was the last time anyone seen her alive.
Now thanks to one of our readers I am reading about yet another child disappearing off the face of the earth causing her family great grief of worry.
Nine year old Elizabeth Olten was walking home when she left a friends home around 6:15 pm only a quarter of a mile from her home. She was last seen walking along Route D near St. Martins, Missouri near the intersection with US 50.Elizabeth is a student at Pioneer Trail Elementary in Apache Flats. She knows the area but according to neighbors she wouldn’t have just wandered off alone. Family member says she was afraid of the wooded areas and the dark so she wouldn’t be out there at night.
The family notified the police around 7 pm when Elizabeth didn’t show up at home. A search began the nearby yards, fields, and ditches using flashlights. Later on a Missouri Highway Patrol helicopter equipped with infra-red equipment to search the area. There is a pond located in the area that is being searched also.
Elizabeth is described as having long brown hair and was last seen wearing a pink sweater and white shoes. Anyone with any information that could help find Elizabeth please contact the sheriff department by calling 573-634-9160.
In the meantime by prayers will be with Elizabeth praying she is safe and will return home soon. God bless her and her family.
Jan Barrett
(11 votes, average: 3.73 out of 5)
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74 users commented in " Another Child Missing - When Will This Stop? "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI know what you are saying, Jan. I grew up in a small town. We used to go back and forth between friends houses, sleep out in the back yard under the stars, go sledding way back in the woods. It never even entered our mind that anything more serious than a scraped knee could happen to us. It is VERY sad!
Are there more sick people who prey on kids or are they just more bold?
Jan thank you for the article.
I think the only way this will stop is that people need to start coming together again. Go out and meet your neighbors like it used to be get to know them their kids ect…. Make it your business to know what is going on in your neighborhood !
People just do not do this much anymore and it is starting to make a breeding ground for problems like this.
Laws need to be tougher on perps who hurt and murder children, there should be a one strike law and thats that.I for one do not know why we even keep the monsters alive that harm children, why should they be allowed to even breathe ? Statistics show these type of perps can not be rehabed. Almost 95% of the time they reoffened. Why should I as A taxpayer pay for these criminals to get three squares a day fo the rest of their life when they did not once think about their victim ? I say if they are proven especially by DNA to have comitted such a horrible crime with 100 % certaintity then they should get the Death Penalty first go around, no appeals no nothing ! Perhaps that may start discouarging such horrible behavior to cease or at least decline.
It should be a fedral crime period !
Such a long shot but our leaders need to wake up !! Until they do it is up to us in all to make a difference…Go out and get involved with the people who live next to you, it is at least a start !
lord have mercy i have 4 kids and it absolutely petrifies me to even let them make decisions or even ride a bike down the street they need to make sex offenders live in a community away from children they dont deserve a life it is getting so hard to raise kids cause we have to keep a constant fear that we could send our babies to school and never see them again my heart goes out to all these families they dont deserve it and i do agree the predators who commit these crimes should have harsh punishments if you could hurt a child you are not human anyway
this is just really pissing me off.
i have been trying to get these creeps that prey on children off the streets and put back in asylums for life for 20 years..all politicians, governors, congressman, the president, etrc. amd still no help. i blame the attorneys, judges, and the like for these creeps walking the streets. why are they in any neighborhood. maybe the vigilantes, or the cia should handle this,with total immunity. they will never be cured, even with pills, so put them away forever, and housed together, on an abandoned island, with no chance of escape. are there any lobbyists willing to try this chore, and make it ,law, life or death penalty for child killing, rape, etc. no other punishments period.never put back in society. let’s hear from you, america.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of this little girl.This is a cowardly,senseless act on an innocent child.I wonder if police searched that dump for Haleigh back when she went missing?Maybe the cases are somehow connected.It seems there is a child predator/killer loose in that area.He thinks he’s stealthy but he’ll slip up,they always do!Hopefully i pray they’ll get whomevers responsible before another innocent child is killed or comes up missing.What a sick world we live in,my god!
This is BS. WTF is going on? It’s an epidemic.
My mother was born and raised in Missouri. She’s kind of in shock right now about this. She said “Missouri”? Are you serious?
These sick F&%$s need to be placed on an Island with a place like Alcatrez.
I know we’ve had missing children. But I have to wonder, is it happening more now since the Caylee case, or are we opening our eyes and being more aware of it now because of the Caylee case?
My kids get so mad at me because even though we live in the middle of nowhere and the neighbors around us everyone knows everything, I still won’t let them just walk out the door and walk down the dirt road to their friend’s house. I take them there and I pick them up, period. I tell them all the time, I’d rather them be mad at me, than have to go hunt for them because someone took them.
