[Vision2020] [Bulk] Re: Ten Sitler Questions

[J Ford]

No one is saying Sitler's rights should be violated or ignored...I'm just 
saying stop screaming about HIS rights and forget about the rights of the 
victims and community.  I just don't see a lot of complaining or spouting 
off about those...only HIS rights.


J  :]





>From: Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com>
>To: Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] [Bulk] Re:  Ten Sitler Questions
>Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:08:15 -0700
>
>Wayne,
>
>You make many good points.  I just want us all to keep in mind that he 
>still has some rights that shouldn't be violated, same as everybody else.  
>I'm not saying that you are doing this, just that the direction this is all 
>going worries me.  Personally, I don't think that you would go too far, you 
>are much too level-headed for that.  Your post just happened to make me 
>worry about whether or not this community might one day go too far, so I 
>just unthinkingly blurted my worries about it all onto a public forum.  
>Based on the reaction I got from that, you can be sure that it won't happen 
>again any time soon.  Certainly not about this topic.
>
>Paul
>
>Art Deco wrote:
>>    In Voltaire's /Candide/, Voltaire constructs an unforgettable /tour de 
>>force/ of irony showing the absurdity of the "This is the best of all 
>>possible worlds" assertion.
>>  There are many ugly, horrid, shattering experiences that humankind 
>>suffer.
>>  It must be hell for unfortunate individuals like Steven Sitler and all 
>>others of his ilk to have destructive compulsive urges which they cannot 
>>control, or there is a very high probability that they cannot control, and 
>>whose results are the shattering of the lives of their victims, the 
>>victims' families, and in many cases, the lives of future friends/spouses 
>>of the victims.  I am very sorry that such individuals exist, but their 
>>existence is undeniable reality.  It must be hell for the compulsives' 
>>parents also.
>>  To the extent that it can be called sympathy, I feel badly for those 
>>individuals that suffer these egregiously destructive-of-others 
>>compulsions and/or those who have no conscience about the effect of their 
>>self-satisfying, destructive actions on others.  I wish they were happily 
>>otherwise; unfortunately they are not, and my wishing and other's wishing 
>>will not alter their dispositions.
>>  The problem becomes what to do with such individuals -- the ones whose 
>>probability of reoffending, once convicted, is high -- how to balance 
>>their rights with the public safety.
>>  I cannot offer a comprehensive solution.  But I offer this little part 
>>of it for consideration.
>>  First, parents ought to learn about such threats, and how to communicate 
>>their nature to their children in such a way that the children can avoid 
>>molestation, or if molestation occurs, feel secure and loved enough to 
>>report it frankly and without feeling degraded or ashamed.
>>  Second, when an offender is convicted, the sentence ought be harsh 
>>enough to send a message of general deterrence -- one that says to all 
>>potential offenders "if you defile a child, the penalty you will pay will 
>>be very harsh."  There are some compulsives who will offend no matter what 
>>the penalty, but I think it is reasonable to believe that some potential 
>>offenders will be deterred by the threat of a very harsh penalty, 
>>especially if there is a heightened threat of being caught that comes from 
>>informed children and parents.
>>  Third, although some victims may not be up to testifying, those that are 
>>should be encouraged to do so, so that sweetheart plea agreements are not 
>>made as a matter of course.  When victims do not report and/or do not 
>>testify, the result is very highly likely there will be many more victims. 
>>  Pedophilia is vicious fire that if not controlled will consume many, 
>>many innocents.  Without public exposure, censure, punishment, and 
>>treatment, pedophiles will continue to craftily prey on victims in large 
>>numbers.
>>  Fourth, I am afraid that there are some offenders that will re-offend no 
>>matter what, once they are released.  What to do?  There are medical 
>>options to reduce the probability of reoffenses, but they are now 
>>voluntary.  Some states now keep the most probable to reoffend in civil 
>>custody indefinitely once their criminal sentence is served.  Where should 
>>the balance be to protect potential victims when weighed against the 
>>rights of the offender?  There is no simple answer, but, in my opinion, 
>>the balance should be heavily weighed toward protecting innocent children.
>>  Fifth, there needs to be a continual stream of information in the media, 
>>in schools, in homes, and in other institutions designed to increases the 
>>awareness of all so that the number of unrecognized and unreported 
>>incidents of child molestation are continually reduced.  This information 
>>ought be used by the public to let their elected and appointed officials 
>>know that they are expected to deal with this problem seriously and 
>>effectively.  That is one of the reasons I wrote and the /Daily News/ 
>>courageously printed today the letter to the editor that appears below my 
>>signature.
