So this opinion is allowed, but not mine.

😑

There are numerous circumstances in which individuals may find themselves registered without the presence of a victim.

The fact they were on school grounds or anywhere in public gives credence to the sentence.
In private the argument is ok to be made.

FAC should take down this article

I was 21, she was within a month of turning 16, which I did not know until the detective informed me. Her and I met at a rave club designed for 18 and over through a mutual couple. As for the other guys, I’m not sure of their ages, and didn’t know them personally and only knew of the existence through court documents, a statement on record by the parents, and my attorney stating that there are others that abused her. As far as where she is now or how she is doing, I am not sure. There was and I assume a no victim contact stipulation in place. I will definitely not negate that it was absolutely a crime or that I was living a VERY risky life at the time. If anything, it grounded me and showed me that I was not invincible, which I thought I was at that period of life. It probably saved my life to be honest, but in 2000, the registry was nowhere near as restrictive or invasive. I was told even by the judge that at 20 years of living a clean productive life that I could be removed from the registry. I was sentenced to 5 years probation, early termination of 3, with old adjudication of guilt, restitution to the state, and to pay a portion for any counseling that she were to take, which she never did. I have wondered though about the impact of my actions on her. Having children of my own, which I have custody of, one out of 5 of which I have sole custody of, I have a full view of the protections and decisions that are required of a parent, and we talk ALOT about the impact of decisions that they make and the dangers posed to some of those decisions. I use my experience, both the good and bad, to teach them. I actually am one that stands on both sides of the registry.

I would love to reply to you, but one of the moderators has some form of cognitive dissonance to information in my comments and has been censoring me for nearly 2 weeks. The only comment they’ve allowed to be posted is the complaint about censorship. All information relevant to whatever is the article content.

They are not helping the cause at all! They are not allowing me to have a voice and to share my own opinions and factual information, sourced in the comment.

They are making me feel like my voice doesn’t count, my opinions are being negated, the information is being kept from all of you because they have some form of mental impairment and it definitely isn’t lending itself to making me want to help this cause in which my son has been imprisoned since 2012.

Shame on people who censor! Shame on people who negate the opinions and voices of those they might not agree with which is tragic hypocrisy.

The final arbiter, the judge, has the final say over the matter and usually won’t go against what the system has done in the end to save their own legal souls for the future. This is one wrinkle in the system that needs to be ironed out but never will be because the system doesn’t want it and won’t allow it.

How old were you and her and the rest of the guys? Do you see her ever in 2026 and how has it affected her life?

A child cannot fully understand the impact of sexual abuse or how deeply it will affect their life in the years ahead. They don’t have the emotional or cognitive maturity to grasp what has happened to them, let alone make decisions about prosecution or long‑term consequences. That’s why the responsibility to protect them must always fall on adults, the legal system, and society as a whole.

The punishment for these crimes must fit the severity of the harm. Sexual crimes against children are among the most devastating offenses imaginable, and people should already know — without question — that such acts are unacceptable. This is not 1926; it is 2026, and the reality is that child sexual abuse remains far too common in America. It continues to damage the lives of young boys and girls every single day. Protecting our vulnerable children must always come first, above anything else.

As someone who experienced sexual assault as a child, I can say from lived experience that it destroys your sense of safety, your self‑esteem, and your innocence in one moment. It changes the way you see yourself and the world. Many children who are abused also repeat the behaviors they were exposed to, not because they choose to, but because trauma rewires their development. This creates cycles of harm that ripple through families and communities.

Children often don’t want to prosecute their abusers because they are confused, scared, manipulated, or emotionally attached — a dynamic similar to Stockholm Syndrome, which is common among victims of sexual abuse. Their reluctance is not a sign of consent or understanding; it is a sign of trauma. That’s why the justice system must intervene on their behalf, even when they cannot speak for themselves.

I understand your pain as a Black man living in America — a country that has repeatedly treated our existence as a threat instead of a birthright. From the moment we’re born, we inherit a struggle we never asked for. We grow up knowing that simply being Black can make us a target: profiled, feared, punished, and judged before we ever speak a word.

We’ve watched Black men be shot in the back while running away, punished with lifelong felonies that follow them even after they’ve rebuilt their lives, and treated as criminals even when they’ve done everything right. We’ve seen how quickly suspicion attaches itself to our skin, how easily society decides we’re dangerous or guilty without evidence. It’s exhausting, dehumanizing, retaliatory, biased, racist, classist, and deeply unfair.

Our history in this country is marked by violence, discrimination, and systemic injustice — from racial terror and lynchings to biased policing, unequal sentencing, and the constant pressure of being seen as “less than.” Even today, the weight of racism shows up in everyday life: in the way we’re watched, questioned, doubted, and denied opportunities that others receive without a second thought.

So, when I speak about my own situation, I know it doesn’t compare to the generational burden you carry. You didn’t make a mistake — your skin was never a crime — yet you’ve been forced to pay for it every single day. That reality speaks volumes about the systems we live under.

Even though I don’t agree with certain lifelong punishments placed on people who have changed their lives, I accept that my situation is something I must navigate. But your struggle is different — it’s not the result of a choice, but of a society that has repeatedly failed to protect and uplift Black people.

Your message is powerful, and your truth deserves to be heard. I wish you strength, peace, and protection as you continue moving through a world that hasn’t always shown you the humanity you deserve.