Nostradamus Jr., I have been asking the same question. If they just glanced over it and not looked in it if at all, we’ll never know now, because if she’s in there, she’s just bones and all evidence is gone. I’ve been looking at the map, your right, it looks like a stream of maybe someone doing this to these children. This case in a Missouri makes me wonder if it has given this sick person the idea to do the same thing.
Jan, At this point you may want to just start an article of all these cases on 1 article. From Caylee all the way to current. I’ve had 3-4 articles open all day. I’m getting lost in all this.
There’s alot that can be done,yep,a good way is to know your neighbors and neighbors watch out for each other.The main way is stop letting your kids be unsupervised,that’s number one.Then we needs laws to get rid of these predators away from us.Put them somewhere they can’t harm our children.And if a child is hurt or killed,it’s looked back on the predator’s case and the judge has let them off,sue the judge.It’s time the legal system stops giving these perverts a free pass and kids are killed.They’re let off to live in our neighborhoods,it needs to stop.
How many of these houses these kids walk pass have a predator living in them? And why are they so close to the schools? How many of these houses have good citizens living in them that watch these kids walk by daily? How many of these houses have people who turn their cheek and never pay attention when school is let out daily.
Too many people figure this, It’s not my kid, why should I have to keep an eye out for them, I don’t have kids so why should I keep an eye on them.
If people would jusy have some heart for kids and have neighborhood watches within a 5 mile radius from the schools atleast for those kids who do have to walk and for those who get dropped off by the buses, but yet still have to walk a little ways, Our kids may be saved. I live in the middle of nowhere. But I can tell you when Joe blow down the road leaves their house. I can tell you when the mail lady comes. I can tell you when Billy Bob has his weekly appointment and transportation comes to get him.
Somer’s mother was at work. I don’t know who babysits her kids and I don’t know why they don’t meet the kids at the school or why they have to walk home. But so many kids have no choice in the matter. Parents are trying to make a living, they trust who they have babysitting their kids.
Someone had to of seen what happened to this little girl. But they are choosing to turn their cheek for whatever reason, and that’s wrong.
Excuse me while I go count my blessings, hug my children and tell them I love them.
I read an article in my composition & rhetoric class that a judge in Texas made sex offenders post a sign in their yard telling the whole neighborhood what they are. I know where I live that I can just drive over to the sheriff’s office and look at a list of registered sex offenders in my county, but wouldn’t it be better to make them have a sign, kind of like a “Beware of Dog” sign? Of course they would have to be registered in the first place. I wonder how many unregistered sex offenders there are out there?
These recent cases are very sad, and as a paernt my heart breaks in a million peices for the families of these little girls. But the truth is, this is not a new problem. This is not a new “epidemic”. Children have been kidnapped and murdered for centuries. When I was young (And I’m 30), people were just starting to talk about it. It has always happened, but it never made the national news before. I’ve done research online, and there were hundreds of missing children cases in the 1970s and before. Many are unsolved. Back then, the laws were different and the media did not follow the story. To learn more about the difference between now and then, read “I Know my Name is Steven” by Steven Stainer or “Tears of Rage” by John Walsh. To fully understand and solve this crisis, one must understand the history.
Polly, Oh Boy! You may not really want to know. My father was an offender who molested more than 20 different children over a 40 yr period. He was NEVER even reported. I blame myself at times because I truely believe that those who have been sexually abused are only accountable……to thier abusers next victim. Those who have family members who abuse, remember, you are accountable to ALL those victims who you knew about but didn’t come forward to help.
Frank - I’m ready! Where do we start?
A friend once told me that he’d heard that long ago, during Biblical times, when there was a child raped/sexually molested that both the perpetrator & the victim were taken out and stoned to death. That way not only the person who committed the act would be death but so would the possibility that the child would also abuse others later in life. There is also the fact that they would no longer have to live with the pain, guilt, shame, degradation that was done to them. They are returned to thier God. Sounds pretty outrageous to kill the victim doesn’t it! Then think about the fact that 50% of abused persons WILL abuse others.
HollysGmom,
That is harsh. If my daughter was raped and then stoned to death you would have to kill me too for murdering the stoners.
There is a common thread in these child abduction cases. Caregivers thought their children were safe, but in fact they were not safe at all.
Most parents have to work to make a living. Some children ride the bus home from school, some have to walk home. Some children are left alone hours before a parent can get home from work. If an opportunist is watching they can easily seize the moment.
It’s a difficult balance sometimes. Children want to grow up and be independent. We try to protect but not overprotect.
I think we need stiffer penalties. Some may disagree with me and that’s okay, but I think child rapists and molesters need to face the death penalty. It may not stop others but it would stop the ones that are convicted.
Grown men cry in frustration and anger when children are dumped like garbage. I would hate to be the perp on the receiving end of the emotion I have seen the last few days. May God bless the REAL men.
