Child Molesters

[Jezebel]

The following in a paper I handed in for my Criminal Psychology class. It is not an "easy" paper to read, as it does not demonize child molesters but attempts to understand their motives and development. With that, here is my paper. I hope you all find it interesting.

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I've removed my paper to avoid plagiarism accusations in the future :) If anyone is interested in reading it I'll pm it to you.

[ArthurDent]

First, I have to say it was a very interesting and informative reading. Good job :)

I might write more later, but in general, I also don't see child molestation as a sexualy driven (or at least not exclusively) act. There is a lot to be said about "modern" parents and the environment we and our kids live in. Not that child moslestation didn't happen in the past, but we constantly read/hear about the advantages of this or that "modern" method (Parenting mainly), and instead of decreasing, the number of molestations seems to increase each year... I am of the opinion that child molesters should be both punished severely (As I think that this message should be sent consistantly), and treated for their obvious problems.

The thing about prejudices is especially important to read, since common belief might lead us to the wrong path of trying to protect children from molestation.

[Jezebel]

Thank you Arthur. :)

I forgot to add the reference page. If anyone is interested in reading the references the majority of them can be found on the Internet. If anyone is intereested I'll post the reference list.

[Winifred]

Good job, Jezebel, thought provoking. I always like to look over resources when they are there, and would like to see your bibliography. Just finishing blasting my son for his geography bibliography, which consists solely of site addresses, no identifying info at all. Would like to see how your bibliography is set up, for two reasons, therefore! My Strunk & White is too old!

Do you know if there is any research going on attempting to validate treating emotional needs in sex offenders? I was in social work for awhile, some of this rings true in some of my old cases.

[Jezebel]

My formatting was ruined a little, but the whole paper was in APA format. Some of the online documents from EBSCOhost you won't be able to see because I got them from my school's database (the school pays for subscriptions so students don't have to). Winifred, it sounds like your son is a bit younger than this is for, but if he wants to wow his teachers he could check out citation styles here (http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/), it is a very good source and the one we give students at the writing center. Some of the following articles are completed studies, however I am not aware of current, ongoing studies (although I am sure there are quite a few).

References
Amlin, K. (2002). Chemical castration: The benefits and disadvantages intrinsic to injecting male pedophiliacs with depo-provera. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f02/web1/kamlin.html

Bogaerts, S., Vanheule, S., & Declercq, F. (2005). Recalled parental bonding, adult attachment style, and personality disorders in child molesters: A comparative study. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 16(3), 445-458. Abstract retrieved April 1, 2006, from EBSCOhost database.

Grassroots.org (n.d.). Protect Your Children Against Sex Offenders. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/protectyourchildren

Hall, G.C.N. (1996). Theory-based assessment, treatment, and prevention of sexual aggression. Retrieved April1, 2006, from http://www.mhamic.org/sources/ hall.htm

Looman, J. (1995). Sexual fantasies of child molesters. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.cpa.ca/cjbs/looman.html

Maletzky, B. (1991). Treating the sexual offender. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.mhamic.org/sources/maletzky.htm

Marshall, W. L. (2006). Olfactory aversion and directed masturbation in the modification of deviant preferences. Clinical Case Studies, 5(1), 3-14. Abstract retrieved April 1, 2006, from EBSCOhost database.

Mothers Against Sexual Predators At Large [MASPAL]. (n.d.) MASPAL solutions. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.maspal.org/solutions.html

Righthand, S. & Welch, C. (2001). Juveniles who have sexually offended: A review of the professional literature. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.ncjrs.gov/ pdffiles1/ojjdp/184739.pdf

Simons, D. A. (2003). Literature review. In Developmental risk factors for sexual offending proposal (sec. 3). Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://web.uccs.edu/ dsimons/newpage61.htm

Shaver, P. R. & Hazan, C. (1994). Attachment. In A. L. Weber & J. H. Harvey (Eds.), Perspectives on close relationships (pp. 110-129). New Jersey: Allyn & Bacon

Snyder, H. N. (2000). Sexual assault of young children as reported to law enforcement: Victim, incident, and offender characteristics. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/saycrle.pdf

Spalding, L. H. (1998). Florida’s 1997 chemical castration law: A return to the dark ages. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.law.fsu.edu/journals/lawreview/ *****s/252/spalfram.html

Wakefield, H., Rogers, M., & Underwager, R. (1990). Female sexual abusers: A theory of loss. Institute for Psychological Therapies, 2. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume2/j2_4_1.htm

Weinrott, M. R., Riggan, M. & Frothingham, S. (n.d.). Reducing deviant arousal in juvenile sex offenders using vicarious sensitization. Retrieved April 1, 2006, from http://www.northwestmedia.com/vs/report.html

[Jezebel]

I'm going to take this down in a day or so. A lot of schools have a lot of problems with plagerism and the last thing i need is to be accused of "plagerizing" my own paper :rolleyes: So, read it while you can :)

[Winifred]

Thanks for the bibliography! Why would anyone accuse you of plagiarizing your own paper? Just curious, still learning about the wonderful world of computers..

