Mike Tyson and Robert Kraft – Please support FAC
Like many of us, I was watching the Miami Dolphins game this past weekend and I happened to notice one of the all-time great boxers, Mike Tyson, sitting in the owner’s box next to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
For many, the image was just a shot of two celebrities enjoying a game. Albeit an unlikely duo to attend an event together, there was nothing more to it. To us, however, the pairing was a bit more curious because of the common experience of both men.
If you think back a couple of years, Patriots owner Kraft was arrested as part of a human trafficking probe in Palm Beach County (https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/22/new-england-patriots-owner-robert-kraft-charged-with-soliciting-prostitution.html). The reality is; he was allegedly getting a happy ending at a massage parlor and nobody was actually being trafficked. If you think back a few decades, G.O.A.T. boxer Tyson was convicted of a sexual offense in Indiana and remains on Florida’s Sexual Offender Registry through today (https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/sops/flyer.jsf?personId=40622).
The charges against Kraft were dropped by the prosecution in September of 2020 . The Tyson conviction was thirty years ago, before many fans of his current endeavors can even remember.
One has to wonder if Kraft didn’t have the money to afford the best legal representation, whether he would have suffered the same fate as most others who are part of these law enforcement “human trafficking” stings. Interestingly (and this is probably the most f-ed up part of the whole Orchids of Asia sting) the massage parlor employees who were the alleged “victims” of sex trafficking, including two women Kraft was accused of patronizing, plead guilty to prostitution-related charges and got fines, probation and now have a criminal record. Guess the Jupiter, Florida police department really rescued them, right?
One also has to wonder what Tyson’s life would be like if he wasn’t a wealthy celebrity. Instead of sitting in the owners box for an NFL game and staying at the luxurious Eden Roc Hotel on Miami Beach he might have been sleeping on the streets during his visit to Miami-Dade, like 28% of the registrants in that county do each night.
Please do not get me wrong. I am not by any means criticizing Mike Tyson or Robert Kraft. I have been a very long time fan of Tyson’s. He’s clearly one of the best boxers and entertainers ever and his offense happened so long ago that he definitely deserves to no longer be judged by it. I think whatever consensual act took place between Kraft and a masseuse behind closed doors should never have been prosecuted (especially in light of the fact that the “victim” was the one who got the conviction) and the police department is the true offender for hiding video cameras in rooms while people are getting massaged. In a different context that would be the bigger crime.
On the contrary, I don’t think that Mike Tyson’s flyer should stay up on the Florida Sex Offender registry. Even if he wasn’t a well known and recognizable celebrity, does a picture of him from 17 years ago and the information that he moved to Pheonix, Arizona (where, in fact, he hasn’t lived since 2009, so even the reported information isn’t useful at this time) going to be useful for any purpose other than to shame him? If not for the blatant and very original face tattoo, even his picture would be unrecognizable today. Unfortunately, a provision in 943.0435(11) precludes removal from the registry EVER if someone has a subsequent arrest, and Tyson did have some minor drug possession and DUI arrests since 1992.
Being involved in our cause, it probably only occurred to us, but I wonder if at any point during the game the two immensely successful men who have some insight into Florida’s sex offense laws, ever brought it up or considered using a small part of their fame or financial resources to help fight the registry. 99.99% of the more than 80,000 who are on the registry are not in their situation and don’t have the resources to do much to help our cause. Hope someone can get the message to them and they will reach out to offer support to our cause.
Add Lawrence Taylor to list
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/crime/fl-ne-lawrence-taylor-sex-offender-charge-reduced-20220721-7nfxyeozh5f5phyzsyrpr3go54-story.html
Unfortunately the registry is designed to punish the poor.
I don’t think either LT, Tyson, or a handful of others are poor. They just might be unaware that we exist and they also might be too successful to care.
No offense, but the laws will only exist to punish the middle and lower class. The laws don’t apply to the upper class, hence they are rarely ever punished accordingly. Why would they care about what the middle and lower class have to endure? They will not be helping anybody and it is not in their best interest to do so. I say this as a man who suffers over an entrapment case.
It would be nice if a registered celebrity — and there are many good candidates — would take up the mantle of advocacy, but I do not hold it against any who choose not to do so. These are private individuals caught up in the same bad laws as the rest of us — though their affluence does give them advantages, that applies as well to people not on any registry.
I would be more interested in seeing samome politician who maybe once championed stronger sexual registry laws but has been forced from office or even forced to register as a result of some sexual peccadillo becoming an anti-registry advocate. Names that come to mind…Anthony Weiner, Dennis Hastert, Mark Foley…among others.
Would be nice if they decided to annually or one-time donate to any number of orgs who PFRs partake in to help. Can you imagine if LT, Mike Tyson, et al decide to financially cap off each of the campaigns FAC needs to advocate for or provide a matching campaign? Perhaps add some to the coffers for future efforts where they could benefit, which they would need to understand, either through an anonymous donation or a one on one donation quietly and privately.
Will anyone volunteer to try and reach out to the representatives for these individuals and ask if they would help?
I’m sorry but, wealth and prestige insulates those forced to register from the full brunt of the sigma associated with this label. I don’t see any forthcoming help or even acknowledgement from anyone such as Tyson or Kraft. People of this caliber want to remain low-key. They won’t even do interviews unless it’s agreed upon beforehand that they will not be asked questions or pressed on their history.
Does that mean that every time Tyson comes into FL and stays more than two days in same address he needs to report it as a permanent address and that any address he stays at for any time period can not be within the proximity limits? I imagine if this is true it would be an enticement for him to help in the out of state challenge? Perhaps mailing this information to his agent, PR person, or lawyer?
Yes, he is subject to the laws. If you can take lead on contacting his agent, etc. that would be appreciated
It was 80000 in early 2000’s if that’s the number they are giving its false
I think they meant 80,000 on Florida’s registry, not the national one.