When a Sex Offender Comes to Church

What church leaders should learn before allowing one to attend.

In some cases, child molesters are given probation instead of imprisonment, subject to various conditions. If such a person attends a church, it is important for church leaders to be apprised of such conditions so that they can help to ensure that they are followed.

A case in Washington illustrates how important it is for church leaders to know these conditions. The state supreme court affirmed the revocation of a child molester's probation as a result of his repeated violations of the terms of the probation which, among other things, barred him from attending church or other places frequented by minors.

An adult male ("Brian") was convicted of first degree rape of a child under the age of 12 for raping his 11-year-old developmentally disabled granddaughter. The trial court sentenced Brian to 123 months imprisonment but found that he qualified for a special sex offender sentencing alternative (SSOSA) suspended sentence. In imposing the SSOSA sentence, the trial court set a number of conditions, including that Brian "not frequent areas where minor children are known to congregate, as defined by the supervising community corrections officer" (CCO). The CCO specifically instructed Brian that places he could not frequent included parks, schools, churches, day cares, movie theaters, shopping malls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, video arcades, and Boys and Girls Clubs.

A few years later, the state determined that Brian had violated a term of his probation by having contact with minor children. He was later cited again for violating the terms of his probation by visiting a church, a park, and a school on three separate occasions. The court sanctioned Brian to 120 days of confinement and sexual deviancy treatment.

To read more,click here.