[Jezebel]

Teachers have programs where they can enter in a few lines of your paper and the program searches through the web to see if the sentence pops up somewhere. If they find it then they accuse the student of plagerism and in a lot of schools, mine included, you'll probably be kicked out of school and "blacklisted" from other schools. I probably couldn't get into any kid of trouble, but if I ever wanted to reuse my paper I would have to worry. I could eventually prove that I posted my paper, but it wouldn't be a fun process.

[mazarane]

the last thing i need is to be accused of "plagerizing" my own paper :rolleyes: So, read it while you can :)

That would be quite tragic.... Thanks for posting it- it was a very interesting read. I've often felt that such people tend to be demonized with too little thought, so I much appreciated the chance to read your more in-depth approach- even if it does raise many more questions!

[Maduro_Scotty]

A good read, as far as I understand it, that is the one segment of the correctional system that is the hardest to correct or fix. Rates of recidivism and jail after early arrest and possible treatment are pretty high. I don't know how it is for some of our foreign members, but in the states, some offenders are released into the community again and have to check in with local law enforcement. This means next to practically nothing as they can drive to another county or relocate with ease. There are websites for any state patrol's website where you can look up the addresses, pictures, and a short reference for offenders. Not only are they offenders, but they are level 3 offenders who are most likely to reoffend, but whom for some reason, we can't lock up and throw away the key. :mad:

[Jezebel]

Maduro Scotty, actually a lot of what you said there contributes to their high recidivism rates. They are hounded and demonized by society. Even if they wanted to change, they're labeled a "sicko sex offender" and told by society that they can't ever change. They're permanently rejected by society; why should they change? What motive do they have? Oftentimes, an offender is in treatment and they're getting a lot better, but then some neighbor looks their name and address up and starts a neighborhood "strike" against them. This is basically like locating a recovering alcoholic in your neighborhood and organizing the whole neighborhood to walk up to his door drop off a bunch of bottles of alcohol and say "you're always going to be a drunk". I wasn't able to go into a large level of detail about this (we had a page limit), one of the biggest reasons sex offenders reoffend at such high rates is because of society's biases and response. Robbers, murderers, drug dealers no other offender needs to register on a national list, just sex offenders. The public doesn't want them to stop offending. The public does everything in its power to make sure sex offenders reoffend. Given a better society would these offenders really reoffend at such high rates? It is highly unlikely.

[oceanflower]

Maduro Scotty, actually a lot of what you said there contributes to their high recidivism rates. They are hounded and demonized by society. Even if they wanted to change, they're labeled a "sicko sex offender" and told by society that they can't ever change. They're permanently rejected by society; why should they change? What motive do they have? Oftentimes, an offender is in treatment and they're getting a lot better, but then some neighbor looks their name and address up and starts a neighborhood "strike" against them. This is basically like locating a recovering alcoholic in your neighborhood and organizing the whole neighborhood to walk up to his door drop off a bunch of bottles of alcohol and say "you're always going to be a drunk". I wasn't able to go into a large level of detail about this (we had a page limit), one of the biggest reasons sex offenders reoffend at such high rates is because of society's biases and response. Robbers, murderers, drug dealers no other offender needs to register on a national list, just sex offenders. The public doesn't want them to stop offending. The public does everything in its power to make sure sex offenders reoffend. Given a better society would these offenders really reoffend at such high rates? It is highly unlikely.


The public cannot be blamed for the high recidivism rates. Recidivism is just as high high amongst offenders who are unknow in their own communities. There are drugs such a Depoprovera whic, when taken, curb the impulses of thes sexual offenders. Why do so many stop taking these medications? The naeighbors aren't witholding the pills, surely. Even though sex-offeners names are listed on the internet, very few communites are aware of the danger in their midst. One sees this again and again on the news when these sex offenders are re-arrestested...no onehad any idea. The blame needs to be placed squarely on the pedophile's shoulder's, not blamed on citizens who have every right to be afraid of these childmolesters. The statistics support their fears.

[oceanflower]

(From www.foxnews.com (http://www.foxnews.com))

Molesters Often Strike Again

Saturday , April 16, 2005

By Catherine Donaldson-Evans

http://www.foxnews.com/images/foxnews_story.gif

Jessica Lunsford (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27Jessica%20Lunsford%27%2 9;)) and Jetseta Gage (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27Jetseta%20Gage%27%29;)) : two young girls recently kidnapped, molested and killed, allegedly by convicted, registered sex offenders who had served time and were back in the community.

