Friday, April 22, 2005

Worries, Part 2

I spent some time last night poring over that list. I pulled up the Connecticut General Assembly's website to search the actual statutes to find out what these people were charged with. There really should be more information, shouldn't there? I found that even pulling up the actual statute isn't necessarily going to tell you what the charge was. For example, read the following which is CGS 53a-73a:
Sec. 53a-73a. Sexual assault in the fourth degree: Class A misdemeanor or class D felony. (a) A person is guilty of sexual assault in the fourth degree when: (1) Such person intentionally subjects another person to sexual contact who is (A) under fifteen years of age, or (B) mentally defective or mentally incapacitated to the extent that such other person is unable to consent to such sexual contact, or (C) physically helpless, or (D) less than eighteen years old and the actor is such other person's guardian or otherwise responsible for the general supervision of such other person's welfare, or (E) in custody of law or detained in a hospital or other institution and the actor has supervisory or disciplinary authority over such other person; or (2) such person subjects another person to sexual contact without such other person's consent; or (3) such person engages in sexual contact with an animal or dead body; or (4) such person is a psychotherapist and subjects another person to sexual contact who is (A) a patient of the actor and the sexual contact occurs during the psychotherapy session, or (B) a patient or former patient of the actor and such patient or former patient is emotionally dependent upon the actor, or (C) a patient or former patient of the actor and the sexual contact occurs by means of therapeutic deception; or (5) such person subjects another person to sexual contact and accomplishes the sexual contact by means of false representation that the sexual contact is for a bona fide medical purpose by a health care professional; or (6) such person is a school employee and subjects another person to sexual contact who is a student enrolled in a school in which the actor works or a school under the jurisdiction of the local or regional board of education which employs the actor; or (7) such person is a coach in an athletic activity or a person who provides intensive, ongoing instruction and subjects another person to sexual contact who is a recipient of coaching or instruction from the actor and (A) is a secondary school student and receives such coaching or instruction in a secondary school setting, or (B) is under eighteen years of age; or (8) such person subjects another person to sexual contact and (A) the actor is twenty years of age or older and stands in a position of power, authority or supervision over such other person by virtue of the actor's professional, legal, occupational or volunteer status and such other person's participation in a program or activity, and (B) such other person is under eighteen years of age.

About as clear as mud, right? So basically, a person charged with this could have done anything from coercing a person into having sex with him/her by telling the victim that it was for medical purposes to having relations with a sheep! These websites that list these registered offenders really need to give more specific information, in my opinion. Not that I condone any of this behavior, but if a guy decides to get a little too friendly with the barnyard animals, I wouldn't exactly consider that person to be a threat to my child...at least, not in the same sense as a person who actually targeted children. I don't understand how these people can be grouped together... It doesn't make any sense. Or maybe I'm just too thorough?

This afternoon I will be signing the contract with our daycare of choice. Fortunately, I didn't see anybody on this list that's affiliated with the daycare center (which means maybe they actually do perform the background checks that they claim to). Another checkmark, although this is one I wish I didn't have to do.

1 comment:

~Tanya~ said...

I saw that post on FF too. I hate to admit but I am one of those who is too trusting. I used to beleive those kind of things don't happen in my little town. The past few years have taught me how times have changed, sad!