Bringing the next two comments over for others to read.
ms.peridot19 said,
in October 23rd, 2009 at 3:48 am
i wish there was a basic fact sheet about sex predators to educate us all. something that is brief and to the point and includes where to find further information. it could be like an awareness letter of concern to pass around. we could e-mail and print it up our selves to give to everyone we know. put on the letter to please not throw out but pass it along to everyone they know. maybe even print up themselves and pass on like a chain letter. so the more people know about the problem or danger, the better the chance of changing how we deal with the predators in our society. hopefully for the better.
law shrink i thought you mentioned having info to pass out about child safety. do you know where we could get basic fact sheets on child safety, predators in our communities, and maybe a fact sheet on symptoms of child abuse. something that would be legal for us to pass around to say churches, doctors offices, hair salon’s, and/or at least to our family and friends.
it stuck in my mind, about lawshrink saying the difference between offenders and predators. maybe many of us don’t really understand who predators are.
if anyone has any ideas on how to spread info on subjects please share.
i am really tired right now, so maybe i am being just goofy, goofy, goofy. if so i apologize.
SolveCrimes said,
in October 23rd, 2009 at 5:55 am
ms.peridot19,
You could be onto something. Not goofy at all. I was thinking about that myself. The problem is so many parents think they are doing the best they can. They do need our help. It is not like the good ole days when Dad went to work and Mom stayed home and took care of the kids.
In some states when a couple with children file for divorce they must complete a parenting program before the divorce is granted. What if before a mother was allowed to take a baby home from the hospital she had to be given information on child safety?
The information could include things like how to find out if a sex offender lives near you, how to teach your child a code word to use in case someone tells them your mommy has sent me to pick you up, etc.
Education needs to start from day one. Then the state needs to continue from the first day of Kindergarten with continuing education each year until they graduate from high school.
It’s no guarantee, but it’s a start. We need to empower our children. Teach them early on how to recognize warning signs and defend themselves. So much can be done.
Many times in my career I have had to attend annual mandatory inservices. I think yeah, yeah, yeah what a waste of time I already know this stuff. But, I always end up learning something new.
You would be surprised how many college educated people I work with have no idea they can use the internet to find out if sex offenders live near them.
I’m in. Let’s get this project rolling.
Instead of spending so much of our time posting our theories about what these monsters have done to our children, let’s see what we can do to prevent it from happening.
All this is truly making me sick.
If they can make drunk drivers drive around with a big bright license plate so they can be identified, they can do something to these jerks so we can identify them too.
Hey, tattoo’s are very popular these days. Why can’t we just give them a big tattoo across the forehead that says’s I am a predator?
I know it sounds like a joke, but if they insist on letting these freaks get out of prison even after being sentenced, why not? Would we be violating their rights?
This has got to stop. They have to be held accountable. It’s pure BS
Why should they have rights at all? What about the rights they yanked from these children. I feel if a man or woman does this to a child all rights should be pulled just like they did to these children when they did to them what they did. They need to make Alcatrez again and put ALL these sick $%^&&%% in there.
Why does it seem that so many children are missing or being killed in the Florida area.
Seems like an epidemic of very very sick people.
Latest Somer Thompson
Condolences To The Thompson family O:-)
I live in a small town in NJ. My husband and I often talk about how in the Summer we would be out on our bicycles all day (come home for dinner) and be out until 10 pm without a worry. Now, we don’t see kids in groups on bicycles and we keep tabs on them via cell phone if they are out. Everyone is delivered via car to school or to someones house. In recent years we’ve had brazen criminals come in the yard trying to lure children to go with them. It’s insane.
They don’t deserve to have any rights at all. Our justice system is failing us big time.
They sentence these sickos to life in prison just to let them out when it’s been proven time and time again that they cannot be rehabilitated.
I agree, Alcatraz would be a wonderful place for these sick perverts. I’m sorry, I’m having a hard time even putting a name to them. Animals can be man’s best friend, so you can’t call them that.
We have got to get some stiffer laws in place to prevent this from happening over and over again.
I’m sad that our children will never have the type of childhood we did. Those day’s are long gone.
We used to take off and Trick or Treat all over the neighborhood, just a group of kids. Not only do we have to go with them, we have to worry about someone giving them something that might hurt or kill them.
Speaking of trick or treating. We now have to set up trunk or treat with the schools ect. My husband is a soldier in the Army. He’s in Iraq until next august. Last year we went on post to the trunk or treat. I have to admit, I trust that more. They check all candy ect. before you can even set up your trunk for the event. It’s sad he have to do this.
What a great idea Paw69. Having a large family, we used to rent a local hall and have the kids (and friends)trick or treat in a parade around the room. They had fun though.
@ Stormgardner I agree with you! They should have no rights but it seems they have more rights than the victims.
