Member Submission: What would you do?
I could really use some advice. I’ve been living in a high-crime, high-poverty neighborhood ever since I started registering, more than 20 years ago. Since my house is surrounded within a mile radius by a very large number of people required to register, I’ve expected to remain at peace regarding protesters. However, today, a little black boy, probably about 10 years old, surrounded by other younger children, knocked on my door. I didn’t answer until after a second knock and a few moments later. By then, the kid had made his way back out to my front yard. When I acknowledged him, he said to me “do you wanna suck my dick?”. I asked him what he said (I really couldn’t tell), and he repeated the question. This kid looks like a real bad boy, too. I went to get my camera so I could get a short video of him and to see whether he would repeat his question to me so that I could record. While I did, I heard something hit my car. When I got outside with my camera, he had already walked off of my property to the side of my house. I sat down on my porch, freaking out, in case he returned, since I didn’t want to escalate things. He didn’t return. Now, I’m debating whether to file a report with the police. If I don’t, I may regret it later, should the kid or someone else accuse me of anything illegal. If I do, I may attract unwanted police attention and may even look suspicious, like I’m trying to cover something up. I also expect that his parents, or even he, would retaliate, should law enforcement contact his household. I still don’t have any picture or video of him. This could be something that’s just a fluke and will not happen again. However, if I was targeted because he’s aware that I’m on the registry, I’m scared. While I’m not too worried about actually being successfully prosecuted for any crime, I am very nervous about possibly getting arrested or my house being vandalized, should the kid or his friends/parents target me as a registrant. I’m only one of the few white men in my neighborhood, and for some of my neighbors, that’s enough to dislike me. I think one of the other early-teen boys down the road may have ID’d me as a registrant several months ago, using his cell phone as he passed by my house. The kids in my hood can be generally aggressive, nasty and destructive. Any advice on what to do would really help me, thanks. It’s great to have a place like FAC to turn to when I’m scared like this.
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WOW!! I have been blessed, I have not been targeted — yet.
I am therefore weak in how to deal with this behavior. I can sympathize and know that your dilemma is real and that you face a dangerous outcome no matter your direction in causing a resolution of this situation.The first thing I say to do is to remember a smart phone has one of the most reliable and available cameras. KEEP YOUR PHONE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES.
I believe your best recourse is to talk about this with many non-registrants as you deem appropriate. Record this event in as many public and/or private posts, blogs, letters, emails, etc., as possible in order to establish dates and your beliefs about the events of the day. Bring the matter to any group that deals with sexual abuse, I believe you are a victim of this “little boy’s” sexual abuse. It helps you to have “other than” events that occurred concurrently with the described event. Record these events with the described event throughout your recordings.
Always remember to evaluate outside recommendations to future actions based on your own rating system - - I have NOT experienced your instant complaint; therefore, take my advise as well as others with a grain of salt...to coin a well used expression.God Bless, God Speed
I THINK IN THIS CASE BE BEST TO REPORT IT
b4 he lies to his so called parents and flips the script on you
cause people will take the word of a child b4 they will believe you
use your own digression
The first thing I would do would be to get one at the wireless cameras instead of in the window or somewhere where your front porch could be monitored at all times.
The second thing I will do would be to consider moving. Yes you’ve been there for a long time with no problems, however signs have changed you may be in for a continued mess there.
You should protect your self, by filling a non emergency police report , which can be done online. You eill get a case number, so you have a history. Second the cop and fdle up date tgings, this time of tear too. So, yes, your right, it not a great time. Nut, the real question is are you a target, yes, the kids where a test you need to get cameras to set them up out side your place, no harm in arming your self with proof. I live in thr same kind of neighborhood and since my release in 2003, i had to think like I was back in the military, nut, now after many years, everything is alot better. But, never let your guard down period.
This is good advise.
If you got a peep hole on your front door, I would insist you start using it and if you should happen to see the same kid or kids, I wouldn’t open the door or even respond to him. That’s a pretty scary situation and I would just keep to myself to avoid any confrontations.
First of all, super sorry this is going on for you and that you’re stuck in the place of residence. I’m assuming you’re in FL given where you’re posting this problem and given that, certainly take it with a grain of salt.
If you’ve been registering in this location for 20 years the police certainly know you and your patterns to a certain degree. Given that, I absolutely would report everything that happened. IMHO at the end of the day, while we certainly are carrying around the Scarlett letter for what seems to be the rest of our lives, we are NOT in the community to be abused by anyone.
I’m not in CO, but I had a neighbor who had an axe to grind for whatever reason with the HOA, of which I’m on the board. So she was posting signs throughout the community which were very vocally outing me and my offense. A few days after this happened I received a call from the officer I reported to on a quarterly basis checking in to make sure I was o.k. and to let me know that what she was doing was NOT o.k. and if they needed to talk to her about it they would do so.
Basically there is no upside to not reporting it as I see it. By not reporting it, it could be construed as trying to keep a secret and it could escalate meaning the first time you do report it would only be seen as the first incident vs. a pattern of behavior.
Certainly I don’t know what your relationship is like with the reporting office where you live, so I would defer to your judgement on this, but I would encourage you to report the incident.