A few years back, Tom was hanging out at a college bar.
His attention was drawn to a young lady, intent on having a great time. As she danced alone in this tiny hole of a place, she pushed her tiny tee up past her breasts--not once, not twice, but three times-- in that Girls Gone Wild way.
Tom walked over to introduce himself.
A couple of drinks later, the two left the bar and soon found themselves wrapped together in the back seat of Tom's car.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Law enforcement.
Clothes are hastily zipped and tucked. ID's are checked.
The girl's identification is a fake.
She's not 21, like Tom.
Try 15.
No matter that the young "lady" was served with a fake ID by a bartender as if she were of legal drinking age.
From that moment on, Tom's life was no longer his own.
Although adjudication was withheld regarding his charge of lewd and lascivious battery--victim 12-15 years old; F.S. 800.04 (4) (Principal)--Tom was forced to register as a sex offender.
Now 25 years old, he's employed by a family member, pumping out septic tanks.
Tom's story is an example of the tragic difference between pathological sexual predation and non-coerced sexual activity between two young people reasonably close in age.
Lifelong registration in state and national sex offender registries is profoundly damaging and is inappropriate in some instances when age of consent laws have been violated though non-coerced sexual activity between willing young people of similar ages.
Patty Wetterling's son Jacob was abducted and never found. She has this to say about persons assigned Tom's life.
"Everybody wants to out tough the next legislator. It's just anger driven, anger and fear. It just doesn't make sense. We have to treat juveniles differently. We're setting up an environment that's just not healthy."
Give Tom a fair chance at life.
Sign the petition For Rickey's Life.
Because getting tough has backfired.