Criminologists say it’s all too frequent that the perpetrator in such cases is a pathological sexual predator, as is true of Jessica’s alleged killer in Florida, John Evander Couey (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27John%20Evander%20Couey% 27%29;)), and Roger Paul Bentley (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27Roger%20Paul%20Bentley% 27%29;)), who Iowa police say murdered Jetseta.

“It happens all the time,” said Louis B. Schlesinger, a forensic psychologist specializing in criminal behavior and sex crimes at John J. College of Criminal Justice (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27John%20J.%20College%20o f%20Criminal%20Justice%27%29;)) in New York. “The dangerous ones have a high recidivism rate.”

According to data from the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27National%20Crime%20Info rmation%20Center%27%29;)), there are 381,967 entries for sex offenders in the NCIC Sex Offender Registration File — though not all states require sex offenders to be registered in the same way and some offenders are entered into the database for more than one state.

The Jessica Lunsford case so outraged her Florida community that a state representative, Charles Dean, said he’s introducing a bill called the "Jessica Lunsford Act" that would, among other things, require convicted sex offenders to wear electronic tracking devices.

“It’s a matter of us doing the job right. We need to find the loopholes, find the cracks,” Dean told FOX News.

The reason many convicted sex offenders go out and molest more children, say sociologists and criminologists, is similar to why alcoholics continue to drink.

“Their sexual preference is for children. They have a compulsion to molest children,” said Keith F. Durkin, a criminologist at Ohio Northern University (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27Ohio%20Northern%20Unive rsity%27%29;)) and an expert in the study of pedophilia. “Many, if not all, will molest children until the day they die. They’re dangerous and they’re going to reoffend.”

But there aren’t accurate numbers about the rate of recidivism among child molesters, since many of their repeat offenses go unreported.

Not only are they almost certain to continue sexually abusing children, but some eventually kill their young victims — more often than not for the purpose of keeping them quiet.

“Usually it’s to cover up the crime so the victim won’t say who he is,” Schlesinger said.

Nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford was snatched from her bedroom last month by a drug-addled Couey, police said. Couey was staying with relatives in a trailer just across from where Jessica lived with her father and grandparents in Citrus County (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27Citrus%20County%27%29;) ), Fla. After holding her for a few days and sexually assaulting her, police said Couey, 46, killed the little girl and buried her body only a few hundred yards from her house. The coroner ruled that Jessica died by asphyxiation.

Bentley, 37, is accused of abducting 10-year-old Jetseta from her home in Cedar Rapids (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27Cedar%20Rapids%27%29;)) , Iowa, last week and killing her. Her cause of death also was found to be asphyxiation, and authorities said there was evidence the mentally challenged girl had been molested. Bentley’s brother James Bentley, whom Jetseta’s mother dated five years ago, also allegedly sexually abused Jetseta and is in jail awaiting trial on those charges.

It’s unlikely that there’s any sort of chain reaction element to such sexual crimes against children, according to experts.

“The copycat value and the deterrent of being caught have minimal impact,” said Jeffrey Ian Ross, a criminologist at the University of Baltimore (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27University%20of%20Balti more%27%29;)). “It’s not a crime in which reason prevails.”

But a number of sex offenders do know they can’t be trusted around kids. Couey reportedly was so aware of his problem that he’d pleaded for help in the past, saying he was a danger to children because he couldn’t stop himself from sexually abusing them. That compulsion is what makes it next to impossible to “cure” chronic child molesters.

“They’re basically untreatable,” Schlesinger said. “They’re predatory, compulsive, repetitive offenders. These are very dangerous people, aroused by children. That’s part of their sexuality. It’s very, very difficult to change that.”

In spite of that reality, many still are only serving fractions of their sentences — which often are light to begin with.

“The bottom line is that almost all these offenders will get out because they don’t have any laws barring them from getting out,” Schlesinger said. “They’re allowed back in the community because the court system is following the law.”

That’s why parents and others in the community frequently are helpless to bring about any real change to prevent children from falling prey to molesters living in the area.

“The public is getting increasingly upset when this happens,” Ross said, “but they feel their hands are tied.” People can take action by writing letters to local newspapers and Congress, he said.

Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27National%20Center%20for %20Missing%20and%20Exploited%20Children%27%29;)), said the existing legislation is a good start but needs to be beefed up — especially since authorities usually must rely on the offenders themselves to notify them of who and where they are.

Megan’s Law (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27Megan%E2%80%99s%20Law%2 7%29;)) requires all 50 states to register sex offenders but leaves the details up to the individual states. The burden generally is on the offenders to register themselves and alert officials when they move. The sex offender registries (http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/states.htm) are available online and provide basic information about and photographs of those in the database.

“States should be more active in notification,” Allen told FOX News. “We think the Web sites are great, but that’s not enough. Megan’s Law ought to be strengthened in every state.”

