Man Falsely Branded As Sex Offender

4-22-2005 Florida:

Dispute Started When Man Reported Neighbor For Peering Into His Windows

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A local man says he's been wrongly branded a sex offender in his own neighborhood.

Someone's posting sex offender fliers outside his house, but he's not the man on the flier and he's not a sex offender, WESH 2 News reported.

“It's been difficult, believe me,” said James F. Turner.

Pat and James Turner have been through a lot. Eight years ago, they survived a near fatal car accident. Four years ago, James Turner, a former Marine, had a golf ball-sized aneurysm burst in his brain.

“And none of that is as devastating as this is,” said his wife, Pat.

A flier started circulating in their neighborhood this month. Someone wrote that a registered sex offender from Maitland might now be living at the Turners' west Orlando address. Response was immediate.

“My grandkids were outside and they come in the house crying because no one wants to play with them. The neighbors give me dirty looks,” James Turner said.

Who would do this? Neighbor Marlene Morton admits she did. It started when the Turners reported Morton to authorities for peeking in their windows. Soon after, Morton says James Turner's "strange behavior" led her to check the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's sex offender database.

Admitted sex offender harassed during court hearing

5-4-2007 New Mexico:

FARMINGTON — An 18-year-old Aztec man who admitted to having sex with a 4-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy in December 2004 was harassed by a family member of one of the victims during a Wednesday hearing, according to his attorney, Emet Rudolfo.

Rudolfo said his client, Mitchell Martin, began crying after he was verbally attacked.

"There was an outburst, and someone said, I'm going to kill you,'" the attorney said. "Mitchell Martin started crying. When you see him, he's really timid. These other guys who were at the hearing looked tough and were threatening him. He started crying and didn't look back."

Rudolfo said he can understand the family's concern, adding he has two children of his own.

"It would break my heart and anger me if they were ever molested," he said. "But Mitchell has gone through hell himself as a kid. It doesn't justify what he did, but if that cycle's ever going to break, there needs to be some understanding to let him receive treatment."

Martin previously pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree felony criminal sexual penetration following allegations he raped two young children who were staying at his mother's Embarcadero apartment in Aztec on separate occasions.

The male victim, who was 4 years old when sexually abused, told San Juan County Sheriff's Office deputies that Martin forced him to engage in sexual acts while the two were watching pornographic movies in the teen's bedroom, court documents state.

Martin was also criminally charged following allegations he raped a 4-year-old girl on several occasions, while his teenaged friend twice watched the illicit acts, court documents state.

The victim later told police she never reported the incident because Martin said her mother would "get really mad at her" if she found out about the sexual acts. The girl further alleged that Martin also made her watch pornographic movies.

When police first interviewed Martin about the allegations Jan. 10, he denied the incidents. Eventually, he told officers, "Fine, I did it. Get me some help. I can't remember anything."

Martin's Wednesday court appearance was the teen's first since being ordered to undergo a 15-day evaluation at the Youth Development Diagnostic Center in Albuquerque to determine whether treatment at a juvenile facility would benefit him.

The hearing was continued because defense and prosecuting attorneys do not yet have a copy of the evaluation report, according to Assistant District Attorney Marguerite Carr.

Although District Judge Sandra Price has not yet scheduled a hearing date to determine whether Martin will be sentenced as an adult or as a juvenile, Carr said the judge tentatively set another hearing for May 23.

During that hearing, the judge will determine whether to sentence Martin as a juvenile or as an adult, and also may decide whether to send the teen to jail, prison or a treatment center, Carr said.

Martin could be sentenced as a juvenile because he was 15 years old when the two sexual offenses occurred. If sentenced as a juvenile, he will be released from a state facility in less than two and a half years when he turns 21.

However, if he is sentenced as an adult, he faces at least 30 years in prison. ..more.. by Rhys Saunders

Sex Offender Park

4-30-2007 California:

This new park in Sylmar will not only be a haven for kids, but could actually force sex offenders who live in this motel down the block out.

"They shouldn't be in motels with children walking around here. They should not be here."

There are at least eight sex offenders in the motel behind me. Some are placed here by the state; all of them here legally -- at least for now. But just down the block community members have built a park and once it officially opens, some of the sex offenders will be forced to move out.

People like Tomas Torres, convicted of lewd acts on a child. He could be forced to move because by law, some sex offenders can't live within a half-mile of a park.

Claudio Rodriguez is president of the Tessera Homeowners Association. They donated the land for the park. Rodriguez says at first some people actually were apprehensive.

"What was the fear that the park would do?" "Draw them closer. Some people are ruthless and everybody feared for kids. What would happen? Would my kids be stolen by somebody?"

Last year residents banded together and protested the placement of the sex offenders in another hotel in Sylmar. So it's no secret they're here.

But Rodriguez says it's just a coincidence that the building of the park could force them to move.

"Yeah that would be a plus but we still have to watch our kids." "I know there are a lot of sex offenders here."

The manager of the motel didn't want to comment.

The sex offenders weren't home or wouldn't open the doors when I tried to talk with them.

But other communities are looking at doing the same thing. Building a park that would beautify the scenery as well as the safety of their neighborhood. ..more.. by David Goldstein

See also: Board of Recreation Park and Commissioners report.