t cue dramatic music
As the child of a convicted pedophile, with whom I lived a lone for many years, the offender registry is an issue that just makes me shake my head. Granted, it was a long time ago and systems have changed, but it was pretty easy for my father to skip the list by moving around a few times. Unless there is someone in authority bent on tracking a particular perp, follow up is not a high priority.
I haven't read anything about omnis' neighborhood, but I'm guessing the concentration was identified by a neighbor or other interested party, vs authorities making an announcement. Is that right?
As for clustering, I can't imagine that being anything other than opportunistic vis a vis availability of minors. Pedophiles don't generally form clubs or work together. So a confluence is only more dangerous by virtue of the law of averages, rather than any extra strength evil.
As for having paid their debt to society? Man, my liberal heart wants to think this is possible and my practical experience says...once a threat, always a threat.
It's probably a much too deep or tangential conversation to have here, but, rather than focusing on what to do with offenders after the fact, I would so love it if this country did something about prevention. But that would mean giving up our habits of repression in conjunction with the marketing of sex.
And also, one of the reasons I do the work I do...though I don't specialize in abuse...is to help people let go in the aftermath. I consider my mental health the greatest victory I could ever have over my torturer. Sure, I dreamt of killing him...more than you probably want to hear about...but the fact is, his slow, excruciating demise was so much more miserable than anything I could have devised for him myself.
He didn't take anything away from me that I don't give up myself. Bruises heal, trauma can heal. Strength of will need never die.
My biggest problem is that I have seen that particular enemy and he IS us...to paraphrase Walt Kelly. I read that story in the NYTimes a few years ago about 'prostitots' being dressed like Britney Spears. I saw those photos of 2 and 3 year olds dressed in sexualized outfits and literally threw up. The problem isn't just with offenders...
Don't get me wrong, I don't advocate dressing kids in potato sacks as a safety measure. It wouldn't work anyway. Whatever we make pruient and unapproachably desireable, we make more attractive to fragile minds. And yet, we still buy the magazines, tart up our tots and then become outraged when what we are afraid of comes to pass.
Sigh.
t /quit dramatic music