Florida Citizen (2)

I am the mother of a 25 year old young man who is unable to contribute to society because of a sentence he was given for a crime he committed when he was 15 years old.

The Event
One evening, my son, 15 years old at the time, was babysitting a friend’s daughter who was under 12. During the course of the evening, he removed her clothes and kissed her private parts. He was totally clothed and no penetration was involved.

The Sentencing
When the parents found out (several months after the event), they understandably pressed charges. Even though my son was a juvenile at the time of the offense and of the hearing, he was charged as an adult. He was sentenced as a Sexual Predator to 2 years house arrest followed by 20 years probation. In addition, he is required to register every 3 months for the rest of his life.

The Consequences
Because our home was 960 feet (just 40 feet shy of the required 1000 feet) from an after-school martial arts program, my son was forced to move into a motel in a high-crime area of town until I was finally able to find him a condo meeting the 1000 ft rule.

His Achievements
While on house arrest, my son completed his high school education and graduated as Valedictorian. He then went to the University of South Florida and, while on probation, earned his Bachelor of Computer Science and Master of Computer Science, both with highest honors. In addition, he worked part time at the University during his last three years as a student.

During this time, he completed a sexual offender treatment program and has acquired the skills necessary to be aware of and avoid compromising situations so as not to re-offend. In December 2009, we went to court and the judge terminated his probation early because of the tremendous effort my son made while being in school and on probation and the remorse he expressed about what he had done.

In May 2010, my son graduated with his Master of Business Administration. Since his graduation, he has not been able to secure employment due to his criminal record. In fact, he was offered an excellent position in his field but, after he told his perspective employer about his background, the offer was rescinded. He was also rejected for two other very promising jobs after he told them about his criminal record.

My Request
My son wants (and needs) to be self-supporting, use the talents he has, and become a productive member of society.

I am asking that you examine his case and, if at all possible, remove this debilitating stigma from his record so that he can achieve his goals. I believe everyone makes mistakes and, if truly repentant, deserves a second chance. I hope that you agree. Thank you for any assistance and guidance you can provide.