This is probably a bad time to start this, since the Fiendling’s due to eat soon, but I feel like if I don’t start now, I never will. I have a free subscription to Philadelphia Magazine. It’s not the best magazine, but it’s local and free, so I enjoy it. The most recent issue had two articles that interested me. The first was about brunch spots and featured Honey’s Sit ‘n Eat, my friends’ restaurant. It had a great picture of the joint, and Jeb looked fantastic. If you’re local, go to Honey’s and eat. They use farm fresh local ingredients. They have vegan and vegetarian options. And they are kid-friendly.
The second article was called The Sex Offender Next Door and reminded me of a story I started a long time ago. The sex offender article is about two men in Cape May county affected by Megan’s Law. One, Priestley, is a pervert, a child molester, a scumbag who had several victims all under the age of 13. The second man, Elwell, is a family man, with a wife and children who had consensual sex with a girl of 16. He was a teacher, she was a student. Both men by law are required to register as sex offenders wherever they live for the rest of their lives. Priestley needs Megan’s law to control his urges. Elwell is fighting Megan’s Law. He doesn’t believe he did anything wrong.
The question is if Elwell is right. Is he the same as Priestley? Should Elwell, a man who had consentual sex with a 16 year-old girl be prohibited from living within 2500 feet of a school? Should he have to introduce himself to his neighbors as a sex offender? Should he be branded a pervert because of an ill-advised affair with a teenager?
My teacher, the man with whom I had an ill-advised affair, went to jail for two years. He spent two years in jail because he, like Elwell, showed no remorse for what was ultimately called “involuntary deviate sexual intercourse”. The sentencing judge could have let him off with probation, but did not because he insisted throughout the proceedings that because we were in love there was nothing wrong with him, a grown man, my teacher, engaging in a sexual relationship with me, a 15 year-old girl. Now his mugshot is on the Megan’s Law website. Because he’s not considered a violent sex offender only his zip code, not his entire address is listed. For the rest of his life he will be called a sex offender.
If you’re up to it, read the article at Phillymag.com. Let me know what you think.
Beth | 29-Mar-06 at 3:30 pm | Permalink
Wow. That was a heavy read, and not what I expected. To be honest, I am equally disturbed about both men.
I believe that Elwell is a threat, if only because he sees himself as so righteous, as so affected and victimized. Since he’s unable and unwilling to see the possible negative effect on A.J.’s life, then he is totally capable of choosing the same course of action in the future. The inability to take responsibility for one’s own actions means never having to be responsible at all.
mix | 29-Mar-06 at 3:42 pm | Permalink
I would agree that he is a threat, his closing statement of the article bothered me.
A teacher/coach/priest/authority figure has a responsibility to say no.
While I think he is a threat, I don’t think he is going to be snatching kids from a park. There probably should be some more built in to Megans law to segment offenders more accuratly, and I am not so sure counties should be changing the law - maybe it should be a state and federal thing.
Either was he commited a crime. He could have made another choice. He didn’t. That has consequenses.