The email idea is a short term goal. The long term goal is to get JCAHO involved and make it mandatory that hospitals provide new mother’s with child safety education and then the schools must educate children on child safety. Everybody is talking the talk. Let’s walk the walk. We are trying to guess who harmed the children when we do not know who the perp is. Studying cases and doing research is important but we need to take it one step further on a national level. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I am going to present this idea to Mrs. Obama and JCAHO. Hopefully they will listen and take action. We are sick and tired of seeing children abused and murdered. Our children need to be educated by professionals and we need tougher penalties for the monsters that abuse children. This blog can help. It already has. It has gotten me motivated enough to take action. It’s a huge project but it has to be done. If the DARE program is possible this is too. Educating children about sexual predators is no less important then educating them about drug awareness.
What about Oprah too? Doesn’t she work hand and hand with the Obama’s?
PAW69. That’s a GREAT idea. I’ll put her on the list.
There is so much more we can do to help protect our children and make them safer. We all need more education. If we all put our heads together and stick with this we can make a difference. We have to. We owe it to our children. Everyone has something to offer. Don’t be shy. Speak up and offer your ideas.
As sad at it is, it has to start at home.
We all know by now that the child more likely than not knows the perpetrator. They befriend us and gain our trust to get close to our children. It could be an Uncle that they love and trust. We have to first make them aware that it’s not always a stranger. That’s a difficult discussion to have with a child, but it must be done. None of us want to believe we have a family member that would do such a horrendous thing, but it happens every day. Too bad there’s not a manual for that.
Then we need to move on to the stranger discussion.
I agree with SolveCrimes.
Paw, the Oprah idea is great also. She could be a great advocate
Obama has young kids. So he would greatly understand and would move forward to make this happen. Oprah has such a loud voice when it comes to serious issues like this. Because we have such a young president with such young children, Now is our chance to be heard and our loud voice would be Oprah, because whether you like her or not, she has made a lot of changes and I feel due to her and her followers, that’s a huge reason Obama is our president right now.
I have always talked to my kids about family and friends and strangers. I have told them, I don’t care who it is, Your body is yours, no one has a right to touch it or abuse it no matter who they are. They know who is to pick them up. If someone else tries to pick them up, they are to scream and yell and run like hell. I always felt a child with a cell phone was outragous. But I have been seriously considering getting my kids cheap phones. Ones that can call me,their dad, home, grandparents, and 911. I see now why young kids have them.
Next we need to make sure EVERY neighborhood has a neighborhood watch. Also the buses need to pick up children that are 1/2 mile or longer.
This will help as well.
Paw, I’m so glad you said that about Oprah. I’ve always thought that she is a huge reason he is president. Some can’t think for themselves and Oprah is like God for some.
Either way, it doesn’t matter as long as they can help. She does have a loud voice and makes sure it’s heard.
I’d love to talk more. May try and get back later. I’m finding myself on here at times I should be working. This has really gotten to me. It would be easy just to not listen to the news and think it will never happen to anyone I know. Well, we all know that is not true. Whether it depresses me or not. We all have to pull together and try and do something.
You are a great bunch of caring people here.
Bless all of you
I think my last post got eaten lol.
I agree with so many of you, there were things that happened to me as a child, ex. in first grade a man tried to get me in his car while i was waiting in line for my mom to pick me up from school. Mom didn’t care where i went after school to friends house ect… we lived right beside the school so i walked to school and played on the play grounds alot after school.Once an older boy decided he wanted to do more than just play, i was in 3rd grade then. later… my stepfather… later when i stayed with my grandmother… a deacon of the church my grandmother allowed him to take me for walks to get me out of her hair. YES it happened back then but I new better than to talk about it.
I have an 18 year old daughter that I have protected from all the things I went through as a child. When she was growing up nshe never understood WHY she wasn’t allowed to ride her bike with her friends, go play at others houses girls houses, she wasn’t allowed to spend the night with friends, i didn’t let her go for walks in the woods. She was very sheltered and NOW SHE UNDERSTANDS WHY! She is aware of all the missing children and my heart goes out to all these families. I could have very easily been one of those children when i was younger. My Prayers are with you all and especially to those of you who work endless hours to find them
KK
stormgardner, PAW69, KK,
I agree with so much you have said. Many of us here on this blog are proactive and the kind of people who have taught our children early on to be on guard and learn how to be protect themselves. But, the truth of the matter is some people feel like it would be taboo to talk to their children about sex offenders. That is why professionals need to be involved. That is why I believe it should become the nations responsibility to get involved.
If we empower our children through education, not only will they learn how to protect themselves, they will learn how to protect each other.
Keep the ideas coming. Imagine if Oprah and John Walsh got together on this. That would be two voices heard loud and clear, far and wide.
SO’s are getting bolder. Sommer ran up ahead and was “snatched” before her siblings caught up with her. That’s a pretty short window of opportunity there.
1.PASS LAWS THAT CATCH UP WITH THE TIMES.
