1 / 15

Predatory Sex: A White Paper

Predatory Sex: A White Paper. Mike F. Weaver, DrPH Presenter. Purpose and Background. Pedophilia- a preference for an addiction to unusual sexual practices in which children are the preferred sexual objects

loe
Download Presentation

Predatory Sex: A White Paper

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Predatory Sex:A White Paper Mike F. Weaver, DrPH Presenter

  2. Purpose and Background • Pedophilia- a preference for an addiction to unusual sexual practices in which children are the preferred sexual objects • 700,000 children reported missing in 2001; runaways, lost children, and abductions by family members • Non-family abductions become victims through sexual assault, murder or both

  3. Purpose and Background • Non-family abduction is forcibly removing or detaining a child for a relatively short period of time • In 1999, 58,200 NFAs with 59% of abductees between 15-17 years • Abductors were strangers (45%), acquaintances (21%), friends (17%) and neighbors (5%)

  4. Purpose and Background • Long-term effect of early sexualization: decreased self-esteem, bad marriages, bouts with alcoholism and drug addiction, and possibly becoming perpetrators themselves • Warning signals include: sexual acting out, behavioral/academic problems, avoidance behaviors, keeping secrets and unusual closeness to an adult

  5. Purpose of White Paper • To develop a clear-cut understanding which delineates pedophilia, a sex predator, consensual sex between teens and parental rights in the sexual activities of their children

  6. Adult-Minor & Minor-MinorSexual Relationships • Mental Abnormality- a mental condition affecting a person’s emotional or volitional capacity which predisposes the person to commit sexually violent offenses • MA “makes the person likely to engage in acts of sexual violence if not confined in a secure facility for long-term control, care and treatment.”

  7. Adult-Minor & Minor-MinorSexual Relationships • Four Penological Goals in Criminal Sentencing: • Retribution- the “debt” paid to society; • Incarceration- spending a predetermined period in a secured facility w/o civil liberties; • Incapacitation- “housing” in a facility or within a governmental agency; and • Rehabilitation- return to public with lesser risk of committing similar criminal activity.

  8. Adult-Minor & Minor-MinorSexual Relationships • South Carolina legislation for sexual offenders (predators) is civil via incapacitation and rehabilitation • Enactments for sexually violent predators is placed under Title 44 of the Official Code of South Carolina • The United States Supreme Court allows each state to develop civil commitment statutes and to define terms of medical nature that have legal significance

  9. Social Service Personnel & Attorneys’ Perspectives • Age Difference- problems in enforcing the laws consistently across perpetrators of varying ages; • Enforcement- arrests may be consistent, but prosecutions are often difficult; • Barriers to Enforcement- lack of evidence is common; • Parents- often the driving force behind investigations; • Perpetrators- may not know or misjudge age of partner; and • Victims- young girls not aware of consequences of having sexual relations with an older male.

  10. Case Law Examples • Conditions of confinement are not prescribed by the Act, …and cannot be used to determine legislative intent • Decisions on where to house the convicted within a facility rests with administration • Rehabilitation (or treatment) can extend the involuntary confinement if the convicted currently suffers from the mental abnormality and poses a threat to the public • In Florida, “vagueness” of an age criterion was declared unconstitutional by a lower court, yet the Supreme Court reversed the decision

  11. Recommendationswith current legislation • Local registry made accessible (i.e. internet) and available (i.e. newspapers) to public more often • More visible notices in State Dept. of Motor Vehicles facilities • Encourage parents or guardians to file charges on behalf of their juvenile daughter or son • Teen peer advocacy program

  12. Recommendations for future legislation (A-M) • Clearly establish age criterion sentencing for adults, i.e. those aged 18 to 20 years versus 21 and older, for those involved in sexual relations with 16- to 17-year old minors

  13. Recommendationsfor Advocacy (M-M, no Pregnancy) • Community Court Diversion Program for first time offenders- volunteer jury decides community activities • With no re-offense while still a juvenile, record can then be expunged

  14. Recommendationsfor Advocacy (M-M, w/ Pregnancy) • Community Court Diversion Program for first time offenders- volunteer jury decides vocational activities • Monies earned will offset costs to taxpayers • With a re-offense, defendant goes before trial court

  15. Funding Streams • Amber Alert System (USDHHS)- draft national standards as a proactive measure to help communities safeguard against child abductions—Compassion Capital Fund

More Related