In the meantime, he said, parents need to take advantage of the resources already available to them and talk with their children so they know where they are and who they’re with.

“Every parent needs to go to these Web sites and find out who the registered sex offenders are in their community,” Allen told FOX.

Ross believes cases such as Jessica’s and Jetseta’s could have an impact on legislation if there’s enough public reaction to elicit federal, rather than state, sponsorship of a tougher law.

He predicted that at the very least, the conditions for releasing and paroling jailed sex offenders will tighten as a result of the murders of Jessica, Jetseta and other children in similar situations.

“There may well be a strong enough backlash,” Ross said. “These kinds of cases have enormous repercussions. They tug at the heartstrings of most Americans who have children.”

But others are more skeptical that any real progress will be made in controlling the problem of convicted sex offenders committing more crimes against children.

“There will be a call for increased monitoring that will then fall by the wayside,” said university criminologist Durkin, who believes convicted child molesters should be placed in special communities just for them. “But we have to take a close look at these repetitive sex offenders as a country. When we’re putting them in the community, we’re putting children at risk.”

FOX News' Heather Nauert and Martha MacCallum contributed to this report.

[Jezebel]

The public cannot be blamed for the high recidivism rates. Recidivism is just as high high amongst offenders who are unknow in their own communities. There are drugs such a Depoprovera whic, when taken, curb the impulses of thes sexual offenders. Why do so many stop taking these medications? The naeighbors aren't witholding the pills, surely. Even though sex-offeners names are listed on the internet, very few communites are aware of the danger in their midst. One sees this again and again on the news when these sex offenders are re-arrestested...no onehad any idea. The blame needs to be placed squarely on the pedophile's shoulder's, not blamed on citizens who have every right to be afraid of these childmolesters. The statistics support their fears.
Well, what I said is one factor, but it is a large factor that is often shoved under the rug because people simply want to demonize sex offenders. Another large factor is that they are not given real treatment. The treatment sex offenders on the federal level receive is a joke, and they receive the best out of all sex offenders (state, county). As to the depo shots, the shot does not curb impulses, the shot only curbs sexual arousal. As my paper outlined, there are motivations other than sexual gratification and the depo shot will not be effective in those cases. For these men, and the sexually motivated, the side effects of the drug (whether real or imagined) are not worth it. Most sex offenders who are on this drug must also pay for it out of pocket, something that is in many cases just too costly to afford.

In addition, recidivism rates include minor parole violations such as having in their possession legal, adult pornography and urinating in public (which includes taking a "rest stop" on the side of the road). Would you consider an 18 year old senior in high school a sex offender if they had sex with a consenting 15 year old sophomore? Now, say that same 18 year old is caught with legal, adult pornography at age 19, they would be tabulated in recidivism statistics. Stats are skewed. There are many factors that contribute to reoffending and recidivism statistics, society's response is one of them.

That is also a very skewed and inaccurate article.

[Jezebel]

“Their sexual preference is for children. They have a compulsion to molest children,” said Keith F. Durkin, a criminologist at Ohio Northern University (search (http://**********:siteSearch%28%27Ohio%20Northern%20Unive rsity%27%29;)) and an expert in the study of pedophilia. “Many, if not all, will molest children until the day they die. They’re dangerous and they’re going to reoffend.”

But there aren’t accurate numbers about the rate of recidivism among child molesters, since many of their repeat offenses go unreported.

Not only are they almost certain to continue sexually abusing children, but some eventually kill their young victims — more often than not for the purpose of keeping them quiet.

........
But a number of sex offenders do know they can’t be trusted around kids. Couey reportedly was so aware of his problem that he’d pleaded for help in the past, saying he was a danger to children because he couldn’t stop himself from sexually abusing them. That compulsion is what makes it next to impossible to “cure” chronic child molesters.

“They’re basically untreatable,” Schlesinger said. “They’re predatory, compulsive, repetitive offenders. These are very dangerous people, aroused by children. That’s part of their sexuality. It’s very, very difficult to change that.”
All of this is reactionary, feed-to-the-public bs. Did you read my paper and the actual studies and real information I provided???
.........

That’s why parents and others in the community frequently are helpless to bring about any real change to prevent children from falling prey to molesters living in the area.

Parents could just not let their kids play with adult strangers or adults they don't know that well? Just a thought, parents could act like parents.

[oceanflower]

?
.........

Parents could just not let their kids play with adult strangers or adults they don't know that well? Just a thought, parents could act like parents.

In more than one case the pedophile has broken into the child'd bedroom and taken them from their beds. Should children not be able to play at the playground or ride their bikes in their own communities without being accompanied by their parents? Should they not be able to walk home from school without fear? In my upper-middle-class community a pedophile was driving around the community streets trying to snatch young children off of the sidewalk as they walked home from school with friends. These kids aren't "playing" with strangers...their being kidnapped! Please, let's not blame innocent children for "allowing" themselves to be victimized!

