I agree to much of what is stated here. I also believe that the “Plea Bargain” phased of any these types of charges is where many registrants are wronged. All they hear from prosecutors is that they will serve 30-years of their life in jail if they do not sign the “deal” which includes registration. All sex related “Plea Deals” that require registration should be reexamined – particularly those that are first-offense and/or that do not involve someone under 17. That where the rethinking of sex offense registration should begin in the prosecutors office – where most of the biased is fed.

Not saying the law isn’t absurd when applied to EVERY situation. But… Ignorantia juris non excusat. The age of consent in IL is 17. To be safe, just wait until they are 18.

Logical fallacy. Wesley Alan Dodd was a serial killer. Not comparable to incestuous acts upon a 6-year-old by someone “under 18,”, public urination or a 19-year-old having sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend. Moreover, the fact is, the recidivism rate for sex offenders is 5.3%. So, if you are looking for justification, and are going to carry around that broad brush while doing it, I’m afraid you won’t get very far. Sex offender registration laws have had as much affect on sex crime as the death penalty has had on murder. It’s what happens when you attempt to paint everyone with the same brush.

Q: When is society going to stop doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.

I certainly remember being 14, 15, and 16-years-old, and I wasn’t chasing after 10-year-old girls. Romeo & Juliet is a whole other animal. A 45-year-old with a 16-year-old is a horse of a different color, and I am not referring to the age difference. She had to know that age is a factor where the law is concerned. Ignorantia juris non excusat.

Consider this… One of the “perks” of being in a position of power is having the ability to make things like this and others to disappear, or to reduce penalties to a mere slap on the wrist, for themselves or for those in their family. And those with real power are essentially considered “untouchable”.

Are we not all sex offenders? Think about that for a minute, While Galen gave a pretty good example of how it is today, the sex offender reaches far back than that Here is a blog from a pastor friend of mind….http://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2015/11/we-are-all-sex-offenders.html

Yea change needs to come in all this sex registry stuff. Lets face it we are all sinners
but at the same time is not authority’s doing right or wrong.

Now I’m no authority on Rom.13 but I do know God doesn’t abuse. We should all learn to love one another and love thy neighbor.

If I were your brother, I would not have agreed to do even as much as 1 day of the dreaded probation after having to serve a 10 yr prison stint. Probation adds to the problems after prison, it doesn’t help anyone (convict, “victim” or society). It’s a waste of our tax paying dollars to the states. They can’t fix the roads or better the school systems because they have to pay a bunch of buffoons to tell you what you can and cannot do for a duration of time. Then when it’s over you can do whatever you want.

If you have to do ANY amount of prison time, that should be it! None of this “probation” nonsense.