Pastor Patti Appurlee featured in UK Story on Second Chance Sex Offenders
Most parents want their children to find a loving, happy and healthy relationship with someone who treats them respect, and Patti Appurlee believes her daughter Lexi, 25, has found a man who fits that description.
Patti describes Lexi’s boyfriend Chris, 26, as hardworking, respectful and ‘one of the best young men I’ve ever met’, and the pair are considering starting a family one day.
But Chris is also a convicted sex offender, who lives in an isolated community in Florida populated by other offenders, as strict laws prevent them from living less than 2500 feet away from places where children congregate.
At 19, Chris and his then-girlfriend of three months were sat in a car together in a park when a police officer approached and asked them for ID. It was then he says he found out the girl he was dating was only 14-years-old; he claims she hadn’t been honest with him about her age.
Chris was sentenced to two years of community control and eight years of sex offender probation, which restricts his movements for life.
Patti, Lexi and Chris all appear in new BBC Three documentary Stacey Dooley Investigates: Second Chance Sex Offenders, which sees Stacey visit Chris’s community in Florida to determine whether sex offenders deserve a second chance at life.
‘He’s a wonderful young man who deals as honourably as he can with a difficult situation. He loves Lexi enough to let her be who she is and she loves him enough to honour who he is. Isn’t that we want for all people?
‘They have one of the healthiest relationships I’ve ever seen because there’s no pretence.’.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Agree that it isn’t fair that knowledge of age isn’t an element of underage sex offenses. Don’t know about other states, but in Georgia the general provisions provide that an accused is presumed to know that his conduct is a crime absent proof to the contrary. To me, that should include knowledge of age – the state should have to show the accused knew how old the victim was and proceeded anyway.
In other words, if an accused can show he didn’t know the victim’s age or had sufficient reason to believe she was of the age of consent, that should be enough to dismiss the charge.
The article reminded me of my friend’s case in my prison lawyer days. He was 22 at the time and had sex with a 15 year old he met in a bar. Didn’t find out her age until her parents pressed charges. She even admitted at trial that she had a fake ID and lied about her age. But both the court and the prosecutor hammered that knowledge of age was immaterial, and the intent clause was only glossed over when the judge charged the jury.
The fearless public defender’s case was, in summary, “Yeah he did it. But he’s a nice guy. Go easy on him.” Sadly, his appeals were wasted by the same pd who submitted the same cookie cutter appeal always submitted and denied and never raised the intent issue. Unfortunately, his habeas window had passed by the time he brought it to me. But given the politics of the moment, I doubt he would have gotten relief that way either, despite what the law says.
Disallowing a victims dishonesty about their age as a defense and allowing judges discretion on who should be on the list would probably cut the list in half.
Women lie about their age. When they’re young they say they’re older and when they’re old they say they’re younger. Even asking for ID and seeing a very good fake still isn’t allowed as a defense. I’m sure some men lie about their age too, but men seem to be disproportionately affected by statutory rape laws.
This case is a perfect example of everything that’s wrong with our RSO System. And there are tens or hundreds of thousands of others in a position very similar to this young man’s.
This is a beautiful love story. I hope that the documentary will cover sex offenders that have committed “real sex crimes” and show how people can change but be abused for the rest of their lives and never given a second chance. This Pastor is a lovely and Godly woman for her acceptance of all and I hope that the public will listen to what she has to say and open their hearts and minds to this most critical situation. Wish this could be seen on national tv as I am not sure how many people this will reach.
It will air on BBC – in the UK.
Other countries are enlightened enough to tell the truth. Maybe one day ours will be.