[Jezebel]

I didn't blame innocent children, I blamed careless parents. All cases cannot be prevented, but the vast majority of cases are not with strangers, they are with people the child and the parent knew. Should children be allowed to ride their bikes and play in the playground wihout their parents around? Of course they should be allowed, but the world isn't fairy land. Realistically, a four year old shouldn't be allowed to ride their bike around town alone, a six year old shouldn't be allowed to play on the play ground alone. That pedophle in your neighborhood should receive good treatment; it is a shame for all people involved, including him, that he has not.

[oceanflower]

I didn't blame innocent children, I blamed careless parents. All cases cannot be prevented, but the vast majority of cases are not with strangers, they are with people the child and the parent knew. Should children be allowed to ride their bikes and play in the playground wihout their parents around? Of course they should be allowed, but the world isn't fairy land. Realistically, a four year old shouldn't be allowed to ride their bike around town alone, a six year old shouldn't be allowed to play on the play ground alone. That pedophle in your neighborhood should receive good treatment; it is a shame for all people involved, including him, that he has not.

A shame? It's a shame he is not in prison where he cannot destroy the innocent lives of children. He can get help there, behind bars.

[Jezebel]

I agree, he should get help in prison, rather than in the community; however, he should still get treatment and that isn't happening- behind bars or on the outside.

[Maduro_Scotty]

Interesting discussion going on here. I'd just like to share what has really been in the news in my part of the country these days. A child molester who stands 5'1 was given probation rather than prison time as the judge felt he would be too vulnerable in prison. :mad: The article (http://www.kotatv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4950548&nav=menu411_2) goes on to provide details of criticism leveled at the judge, who undoubtedly, will have her decision appealed by the state attorney general. Even if this guy is short and vulnerable, molesters are kept away from the general population-that is common knowledge, knowledge that even a judge should be aware of.

[Jezebel]

Molesters are not kept away from the general population. They can request solitary confinement or protective custody, but they are not automatically placed into these areas. In addition, even in protective custody they are still in danger and often attempt to conceal their real crime. In most prisons sex offenders do not receive treatment until they are on probation and so, in addition to the reasons she gave, she may have preferred the offender to receive treatment, rather than waste taxpayers' dollars. Either way, "shortness" is a pretty weak reason to keep someone out of prison- whatever the crime.

[Maduro_Scotty]

A few years back, a priest who was a convicted molester was killed while in custody. I did a little digging and found a CNN transcript (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0308/25/se.01.html) where Anderson Cooper interviewed a bureau of prisons official. In it, the official stated that it's normal policy to place molesters in protective custody units.

From the interview:



COOPER: Why is it that in prison child molesters are considered the lowest of the low?

PINGEON: Well, it is the culture of the prison system. I think it's not that different from society as a whole.

There is a general revulsion towards child molesters. And that revulsion is experienced by prisoners, perhaps it's because many of them are victims of child sexual abuse themselves, and feel anger towards people who have committed that kinds of crime. Perhaps it's the similar to what the general public feels.

Okay-so they do separate them. Then why is it that they are still vulnerable in jail?


Well, the purpose of a protective custody unit is to separate the most vulnerable prisoners from the general prison population to prevent assaults and attacks of inmates on inmates.

One of the problems with the system is that it contains a mixed population because there aren't enough protective custody units in Massachusetts so that some of the prisoners on the unit are people who have committed very aggressive violent crimes, such as Mr. Druce, who is alleged to have murdered Mr. Geoghan. And others like Mr. Geoghan, are very vulnerable, elderly, defenseless, prisoners and these two people, these two types of people, are housed together on the same unit and we think that's a serious problem.

While these things have occured, they would occur more if the general population could get their hands on molesters. They are kept separate from the general population, though there are other factors as Pingeon pointed out-factors concerning age, race, and where one fits in the prison hierarchy.

[Maduro_Scotty]

Jezebel-Just curious, are you for allowing these people out in the general public as we do now under the pathetic *consequence* of probation? :o

[Jezebel]

No, I'm not. I think our prison system for all criminals is illogical and only saps tax dollars and produces more screwed-up people. I think it is necessary to remove dangerous people from the population, but give them treatment instead of simply using prison as a stagnant holding cell. As things are, criminals are sent to prison because they committed x crime. While in prison they do not work on any of the issues that led them to commit the crime, therefore the problem still remains untreated and unresolved. In addition, they are socialized into the structured, regulated lifestyle of the prison system where they learn to depend on others to take care of them. They do not have an income and they are released with minimal funds, housing, clothing, and job opportunities. Prison doesn't help people, it punishes them. Though it is natural that people want revenge, it simply doesn't work. Putting a criminal in prison and punishing them without trying to fix the problem that led to the crime is the public cutting of its nose to spite its face. These people are a huge drain on our tax dollars, and for what? For them to sit around in prison, not get any help, they aren't productive, and then we release them back into society and wonder why they reoffend? Look at society as a system. If you want that system to run smoothly, when you find a problem area should you punish it or fix it? For the greater good of society as a whole, it makes more sense to fix the problem. Now, along this "system" idea, I think the problem should be contained so it doesn't affect other areas. In the case of criminals (and child molesters then), I think they should be treated in prison (isolating the area) so they don't cause more problems to society. Our prison systems don't try to fix the problem; our systems allow the problem to fester and get worse and then they release it into society.