2.I LIKE THE ONE STRIKE YOUR OUT LAW THAT SOMEONE SUGGESTED. IF YOU HARM OR INJURE A CHILD PUBLICLY HANG THEM IN THE TOWN SQUARE LIKE IN THE OLD DAYS. DON’T WASTE TAX PAYER MONIES WITH PRIVLEDGES.
3.EDUCATE CHILDREN AND PARENTS ON HOW TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN SAFE.(TRUST ON ONE)
4.HAVE CHILDRENS SERVICE WORKERS MORE EDUCATED AND FOLLOW UP ON NEW MOTHERS(DEPRESSION NEW MOTHERS BLUES)
CHECK OUT LIVING CONDITIONS THOUGHLY!
5.EDUCATE DOCTORS MORE TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF ABUSE AND CALL SOCIAL SERVICES IMMEDIATELY
(GENITAL HERPES PRESENT ON A FEMALE CHILD IS SIGNS OF SEXUAL ABUSE,NOT TO MENTION BRUISES)
6.JUDGES NEED TO THOUGHLY CHECK OUT HOMES THAT THEY PLACE CHILDREN IN BEFORE THEY JUST STICK THEM SOMEWHERE AND MAKE SURE SEX OFFENDERS AREN’T LIVING IN THE HOME.
7.EDUCATE TEACHERS TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF ABUSE
8.KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS
9.ACTUALLY TAKE THE TIME TO READ THE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY IN YOUR AREA
10.DON’T LET YOUR CHILDREN WALK\BIKE RIDE WITH OUT AN A PARENT
11.REPORT ABUSE OR PARENTS YOU SEE HITTING CHILDREN IN PUBLIC OR IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT MIGHT BE NOTHING (BUT YOU MIGHT SAVE A CHILDS LIFE)
12. KNOW WHERE YOU CHILDREN ARE AT ALL TIMES AND WHO THEY ARE WITH
13.TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE DANGERS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM AND WHAT TO DO IF THEY FEEL THEY ARE IN DANGER (STRANGER DANGER)
14.TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO TRUST THEIR INSTINCTS AND HAVE A PLAN OF WHAT TO DO]
15.GIVE THEM A CELL PHONE TEACH THEM HOW TO USE IT
PARENTS BE HYPERVIGILANT!
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED!
MONSTERS ARE OUT THERE AND THEY ARE BOLDER,BRAVER AND JUST AS VICIOUS.
PAW69 said,in October 22nd, 2009 at 5:04 pm How many of these houses these kids walk pass have a predator living in them? And why are they so close to the schools? How many of these houses have good citizens living in them that watch these kids walk by daily? How many of these houses have people who turn their cheek and never pay attention when school is let out daily.
You are so right about this. I check the sex offender web site often (I live in Missouri) because we have access to pictures/addresses,etc. We live less than 1/2 mile from an elementary school and the rule is the perps have to live something like 4 or 500 ft. There is one living literally 10 ft. over the minimum…it scares the hell out of me. Kids walk by his house every day and he lives right behind my neighbor who has 2 little kids (2 year old girl and 8 year old boy). Just because some dipshit landlord didn’t do his background checks, now we live in fear that this guy will strike again! We shouldn’t have to live like this!!
Don’t know if its been posted here yet. My quick scan says no.
They have found her body in the woods where her cell phone signal was last received. Aparently an “older juvenile” who is also a “person of interest” led authorities to the body.
OMG Brad. Oh my, no I haven’t heard anything about this poor child yet until now. WOW!
This is so sad.
This has got to stop!!!
I agree with you too Jan. There is just too much children going missing this year. And yeah, When will this stop?
Yeah, Brad you are right. I just read the article on Elizabeth’s body being found in the woods. This is just too sad!
By the way, I am not Cara or Madelyn Gosselin. I am just a fan.
Whether or not a child molester, rapist, and/or killer can or cannot be rehabilitated does not interest me. Isn’t the crime itself ENOUGH to warrant life in prison without parole? It is to me.
The Moral fiber of our country is going down the drain fast. These acts on the innocent will continue i fear. our beloved country is becomming the new killing fields. I am not a sky is falling kind of person, but just read the news.
m2c, Yes absolutely once is enough!!! In most cases by the time they are caught and convicted for that ONE time they have gotten away with it many times. Me and all of the females cousins in my family were raped or molested, some of them for years. Not one of the perverts were even charged for their crime. One of the uncles in the family raped MANY different people, he is in his 70’s now and has never been charged. So I totally think if someone is found guilty ONE time that is enough to warrant them to NEVER get released.
OK, let me get this straight. The kill the sex offender train that most folks seem hell bent on jumping on has left the station. Elizabeth Otten and Somer Thompson were not abducted by a sex offender (although Thompson is still pending, but all the offenders they interviewed, not one was considered a “person of interest”).
