Sex offender status and parental rights.
In an earlier post and our weekly update, we discussed a Bill (sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book) to expand the number of offenses that would create a rebuttable presumption of dangerousness to children, to include non-contact sex offenses, such as child pornography.
It’s hard to argue that one’s “status” as a sex offender is not punitive, when it impedes your freedom to be a parent to your own children (or future children), even if they had nothing to do with your offense. It’s a scary thought that the government can one day show up at your door and remove your children for something you did decades ago. It’s something you’d only imagine happens under the most tyrannical regimes… only it’s happening here!
Last week, the Mississippi Supreme Court, in Hartley v. Watts (No. 2015-CA-00217-SCT) terminated the parental rights of a sex offender convicted in Florida (the children relocated to Mississippi) in part because of his status as a sex offender. The opinion states, “The chancellor considered the effect of Hartley’s status as a sex-offender. He found that the social, extracurricular, and other activities of the children will be impaired by Hartley’s status as a registered sex-offender and found that this was clear and convincing evidence of risk of substantial harm to the children.”
In other words – the parent’s status as a sex offender would impact his children’s social activities and the father’s ability to remain involved in their extracurricular activities – that his status would “substantially harm” the children.
To any registrant who is a parent or planning to become one; the threat of having the government come in and take away your children should terrify you!
A family member is register as a Sex offender not involving my family he is to reside were he is supposed but dc f removed my 2 daughter’s because they got word he was living in the household where he legally supposed to live
I am a mother of three children and was convicted of a sex offense with a teenage male 6 years ago I never had my parental rights taken from me but yet I have not been able to physically raise them due to laws in place against it . ultimately this has not only hurt infected me but it has hurt and infected my children. It is conflicting for them they know their mother loves them and wants to be with them and raise them but there is laws against it when trying to explain the situation to my children which are 14 12 and 11. I have explained how laws work and I have also explain how sex offenders and some most sex cases are violent and can harm children these laws are put in place to protect the children.
basically I have to get them to understand that this is not a decision of my own but it is a decision of the law and then I have to help them understand the law and I don’t know how I could do that when it doesn’t make sense for myself, at the end of telling my youngest son Joey 11 years old he said mom I can tell them you’re a good mom and you love taking care of us you would never harmed us. now my mother is unable to take care of them and they are at risk in going to the foster care system while I as a perfectly good loving mother are not allowed to live with them due to a my sex offender rules and laws. Involving children in any sex offense should be handled Case by case instead of one rule applies to all. Please help find out what I can do ! Not for me but for my children! Ty
My ex husband is a registered sexual predator; he is currently in prison for the next 5 years. We are divorced and I have custody of our daughter. My question is, does he have any parental rights to her?