Florida Senator Lauren Book, the state’s most vocal proponent for harsh sex offender restrictions, has made some interesting comments lately.
In a feature she wrote for Social Miami about children wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID, she wrote that “stranger danger” is usually not a factor in child abductions or sexual assaults. While most laws restrict those required to register from living or even coming near places like schools and playgrounds, it’s curious that Sen. Book would now write, “Kids are virtually never grabbed off the street and pulled into an unmarked van.” Isn’t that precisely the scenario that these exclusion zones are intended to prevent?!?
In July, she was interviewed for a Florida Daily story on the dangers of Social Media Platform “Tik Tok”. There she was quoted as saying, “The reality is that 95 percent of sexual abuse is preventable through education and awareness” WOW! Don’t you think that if 95% of sexual abuse is preventable we should invest more money and other resources into prevention rather than punishment and focus on efforts that will prevent 95% of new sexual abuse victims rather than focusing on forever punishing individuals who offended decades ago?
Sex offender laws play into parents worst nightmare… that their child will become the next Jacob Wetterling or Adam Walsh. The laws are intended to prevent the types of cases that (as Lauren Book concedes) are not usually a factor when it comes to the overwhelming majority of sexual offenses against children. Most victims are like Sen. Book herself, where the perpetrator was a caregiver or had a preexisting relationship with the child. Not a stranger and in almost all cases, not someone on the registry!
We believe that current sex offender laws and policies are misguided and that we should focus on prevention rather than punishment. We believe the laws are misguided because they focus on the myth of “stranger danger”, the myth that offending is related to physical proximity rather than relational proximity and the myth that those on this “list” are the ones committing new sex offenses. We believe that perpetually punishing someone who offended decades ago is a total waste of money and only serves to destabilize them by removing housing opportunities, employment opportunities and making it hard to successfully re-integrate into the community, thereby actually increasing their chance to re-offend. We also believe that instead of trying to forever re incarcerate people for technical violations of non-crimes, we should instead be investing in programs to stabilize former offenders, support victims and teach all children, parents and the general population to recognize, avoid, and stop abuse.
If Lauren Book means what she says, aren’t we saying the same thing?
Many times over the years we have offered to come to the table with Senator Book to discuss some of our synergies and see whether there is an opportunity to work collaboratively to meet our common goal of implementing measures that are based on empirical research and will actually reduce sexual offending and make our communities safer. As a Florida-Based group with more than 2000 members, you would think she would be willing to hear us out, but she has yet to accept the offer.
The invitation remains open, Sen. Book.
Sorry to dig up an old post, but I’d like to know just HOW Senator rhymes-with-crook came to the conclusion that “95% of sexual abuse is preventable”?
She’s never explained it. I bet if pressed for an answer, she couldn’t come up with a plausible one.
Ron probably never told her the answer to that question. I wouldn’t be surprised if he privately chastised her for saying such a thing in public, either.
How is any person on the registry time-barred? Compelled registration is every three or six months on Florida. The laws change every year, creating entirely new “contracts” that get signed at registration.
So again, how the hell is anyone on the registry time-barred?
My opinion of Ms. Book is based on her actions. She is reelected by getting sex offender laws passed that have no empirical support and she gets an even bigger paycheck from running a charity based on the same nonsense. Its all about the money.
The Books and Walsh falsely feel as though society and the world failed them. These types are the most dangerous and resemble rabid dogs that bite the closest hand. They’re terminally bitter shells of humans. Hate is the only thing that keeps them going. They exist only to lash out.
What makes their ignorance so dangerous is that in their minds, they actually believe that they’re right. They’re professional victims that have cashed in on the politics of humiliation while embracing the public sympathy for attention and validation.
Long ago, where their souls once resided, they have since been replaced hollow husks
I’d like to know where Lauren Book pulled that “95% of abuse is preventable” stat from. Not even making a wisecrack.
Did she make it up or is there a legitimate study one can point to? And how did the number come about, anyways?
Seems to me if the Senator was trying to truly protect children. Why has she not at least considered the my children are at risk because of these laws? For example. My home has been vandalized, so has my truck. My kids have been harrassed to the point that they didn’t want to go back to school. I guess mine and any other PFRs kids are not worth protecting. Its terrible what happensd to her. I get that. But what she done with her fathers influence and money has not protected any children in my home. I guess my kids will have to just suck it up and take the abuse.
Hey pariah Does Book know of these crimes that has happened to you and your family?. If not is there a way to let her know? Anyone else that has been a victim of circumstances related to the registry should let Mrs Book know now while she is saying these things that are true about “stranger danger” is a myth!. This could be a positive thing to follow up on. And we “FAC” should make her that offer that was given to her before that she didn’t want to deal with!. Just saying!!!.
I actually approached some local district law makers who were running for office in the Tampa area. I asked them if they had any idea how hard it was for anyone on the registry. They had no clue what was even required for the most part. So I politely explained it to them. They seemed sympathetic but stated its impossible for the government to sort the good from the bad so to speak so everyone gets the harshest treatment. I politely told them thats not a great answer and the next time these kind of law’s come up for a vote to remember what I told them about me and My children. I had my wife and kids with me. So they had to look us all right in the face. Im fairly certain tow of them didn’t care at all. The other two seemd genuinely shocked. So im thinking Ms. BOOK is one of the ones who don’t care.