While I agree that the murder of a child by anyone should be punishable by death, most sex offenders are not plotting to abduct your kids. This is a case of massive fear mongering. I have a sex offender in my neighborhood. My kids know not to go by there and they are supervised while outside by myself or my wife.
I was a victim of a sex crime. It was a family member and it happened for years. A generation ago, issues like this would be dealt “in-house”. Thankfully, I got counseling to deal with the incidents and was able to live a healthy life. Many offenders were molested, and never got any help in dealing with what happened to them.
It’s easy to scream bloody murder and condemn an entire group of individuals. It’s easy, however that does not solve the problem at hand. 80 to 90 percent of sex crimes are committed by someone the victim knows (whether child or adult). Schools teachers have become the 21st century version of priests (not all teachers, but there has been a massive uptick in crimes of this nature by educators). In the end, the best thing any parent can do is educate your child. Spot the signs of grooming, etc.
Lots of folks will state that “sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated”, and I don’t believe that. There are some that are truly lost causes. Those folks should be in prison for the remainder of their lives.
The sex offender registry is bogged down with way too many individuals whom are not a threat to re-offend. It is time to ask our politicians to make the registry for repeat and/or violent sex offenders. Those offenders are statistically known to be at a higher risk to re-offend. One of my classmates is on the registry (at 19, he had consensual sex with a 14 year old - although technically a minor cannot give consent). Now, at 39 he has not committed another crime, not even a speeding ticket in that time, yet he labors on a registry. A thorough review of the registry is a must. By cleaning up the registry, law enforcement can truly have the tool needed to ensure the most dangerous offenders/predators are constantly monitored and kept in check to ensure they are not committing another crime against another human being.
May these girls rest in peace, may the perpetrators be brought to justice and I hope and pray one day we can live in a world where this never happens to another child.
Also, and I feel the most important thing is that every victim and perpetrator of a sex crime receive extensive counseling (either paid for by the perpetrator or the state can provide assistance for those victims). This way, the probability that the victim may become a victimizer is reduced substantially. For the perpetrator, he or she can receive the help in regards to correcting the unhealthy behaviors.
We got tough on drugs in the 70’s and 80’s and the “war on drugs” was born. Almost 30 years later, can anyone tell me if that war has been won? How many countless billions of dollars did this country flush down the toilet in thinking they could solve the problem.
Sex crime laws are heading down that road, and if you talk with any expert that deals with these individuals, the laws don’t work. Law enforcement will tell you the same. It’s too broad for it to be effective. The media has a field day in sensationalizing sex crimes.
Nancy Grace has made a career of it.
Barring premeditated murder, I feel everyone should have the opportunity to get a second chance. That is my opinion and many may disagree with it and that is fine. I am not a liberal or a conservative. I am a human being capable of being able to see both sides of a topic and come up with an opinion, based on facts, not hype or spin, etc.
Thankfully, we are still in a country where we have that ability. I hope that folks can truly understand the issue from both sides before espousing the death of all folks that have committed a sex crime. One day, it could be your friend, a family member, someone close to you. Will your hatred be as intense then? Will you wish them death as some here have had an easy time doing?
I look forward to seeing some of the replies to these posts and look forward to some good, polite and courteous discussions.
test, I don’t think anyone said to kill all sex offenders. I also think a teenager having consensual sex should be a totally different charge. However, what I said was someone who raped or molested a child should be locked up for life. I also agree that the victim makers were probably victims themselves once. I am sorry for that but it is in no way justification to do the same to someone else.
Great posts here.
Laws and education must keep up with the times. Forty years ago internet sex crimes and sexting did not exist but now it does.
My daughter is fifteen. A great kid. I asked her this evening if her school had ever done anything to teach her about child safety. How to avoid sex offenders and such. She said well the only thing I can remember is in Kindergarten our teachers telling us not to take candy from strangers. She said you know mom, I can talk to you about anything. It made me so happy to hear her say this.
I agree sex offenders have become much more bold. Just to tell a child not to take candy from a stranger is not good enough.
I refuse to sit back and not do something.
Must go for now. My family needs me. But I will be back. Keep the ideas coming.
This is so scary really a child responsible for one murder. and another girl found in a dumpster @ a landfill my god what kind of place do we live in i wont even let my 6 year old ride the bus any more i take her to school and walk her to the door i dont even let her spend the night any where else i know she needs to learn freedom but i cant take any chamber what are we to do really? i think in every state they should keep le on the streets near school zones up until 7 i foot know tho just freaked out and hope these parents find some kind of peace
Jan, I also was able to go to the park, play sports see friend as long as I was home before dark. We live is a different society now, children can not enjoy that freedom. A parent has to be with them 24/7 so we know they are safe. There are to many sex offenders on the loose and no one to keep them in check, so children and laugh and play safely. Rest in Peace Somer, I will keep trying to get our laws changed for you and all the other children, that have been abused and murdered.
