A big problem with the Megan's Law website and the label of "sex offender" is that it could mean a whole slew of things. Some people deemed "sex offenders" are violent rapists. In some states, though, you can be deemed a "sex offender" for mooning a school bus. In Georgia right now, Genarlow Wilson is serving a 10-year jail sentence for having non-forced oral sex with his 15 year old girlfriend when he was 17 years old. When he gets out of jail, he will have to register as a sex offender and be listed as such for the rest of his life. Therein lies another problem with the term: States vary wildly in their laws. While Wilson did not break Pennsylvania law, he did break Georgia law. Were the Penn employees who were listed as sex offenders the violent rapists or the ones who had sex with their 15 year old girlfriends when they were 17? I'm not jumping to conclusions either way, just pointing out a huge problem with having such a broad umbrella term.

Good point, student. Another sad fact is that Mittman was hardly the kind of offender to worry about himself.

Congratulations to Stephen Morse, on ruining another bunch of innocent lives? Who will be the next target of his useless and angry ranting? Orphaned kids? Endangered animals? One can only hope that some day, in a far off place, Morse does something that will merit the kind of ridiculous scrutiny that he so often subjects others to.

how exactly is there a "big problem with the Megan's Law website" in that the label of "sex offender" could mean "a whole slew of things", when the website tells you exactly what the person is on there for??? i just checked out PA's, CA's, and NJ's Megan's Law websites and they all tell you what the crime is, some even giving the victim's sex and age? it may be a problem if a person has to check a simple yes or no box about being a sex offender, but it is CLEARLY not a "big problem with the Megan's Law website". do your homework before you post stupid shit.

[QUOTE id="0c00bdd9-5440-4fcd-8c43-6ae03a321c4e"]how exactly is there a "big problem with the Megan's Law website" in that the label of "sex offender" could mean "a whole slew of things", when the website tells you exactly what the person is on there for??? i just checked out PA's, CA's, and NJ's Megan's Law websites and they all tell you what the crime is, some even giving the victim's sex and age?[/QUOTE] Check the Georgia website. Do you see anything about the offense and the age? And while you claim that the information is on the PA site, all I see is the date of conviction and the general code of the crime.

I just ran the search for Mitman on the PA site. It lists him as having been convicted in July 2005 for "Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse." Under Pennsylvania law, the following are among the crimes considered "Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse" --Sex with someone under threat of death --Sex with someone that actually results in death --Sex with a drunk person of any age --Oral sex with a drunk person of any age --Oral sex between a 20 year old and a 16 year old --Oral sex between a 14 year old and a 13 year old I don't think it's "stupid shit" to say that while all should be considered offenses, there is a HUGE difference between threatening someone's life or actually taking their life, and a 14 year old giving a blow job to a 13 year old.

Is it possible that some of these posters are child molesters themselves? There is an underground movement of molesters trying to legitimize themselves. Its current strategy is to attack Megan's law as well as to legitimize sex between adults and teenagers. Their next step is even more insidious. I suspect that Garcia and current student are part of this ill-founded conspiracy. I hope they both get caught and receive some prison justice. At least then they won't have to register as sex offenders.

[QUOTE id="373a04fb-1a41-48b6-9da3-1b8477115b3f"]Is it possible that some of these posters are child molesters themselves? There is an underground movement of molesters trying to legitimize themselves. Its current strategy is to attack Megan's law as well as to legitimize sex between adults and teenagers. Their next step is even more insidious. I suspect that Garcia and current student are part of this ill-founded conspiracy. I hope they both get caught and receive some prison justice. At least then they won't have to register as sex offenders.[/QUOTE] I suggest you stop being such a douchebag and not call people child molesters because you lost an argument. You're posting here furthers no debate.

If you check with the DP, they will confirm that I am a current student at Penn. Quite the contrary to being a child molester, I am actually a survivor of sexual abuse/assault. As a result, I've become hypervigilant of potential rape, and I want to remember the faces of people who are in my area who have violently assaulted women before and who could target me next. I don't care about some guy who mooned a school bus. When everyone shows up on the Megan's Law website, here's what happens: You type in your zip code, and up pop lots of hits. The really violent offenders are diluted among all the other faces and names, and hence when you see this guy walking down the street the face doesn't ring alarm bells. Contrast this to the situation in which you type in your zip code, and out pops this one guy who is a really violent offender. Just one name, one face. If this guy is in front of my building, I will notice. I'm not opposed to the idea of the Megan's Law website and have used it myself to try to learn the faces of violent offenders in the area. But the situation I described above is what happened, with so many faces and no details beyond a vague "child molestation" which could mean anything from forcible rape at gunpoint to a 17 year old getting a blow job from a 15 year old. (Genarlow Wilson was charged with child molestation.) There isn't even an option on most states' websites to search by victim characteristics. In order for the Megan's Law website to be effective, it has to be able to tell you who is in your area who could really hurt YOU, and not the people who skinny dipped (which, if you're in Colorado, qualifies you as a sex offender).