[oceanflower]

(from www.washingtonpost.com (http://www.washingtonpost.com))

Can Castration Be a Solution for Sex Offenders?
Man Who Mutilated Himself in Jail Thinks So, but Debate on Its Effectiveness Continues in Va., Elsewhere
By Candace Rondeaux
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 5, 2006; B01


James Jenkins wanted to end it. No more fantasies. No more molesting little girls. He knew he was the only one who could stop it; he was just waiting for the right time.

The right moment arrived one night nearly three years ago when he was alone in an Accomack County, Va., jail cell. He had spent five years in a Virginia prison for sexually molesting three young girls and another 2 1/2 years for violating his parole. The next morning, a prosecutor was going to ask a judge to commit him to a state facility for high-risk sex offenders. Jenkins could think of only one way out.

He asked a jail guard for a razor. He told the guard he wanted to look nice and cleanshaven for his court hearing the next day. The guard hesitated but handed Jenkins the blade. Jenkins walked to the shower in his cell. He bit the blade out of its plastic casing and stuffed an apple in his mouth to muffle his screams. Then he castrated himself and flushed his testicles down the jail cell toilet.

Jenkins, 63, doesn't flinch when he talks about it now. "Castration has done precisely what I wanted it to do," he said. "I have not had any sexual urges or desires in over two years. My mind is finally free of the deviant sexual fantasies I used to have about young girls."

He spoke with the clinical cool of a surgeon as he tried to explain his pedophilia during a rare interview in a guarded room of the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation, the sex offender treatment center where Jenkins was sent. The Petersburg facility is part of a new way the state is trying to keep sex offenders off the streets: Identify the most dangerous before they are released from prison and ask a judge in civil court to commit them to a treatment facility even after they have completed their sentences.

Jenkins readily admits that the prospect of being confined indefinitely partly prompted his drastic action three years ago. But he also insists he did it to prevent himself from victimizing another child.

"I'm all for castration for certain sex offenders," he said. "I think it would do a lot to prevent recidivism and the amount of money we have to spend on treatment centers like the one I'm in."

The issue is less clear to lawmakers and the public.

High-profile pedophilia cases prompted a nationwide crackdown last year. And as such shows as NBC Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" illustrate how big the problem is, public outrage has caused lawmakers in Virginia and other states to try to make castration part of the solution for high-risk sex offenders.

Eight states allow the use of drugs to castrate sex offenders, including California, Florida and Texas, where surgical castration is also an option. Castration, however, is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. In Florida, for instance, judges are required to order castration for certain repeat offenders.

Although many scientists and psychologists agree that castration can dramatically lower sexual drive, there is sharp disagreement about whether it is a cure-all. Virginia officials are not convinced.

At a hearing in Accomack last week -- the second since Jenkins was committed -- Circuit Court Judge Robert B. Cromwell Jr. said he was not ready to send Jenkins back into the community. But the judge said he was also not convinced by the state's contention that castration had done little to change Jenkins.

"There's got to be some point in time where people like Mr. Jenkins could be eligible for release," Cromwell said.

He said he would "seriously consider" Jenkins for conditional release when his case is reviewed again next year.

Cromwell applauded the state's efforts to exact tough punishment for sexual predators but said the civil commitment law, which Virginia began using three years ago, forces judges into territory typically reserved for psychologists and doctors.

Such cases, he said, place the courts at an unusual intersection between medicine and the law.

* * *

In surgical castration, the testes are removed through an incision in the scrotum. In chemical castration, drugs are injected to lower the testosterone level, which in turn reduces sex drive.

There is debate, however, over the effectiveness of castration. Although such drugs as Depo-Provera and Depo-Lupron can help control some sexual disorders, they may not control, for example, a violent serial rapist who targets adult women out of anger and a need for control. The drugs can also have serious side effects. And there is concern that castrated sex offenders might replenish their testosterone by injecting hormones purchased illegally or over the Internet.

This year, state Sen. Emmett W. Hanger Jr. (R-Augusta) floated a bill in the legislature that would have allowed sex offenders to choose to be surgically castrated in exchange for their freedom at the end of their prison sentences. Hanger withdrew the bill after questions arose about whether courts might deem castration cruel and unusual punishment. But he said the fact that sex offenders would volunteer for the procedure should allay such concerns. He hopes to introduce a revised version in the next session.