Stop the abuse and murder of the children in the U.S.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/16/stop-the-abuse-and-murder-of-the-children-in-the-us
God bless those children and their families, I pray they get the answers they need.
(treece - October 23rd, 2009 at 8:09 pm). Thank you for your reply. First off, while I don’t believe anyone posting here has mentioned to kill sex offenders, the reality is that if given the choice, that would be the answer for many (not all) folks here.
Some of the “facts” that folks have posted here are downright ignorant. 95% of sex offenders re-offend is laughable at best (see the 2nd post by Colorado). This misinformation begins to spread and once you tell a lie enough times, it becomes a fact (death panels anyone?)
While I can understand the panic that sex offenders are causing (you can thank the media and politicians for that as well) the majority are not a threat to re-offend. Every election, politicians across the land latch on to the “sex offender” as a tool to scare the poop out of folks and get elected or re-elected.
Since a child cannot consent until they are of legal age, many cases of young adults (anyone under 21) are stuck in the quagmire of the registries for decades. This effectively muddles the registry and makes it less effective in my opinion. Most folks here would agree that the bigger threat to all children would be those who used violence and/or are repeat offenders?
To truly make sex crime laws more sensible and clear to the masses, I believe that the following should be done:
1. States and/or the federal government need to take control of these laws and not allow individual cities, municipalities, etc. to craft their own legislation. Too many laws, overlapping, confusing to both those who committed the crimes and law enforcement that has to keep up with the changing laws at an ever furious pace.
2. Young adults (those under the age of 21) who committed a sex crime (that was not violent in nature) and the victim being 12 years of age or older (in Florida, it is a capital crime to have sex with a minor under the age of 12, so I am using that as the measuring stick) should after completing their sentence (prison, probation, etc.) be given the opportunity to have their records expunged (with the caveat that they can not work with children directly - day cares and schools). My friend who has a sex crime in his record, can hope to apply for removal from the registry in 2025 (if they don’t change the laws by then). At that point, he will be 55 when (and if) he can be removed.
3. Those who decide to take the life of a child (whether it be a sex crime or not) should either spend the rest of their natural lives in prison with no possibility of parole, or executed (if found guilty) for the crime in question. There should be no exceptions here.
4. Those men and women who are repeat offenders or chose to use violence in their crime, should be required to register for life.
5. Adult sex offenders should have to register as well, but the residency restrictions (can’t live by a school, day care, etc.) should be rescinded.
6. The 3 tier system proposed in SORNA and the AWA should be 5 tiers. Something like this:
Tier 1: offenders who have completed their sentence and have been deemed a low risk to re-offend in the future. These folks are off the registry and should have the opportunity to re-integrate into society.
Tier 2: offenders who are currently under supervision (registration and/or probation, parole) who are at low-risk to re-offend. Registration is once every year for 5 years.
Tier 3: offenders who are currently under supervision (registration and/or probation, parole) who are at medium-risk to re-offend. Registration is once every 6 months for 15 years.
Tier 4: offenders who are currently under supervision (registration and/or probation, parole) who are at high-risk to re-offend. Registration every 3 months for 25 years.
Tier 5: predators (repeat offenders / violent offenders) who are currently under supervision (registration and/or probation, parole) who are at the highest risk to re-offend. Registration every month for life.
There are no perfect answers, but we need to start somewhere. If everyone can set aside personal feelings (believe me, I have) and look at the issue, there is a way to ensure public safety and at the same time seek to help the children that have suffered through crimes like this (therapy) and the offenders as well, perhaps our next generation will be safer. One can only hope…
Why would Somer dady say he was afraid something like this might happend to Somer? Him and Somer mother are divorced?
Linda, I answered your earlier question on the article about Somer. The father lives in N.C. He and the mother are either separated or divorced. I don’t know why he’d say he was afraid something like this would happen. It could be that he knew the kids had a long walk to school and was concerned. Or it’s part of a custody issue or he wants to get the family back together again. I don’t know. But he also said he hopes to bring the children back to NC with him after the funeral where he “thinks they’ll be safer.”
Please see the article at: http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/thompson-29065-girl-members.html
Many years ago the schools used to have afternoon care for working mothers. To bad they still do not do that so kids are not walking home alone. This could stop prediators from abducting children and killing them.
And Pat, it’s really a great solution! The school has the facilities. A room or area for each age of child. But then the appropriate “caregivers” for each age are required etc etc. It comes down to money I’ll bet. It would cost a lot I guess. But what price our children? I always thought they were priceless! (Oh, and schools are always afraid of being sued by parents nowadays too)
It would work but like you said it is the money. They had all the kids together and they did there home work, had there own play area, I remember a friend of mine went there. I walked home and let my self in our apt, until my brother came home as both of our parents worked at the time. But things were so different then. They half to figure out something to keep the kids safe, there is to much of this every day.