>>   I am sorry that Paul is uncomfortable with a discussion of Sitler's 
>>sexual relapses including voyeuristic masturbation and that he wonders why 
>>Sitler should be denied binoculars.  If one reads the letter below from 
>>Dr. Lombard carefully and completely, *it is clear that Sitler's 
>>voyeuristic behavior with binoculars was a precursor to his previous 
>>pedophilic actions*.  Without clear, detailed, frank public comment, and 
>>given the so far poor judgment, laxity, and credulousness demonstrated by 
>>the prosecutor and court in thus matter, Sitler may again be out on the 
>>streets again, now or after a short, no hard time incarceration.  This may 
>>be OK with some, but I hope not for the majority.  I hope that public 
>>exposure and discussion of Sitler's sexual proclivities and actions are 
>>persuasive in helping to insure that he will be placed somewhere where he 
>>is no longer a threat to public safety and no longer a threat to himself.  
>>[I also hope that such exposure will enable the electorate to find more 
>>diligent officials with better judgment in the next election.]
>>  Further with respect to binoculars, I, for one, would not feel 
>>comfortable allowing a convicted pedophile access to tools that inflame 
>>his destructive desires, especially where such tools have led in the past 
>>to the sexual exploitation of children.  In this respect, allowing Sitler 
>>binoculars is no different than allowing Sitler internet access.  I also 
>>think that most people, especially parents of young children, would really 
>>be creeped out if they knew they could be the potential subjects of a 
>>masturbating Peeping Tom with binoculars, especially one who was a 
>>convicted pedophile and whose previous binocular aided Peeping Tom 
>>voyeurism preceded pedophilic episodes.
>>   In addition to the terse content of the letter to the editor below 
>>containing the remarks about the poor judgment of the prosecutor and 
>>judge, the Sitler case contains an egregiously misinformed, arrogant, 
>>anti-public safety letter to the judge from Cultmaster Douglas Wilson 
>>(available at  http://www.tomandrodna.com/CR_2005_02027/)
>>  Said letter contains the following:
>>
>>
>>"I am grateful Steven was caught, and am grateful he has been brought to 
>>account for these actions so early in his life. I am grateful that he will 
>>be sentenced for his behavior, and that there will be hard consequences 
>>for him in real time. At the same time, *I would urge that the civil 
>>penalties applied would be measured and limited*. I have good hope that 
>>Steven has genuinely repented, and that he will continue to deal with this 
>>to become a productive and contributing member of society."
>>
>>
>>
>>  If Christ Church wishes to employ an untrained, unordained pastor, they 
>>are certainly free to do so (but not free from public comment on such).
>>  However, when said pastor ventures in to areas such as the psychology of 
>>sexual offenders where he is also untrained, obviously grossly and 
>>abysmally ignorant in the case of Steven Sitler, and when he use a 
>>previous relationship with a public official, in this case the prosecutor, 
>>to influence the granting of an egregiously inappropriate plea bargain and 
>>sentence/probation, said pastor has rendered a grave, horribly dangerous 
>>public disservice which should not go without extensive public comment and 
>>censure.
>>  The community needs to wake up and smell the stifling stench of rotten, 
>>egomaniacal moral corruption, and of the extreme self interest placed well 
>>ahead of community safety that motivates it.
>>
>>
>>Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
>>deco at moscow.com <mailto:deco at moscow.com>
>>  _____________________________________________________________
>>
>>*Child abusers are unwelcome*
>>
>>
>>
>>Serial child molester Steven Sitler was sentenced to life imprisonment 
>>several months ago. He served no hard time. He spent most of his 
>>incarceration in the local jail.
>>
>>
>>
>>His plea agreement says: "the volume and extent of acts by the defendant 
>>are greater than the investigator's documentation" and "similar acts 
>>occurred in connection with minors now residing in other states." Note the 
>>plurals.
>>
>>
>>
>>A letter in the court file says: "When she was only two years old, Steven 
>>offered to take her downstairs and watch her while the adults were talking 
>>upstairs. At that time he forced her to perform (omitted: graphic 
>>description of an oral sex act)."
>>
>>
>>
>>Yet after a few months of soft jail time, Sitler was on allowed probation 
>>in our community. He has now been re-arrested for violation of that 
>>probation.
>>
>>
>>
>>Recidivism for pedophiles is very high. What is the likelihood of 
>>re-offending when the previous offenses are numerous, over a long period 
>>of time, over wide areas, and where the offender kept an alleged 
>>photographic trophy Web site of some of his victims?