Jenkins supports Hanger's bill and said he is living proof that castration works. But experts who testified in Jenkins's hearing last week disagreed about its effectiveness.

Psychologists called by the state and Jenkins's attorney said Jenkins will be a pedophile for life. But they disagreed on whether castration, aging and sex offender treatment had reduced his sex drive enough to make him eligible for conditional release.

Mario J.P. Dennis, clinical director at the treatment center, said Jenkins had made marked progress but still needs to be confined for treatment.

"Castration does not completely erase sexual arousal or function," Dennis said. "It doesn't completely obliterate arousal, drive or the ability to commit a sex act."

Dennis Carpenter, a clinical psychologist called by the defense, disagreed. Studies have shown, he said, that castration sharply reduces the risk of repeat offenses. One Danish study suggested the rate of repeat offenses dropped from 80 percent to 2.3 percent after surgical castration.

Jenkins's "risk is low enough that he could be able to be treated in the community," Carpenter said.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Pamela A. Sargent vigorously argued that Jenkins is incurable and too dangerous to be released. "He is not ready," Sargent said. "To put him on conditional release is just too great a risk to the community."

Fred Berlin, director of the Sexual Disorders Clinic at Johns Hopkins University and a leading expert on sex offenders, said that it's an unsavory choice between indefinite confinement and voluntary castration but that castration is an effective control for some offenders.

"I think it can be helpful," said Berlin, who testified for Jenkins in 2004. "I wouldn't want to say it's a guarantee or a panacea, but there's no doubt that in sex offenders, sexual interest is greatly diminished by castration."

[oceanflower]

(continued from above)

* * *

For years, Jenkins struggled with overwhelming guilt, he said, but couldn't stop himself.

The fantasies used to run through him like a fever. At the Chincoteague water-slide park Jenkins operated in the 1980s, he couldn't keep his eyes off the bikini-clad girls, he said in the interview.

In those moments, Jenkins was the boy of summer, not the balding middle-aged man he had become. In his mind, he was still the homecoming king, the high school football star who married a cheerleader.

He later divorced but continued to think of himself as a good father and good neighbor. He was the guy all the parents trusted with their kids. But he was lonely.

"I was depressed, and I didn't have a lady friend at the time," Jenkins said.

Eventually, he found one. On Saturday nights, they'd drive around Chincoteague in his car, listening to R&B oldies. She liked the same music he did. Otis Redding. Muddy Waters. Al Green. Sometimes they'd sing their favorite song together:

"You're 16, you're beautiful and you're mine."

She wasn't even 16. She was 13, and he knew it when he molested her. But he said he didn't think of her as a girl. He just liked the feeling he got when he was with her.

"We would go out to pizza or the movies, and I felt like I was 16 years old again," Jenkins said. "There were times when I felt like she was my peer and I was her peer. It was confusing to me."

In 1989, the girl's parents reported Jenkins to Virginia authorities after her mother found letters Jenkins had written to the girl under her mattress. But the girl denied that there had been sexual contact. Authorities dropped the case.

In 1993, authorities charged Jenkins with molesting an 8-year-old girl and her 10-year-old sister in Chincoteague. Jenkins was convicted in October 1994.

He was released on parole in 1999 but two years later was behind bars again after a 10-year-old girl accused him of fondling her at a Fourth of July picnic. He couldn't stop the fantasies.

"I felt trapped, but it was my fault," Jenkins said. "It just really hit me then. I said, 'Man, you have got a problem , and nobody is going to fix it but you."

In prison, Jenkins read all about castration. He asked his prison therapist if the procedure was available but was told it was not an option. That's when he decided to do it himself.

"The day I decided to do it, I felt the need to pray for the strength and courage to do it," Jenkins said. "I prayed all day long, and a peace came over me like I'd never known before."

* * *

When he thinks about it now, he doesn't regret his decision to castrate himself. The thing he said he is most sorry about is what he did to those girls.

"I still feel guilty about my victims, and I wonder about the trauma I have caused them," Jenkins said.

But he still can't face it. When one of his victims testified in court last week, Jenkins stared into the distance while she recounted in a shaky voice the way he made her and her sister play "Mommy and Daddy."

"I remember him telling me and my sister, 'Well, you can't tell anybody because your mommy will get hurt if you do,' " she said.

Then there were the times Jenkins made her 10-year-old sister perform oral sex on him while he drove around in his van, and the time he touched them both while he gave them a bath.

All grown up and a woman now, she glanced briefly at Jenkins. Then she started to cry like a little girl.