I really can not blame the Mom, she did what she could and did check on the kids each day. I half to give her credit she was not on welfare she held down a full time job.
I am so upset — Geraldo Rivera just BLAMED Somer’s mother for her murder!!! He said that people wouldn’t even let a poodle walk that far — OMG — the bus won’t pick them up and her mother worked — FOX news needs to fire Geraldo immediately!!! I have never seen anything so disgusting!!
Geraldo should hav been summarily shot for treason in Iraq long ago. IMO Maybe now Somer’s mom can sue him so she’d have the money to hire someone to walk the kids to school. Or maybe even enough money to not have to work so much so she can walk them.
BTW - Geraldo is spewing the estranged father’s point of view. Surprise, surprise (Not)
The audacity of Geraldo! Somer was with a group of children until she ran ahead. Geraldo needs to put the blame where it belongs and that is the person who snatched Somer from wherever and murdered her!
Geraldo is too tabloid for me!
Hi, m2c! I do not know what all of the initials mean in the computer world. I know LOL means Laugh out Loud but what does BTW mean? Educate me! Thanks, m2c!
Hi, Justice! I’m not too “with it” with the shorthand/initials either but I think BTW means “by the way.”
Yes, I’m hoping Geraldo finds himself at the bottom of a latrine full of xxxx for that comment. How many single parents are out there, barely making ends meet, who try to take good care of their children with NO help from the community (or other parent) etc?? Every child who walks from a bus stop to their home is in danger too! And I guess Geraldo thinks those parents would be responsible too.
Would someone please just get him off the air. He’s disgusting.
I think we should all complain to Fox. He is soooo out of line. I think he should be banned from ever mentioning Somer again.
m2c (11:16 am):
I agree with your comment.
Thanks for the info…..BTW! I’ve seen it before, including other sites, and could not figure it out! BTW….I learned something from you today!
What just kills me is that people like Geraldo have a NATIONAL audience and COULD suggest things like neighbors banding together to help walk children to school etc. Give people ideas and get them excited about doing something to help prevent things like this from happening. But instead they (like Geraldo) spew accusations and innuendoes and lies.
What a waste of airspace - and Geraldo is just a waste of space himself.
You know what Geraldo’s comment sounds like to me. I just thought of it. Remember Marie Antoinette of France? She was so far removed from reality and particularly the reality of the people who were literally starving in the streets that when she was told the people had no bread she said, “Well, then let them eat cake!”
They chopped off her head. (Guillotine).
Guillotine Geraldo! (Let’s start a movement! LOL!)
Ok folks, while I have been “gone” I have been interviewing people who know Jax very well and have lived there for more than a year. Of the 3 I spoke with ALL 3 of them stated that Gano Ave is NOT a street they would let a child walk down even with other children accompaning. What was the answer? After school day care. I’m sure since she was a a single mom in FLa and since she couldn’t have earned that much that they would qualify for after school care for FREE. There could have been a car pool with neighbors, what I’m getting at is this. Per 3 different sources, that area of town, those particular streets are full of drug dealer types. It is a rough neighborhood and ANYONE who’s lived there knows it’s very dangerous and NOT a place to allow kids to roam for 2 HOURS without calling a COP. OK! Give Geraldo some slack, he might just have a point! Unless you live there or know someone who does, you don’t know what it’s like, you don’t know what Mrs Thompson or her live-in boyfriend while still married are like.
give me some slack
Give Geraldo some slack? Ok. Several minutes after the noose is really tight, I’ll see to it! LOL!
Geraldo has a national tv program which he COULD use to educate people and provide information and tips and ideas for child safety instead of blasting a newly bereaved mother (whether it’s justified or not). He’s a narcissist of the worst kind. A publicity and ratings hound! Who should be hounded out of the business and back to the sewer where he belongs.
m2c, I agree Geraldo is cruel & cold blooded. I expect him to get behind Somers bio dad & work up a custody situation for him AIR & invade Somer’s private life even more.
I think it’s past time im 26 i work with infants and i hope to god i never see any of their faces on tv becasue thier missin my heart would shatter and not only that the majority of my little ones have older sibilngs and after i heard this story along with previous i would absoulty never let any child in my care no matter how old and smart walk alone i just am not willing to have anything happen to them.
This is America and these things shouldn’t keep happening day after day it needs to stop and it’s sad but now we really need to know who our kids friends and family members are and it may come down to if they want to play with a friend you don’t know them well then they will have to come to our house or only play when them at school and it shouldn’t have to be this way but if parents aren’t going to keep a close eye on their children i don’t care how old they are then i would never be able to let a child go even if they get mad cause aleast they will be safe unitl we fix this broken society and throw these peeps away who are taking are loved ones and never let them out.
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