This is a good example of the hypocrisy of society. These people served their time. They paid their debt to society. Yet when they leave jail, most doors are closed to them and it's nearly impossible to find gainful employment. It's little wonder recidivism is so high.

I agree with Mr. Garcia. I note that the newspaper mentioned that Megan's law was NOT a factor in the termination of employment. Megan's law is a tool that is used for harassment -- even though it is a felony to do so. If we think that the general public needs information on sex offenders, why not have websites for all people who have be convicted of felonies? The recidivism rate among the general criminal population is higher than among sex offenders. More people are killed or harmed every year by drunk drivers. Why not have a website for persons convicted of DUI? The neighbors could monitor the people and keep them from committing another crime. This reminds me of the former Soviet Union. Is this what we want in America?

Mr. Garcia and Friend of Penn should hire these sex offenders or recommend them for employment where members of their families work.

first of all, I didn't post the Chester Molester nonsense, nor did i assume (or even give a shit) anything about whatever your student status is. The question marks referred more to a "what are you smoking" sentiment. Secondly, while your point is valid that there are variable meanings for "involuntary deviate sexual intercourse", your original accusation of the Megan's Law website, if you go back and re-read your post, is that it does not make distinctions between violent rapists and people who are "mooning a school bus", which it actually does. and finally, i'm not sure what resources you used for your to "research" your postings, but i am using the sex offender registry listings,some specifically called "Megan's Law", some not, but all on the official state government websites, and all mandated by Megan's Law. Both PA and Georgia have a very conspicuous designation of the type of crime committed for most, if not all offenders. So i restate my assessment that your are, in fact, wrong on almost every account. good day to you sir.

[QUOTE id="ed7a69e6-efb8-44a1-9bc4-5d91f073ffa8"]Mr. Garcia and Friend of Penn should hire these sex offenders or recommend them for employment where members of their families work.[/QUOTE] I am a female graduate student in the department from which one of these employees was recently removed. The individual in question was a good, decent, hard working man. I never once felt threatened by his presence, even when I knew that he was listed on the sex offender registry. Since you mention families, know that my mother, who is fiercely protective of me, was aware of his status. She herself said that anyone who has served their time and is trying to move on with their life and do an honest day's work just like everyone else should be given another chance. The crime listed for this man is ambiguous and not worthy of a life sentence of discrimination, which is what he has received due to this witch hunt. And since you stated that those who suggest tolerance in this situation should recommend these men for employment where their families work...I would give this specific individual a recommendation any day!

Current Student (without the ??) is right. Even the definitions of sex crimes vary from state to state. The definition of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse that was mentioned is the PA statue, but the definition differs from state to state. So just because you see it on the website does not mean that what the person did is the same in Georgia, for example, is the same as what the person in PA did. You can see that the PA definition that involuntary deviate sexual intercourse includes a variety of things and you only need one of them to be convicted. Also in some states, if you are convicted of that crime because you had oral sex (which is considered to be deviate) with a minor, even if only one time (which was the case with Mitman) you are considered a violent sexual predator without even having an evaluation. Current student is also right about the lumping together and "watering down" of people who have committed crimes. Rather than life time registration, each case should be reviewed and judged based on the situation. Some people may need to be watched over long periods of time, others should not. As I mentioned in my original e-mail, I believe that Megan's Law Websites, while they seem like a good idea, are just ways to harass. IF you truly believe that this type of information is necessary for public safety, then all convicted felons and persons convicted of DUI should be on websites. The recidivism rate of among the general criminal population (robbery, larceny, drug dealing, etc) is higher than that of sex offenders. AND more people get harmed or killed each year by drunk drivers than sex offenders. One other point to make is that a large portion of people who are sexually abused are abused by family members. In many of those cases, families won't press charges and those people, who ARE potential threats to the community are NOT on websites. For the record, I am not a sex offender, just a friend of Penn.