[Rachel]

This is a very painful issue to me. I was the victim of molestation as a very tiny child, in fact by the man who raised me and an uncle. The way they play with your mind and make you the evil one, the way they terrorize you and threaten to harm anything you love, a puppy, a beloved doll(yes they are very real friends to little ones) a relative, it is evil.
I have worked with such abused children, there is no real healing only a deep scar and if things go well with you you go on and put it behind you.
I am sorry for those people who do this, I do pray for them, but the reality is from what I have seen over the years they not only do not get well they get worse and crueler and only great illness or becoming incapacitated seems to stop them. Even infants are not safe around many.
So with the facts before me of the almost zero rate of successful rehabiliation I think they need to be castrated, sorry but they lost their freedom the first time they did that heinous thing. And then I think they need to be put to work in the prison system to pay their debt to society. I like the ancient Israeli ways of having the guilty party have to pay so much either thru the monies they had or indenture until the wronged party was given something that really cost the criminal and there was then a sense of peace or justice, although I think in such cases as this the offender would have actually paid with his/her life since they had effectively destroyed that of the the child.
I think all this bleeding heart stuff has to have its proper place They have forever altered the victim's life and had no compassion for the child's cries or the fact that they were destroying forever the child's boundaries and setting them up for a really sad and unhealthy life. Some prostitutes, well many that I have had for friends and tried to help started out for this reason. A trusted adult man usually or older teen even molested them repeatedly and the child became confused as to what love was and then acted out after that-either using sex to get what they wanted from whomever or spending their lives running in their minds from the abuse so that they could not be in a relationship with any loving man. The trust was destroyed.
Taxpayers have only so much money. Indulging these people is not the answer. I am sorry if they had sad lives which contributed, but unless they are brain dead they know what they are doing is very wrong and they know because of their own devious behaviour, their sneaking about,their planning and deceptions that what they are about to do is wrong. Period.

[oceanflower]

This is a very painful issue to me. I was the victim of molestation as a very tiny child, in fact by the man who raised me and an uncle. The way they play with your mind and make you the evil one, the way they terrorize you and threaten to harm anything you love, a puppy, a beloved doll(yes they are very real friends to little ones) a relative, it is evil.
I have worked with such abused children, there is no real healing only a deep scar and if things go well with you you go on and put it behind you.
I am sorry for those people who do this, I do pray for them, but the reality is from what I have seen over the years they not only do not get well they get worse and crueler and only great illness or becoming incapacitated seems to stop them. Even infants are not safe around many.
So with the facts before me of the almost zero rate of successful rehabiliation I think they need to be castrated, sorry but they lost their freedom the first time they did that heinous thing. And then I think they need to be put to work in the prison system to pay their debt to society. I like the ancient Israeli ways of having the guilty party have to pay so much either thru the monies they had or indenture until the wronged party was given something that really cost the criminal and there was then a sense of peace or justice, although I think in such cases as this the offender would have actually paid with his/her life since they had effectively destroyed that of the the child.
I think all this bleeding heart stuff has to have its proper place They have forever altered the victim's life and had no compassion for the child's cries or the fact that they were destroying forever the child's boundaries and setting them up for a really sad and unhealthy life. Some prostitutes, well many that I have had for friends and tried to help started out for this reason. A trusted adult man usually or older teen even molested them repeatedly and the child became confused as to what love was and then acted out after that-either using sex to get what they wanted from whomever or spending their lives running in their minds from the abuse so that they could not be in a relationship with any loving man. The trust was destroyed.
Taxpayers have only so much money. Indulging these people is not the answer. I am sorry if they had sad lives which contributed, but unless they are brain dead they know what they are doing is very wrong and they know because of their own devious behaviour, their sneaking about,their planning and deceptions that what they are about to do is wrong. Period.

I'm so sorry, Rachel, that you and our fellow member Jakki (she mentioned in another thread that she'd been a victim, as well) have suffered at the hands of these monsters. I agree with everyting you've just written.

[angelhair]

This is a very painful issue to me.

So with the facts before me of the almost zero rate of successful rehabiliation I think they need to be castrated, sorry but they lost their freedom the first time they did that heinous thing.

I think all this bleeding heart stuff has to have its proper place They have forever altered the victim's life and had no compassion for the child's cries or the fact that they were destroying forever the child's boundaries and setting them up for a really sad and unhealthy life.

Taxpayers have only so much money. Indulging these people is not the answer. I am sorry if they had sad lives which contributed, but unless they are brain dead they know what they are doing is very wrong and they know because of their own devious behaviour, their sneaking about,their planning and deceptions that what they are about to do is wrong. Period.


Ditto. The only thing I will add is when this happens to adults too the pain, self hatred, inner screaming and ripping yourself apart, worthlessness and distrust is none the less. They rip your life apart to the point where you no longer recognise yourself or anything around you. Total and utter devastaion.

For me, public castration with no anaesthetic is the least they deserve.