Maybe she thinks those kids deserve to be treated bad. Apple don’t fall far from the tree start punishing them from early on an extra kick I mean it ain’t much difference than EVERYONE being treated as if we are wanting to commit the crimes who’s names these registry’s and laws are named after. That’s like saying there is a registry called Nicole Brown law and you get in a bar fight and labeled as a stalking killer just those terms together is f*****g slander!
My mind just erased everything you said, because of the next to last word ! Language will turn off people in a heart beat. If you want to be heard then use better language.
In this forum, people should be able to express themselves. We are talking among each other, we’re not in a courtroom or a legislative hearing. If a simple word is going to turn you off, that’s petty.
What’s she gonna do next – turn around and say “you know what, in the interest of protecting children and making our communities safer, these sex offenders laws are actually hurting us.” Wait, what?? Maybe Lauren Book is the answer to all our problems – but only if she’s really serious about protecting children. What if she really could be convinced of the truth….
At the end of the legislation that became the J.L.A.it calls for the Florida’s D.A. or some simular high branch office to within. 6 months or a year (So long I forget) .to do a report on the registry to see just what it has accomplished. After quite some time they came back 1 or 2
years well past the dead line of the JLA mandate and said we don’t know yet ask again later
Are you talking about the OPPAGA Report?
A quote from 2018 OPPAGA report…. “In addition, some research has shown no significant
decreases in sex crime rates following the implementation of residence restrictions. However,
residence restrictions do affect offenders who have to move or have limited housing options,
particularly in urban areas. This combination can lead to an increase in homelessness, loss of family
43 The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 authorized the establishment of the office. The office is responsible for assisting with
implementation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and for assisting criminal justice professionals across the entire spectrum
of sex offender management activities needed to ensure public safety.
23
support, and financial hardship, which are all known to be destabilizing factors. Offenders who lack
stability are more likely to reoffend.
As required by statute, OPPAGA sought input from the Florida Association for the Treatment of Sexual
Abusers for this review.44,45 FATSA does not support local residence restrictions. Its formal response
stated that the state requirement of a 1,000 foot residence restriction serves the purpose of creating
buffer zones, without unreasonably eliminating housing
options and encouraging transience.”
I feel for Lauren. She is caught between the extreme guilt and adamantine, twisted, guilt-laced opinions of her father, and the reality of what actually happened to her. Her father harms her ability to heal, forgive, and move on, to satisfy his own need to feel right about everything and not introspect at all. In reality, I feel bad for him too. The whole thing is a mess and nobody is healing. Instead, they just leverage their power to hold others down to give themselves a false sense of vindication and justice. All at the expense of many others being hurt, including past offenders, their wives, children, mothers, fathers, and loved ones.
You have hit the nail on the head. I fear that as long as Ron Book lives, Lauren will not be able to see the injustice that is taking place to thousands of registered persons. Now she has to have that guilt on her shoulders as well as her Father’s guilt. I pray that she will accept the invitation to set down with FAC to talk. It may be the exact thing she needs.
I disagree. I’m willing to bet she healed long ago (as most sex crime victims do, contrary to popular opinion) and that both Lauren and Ron are milking her victim status for everything they can get from it.
Forgot to add that in my mind, any notion that Lauren Book gives a rat’s ass about children in general was gone after her stone silence in the immediate aftermath of the Parkland High shooting a couple years ago. Most scumbag politicians race to the mikes after that sort of thing (which is not much better, of course). Not to mention the salary her stupid foundation gives her, funded in large part by the state (that her votes on those matters are somehow considered ethical; boggles the mind).
I agree with you Dustin. And NO it is not a popular opinion for the ignorant herd…..you actually do and can heal, In my case the abuse was horrific, far worse than what Senator Book experienced though no sexual overtures actions to largely innocent unsuspecting children is ok. First I was much younger than she was and I was also beaten pretty regularly by a drunk psychopath sex addict….not sure “just” a pedophile tag was sufficient…he wanted sex pretty much 24/7 365. Hid it well, had a good job, could lie with ease….moved us away from any support whatsoever…no where to go no one to call..I DID TELL …and got beaten profusely as he lied his way out of it….took me almost 5 years to run away to safety. This was in the early/mid 1960’s. We also, compared the the Books, were on the low end of the money spectrum. Did take me some years afterward to be able to function without being afraid but one thing I knew…IF I ever had kids they would never experience that as long as I could help it. Did go on to have 3 sons and they were never abused thankfully. Point is …life goes on, time goes on. I have never forgotten the horrors of my childhood but it does not consume me and I talk about it very seldom. Have always believed it was a lesson in how life should not be lived and that I was not the “only” victim, though at 8 years old I thought I was…. This was someone I knew(but did not like..I faked it) and of course was NOT A STRANGER…he was my mother’s second husband. He did not have to go looking….my sister and I were already there…..