>>
>>
>>
>>Given the very risky nature of predicting whether re-offenses will occur, 
>>the error of assessing risk should be strongly on the side of protecting 
>>children and the community - and strongly on the side of promoting general 
>>deterrence.
>>
>>
>>
>>What were Prosecutor Thompson and Judge Stegner thinking? What message 
>>does this irresponsible judgment send to the offender's victims and other 
>>victims of pedophilia deciding whether to report their defilement or not?
>>
>>
>>
>>Sitler is a former student at New Saint Andrews College. Jamin Wight, a 
>>former ministerial student at the sister Christ Church institution 
>>Greyfriars Hall was also recently convicted of a felony injury to a child, 
>>following an original charge of sexual abuse of a child.
>>
>>
>>
>>Both Sitler and Wight committed their offenses against members of the 
>>Christ Church families with whom they were boarding.
>>
>>
>>
>>I hope that Latah County voters will clean house in the next election.
>>
>>
>>
>>I also hope that NSA and Greyfriars Hall will carefully review and 
>>consider amending their boarding policy and their pre-enrollment screening 
>>and enrollment policies. The children of our community deserve nothing 
>>less.
>>
>>
>>
>>Wayne A. Fox
>>
>>
>>
>>Moscow
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>/Daily News/, June 30, 2007
>>
>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>*From:* Paul Rumelhart <mailto:godshatter at yahoo.com>
>>*To:* Vision 2020 <mailto:vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>*Sent:* Friday, June 29, 2007 9:30 PM
>>*Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] Ten Sitler Questions
>>
>>Ok, time for an unpopular viewpoint.  Are we taking this too far?  Where 
>>do we draw the line between protection of the public and this man's 
>>rights?  I understand that he lost many rights when he did what he did.  
>>But couldn't we be taking things too far?
>>
>>Yes, binoculars can enable his voyeurism.  However, he can actually see 
>>without them through his eyeballs.  Should we gouge them out as a 
>>precaution?
>>
>>I agree with you on the questions about why he was let out on parole so 
>>early, I agree that he's probably at high risk to reoffend.  I think we 
>>would be better off if he served more of his original sentence.  I 
>>understand that children need to be protected.  But where do we draw the 
>>line?   We're posting this man's episodes of masturbation on a public 
>>forum.
>>
>>I see the makings of a witch-hunt here, and it makes me uncomfortable.
>>
>>Just my opinion.
>>
>>Paul
>>  ____________________________________
>>  I'm not anti-children. If you believe I am, you're wrong. I don't like
>>defending people like this, either, but either our rights that we have
>>mean something or they don't. If they can be completely taken away
>>because you or others hate this guy, then our rights are a figment of
>>our imagination and we don't deserve what little of them we have left.
>>The system may be broken, but it's the system we have. We don't have the
>>right to punish this guy ourselves.
>>
>>That's all I'm saying. And I'm done saying it.
>>
>>Paul
>>
>>
>>Art Deco wrote:
>>>Here is a letter from one of the persons providing sexual offender 
>>>treatment to Steven Sitler.  This letter is found as part of a /Report of 
>>>Probation Violation/ filed in the court by Senior Probation Officer 
>>>Jackye Squires Leonard.
>>>
>>>
>>>Dalton Lombard, D.Min, LCPC
>>>
>>>P O Box 1911
>>>
>>>Lewiston, Id. 83501
>>>
>>>June 18, 2007
>>>
>>>Jackie Squires
>>>
>>>Probation and Parole
>>>
>>>Moscow Idaho 83843
>>>
>>>RE. Steven Shier
>>>
>>>Dear Ms. Squires,
>>>
>>>This note is in response lo our Telephone conversation today. During the 
>>>weekly check in time for the offender group I lead for Valley Treatment 
>>>Specialties Mr. Sitler reported that he had masturbated on two occasions 
>>>during the previous week. When asked for more detail about the 
>>>circumstances and fantasies he experienced during his masturbation he 
>>>reported that he had been looking in a neighbor's window with his 
>>>binoculars. As a result he became aroused and later masturbated. He 
>>>denied viewing anyone at the residence but acknowledged that he was 
>>>aroused by looking in the window. He stated to the group that voyeurism 
>>>is one of the behaviors be engaged in prior to and leading up to the 
>>>offences he was convicted of.
>>>
>>>I consider this to be a very high risk behavior for Mr. Sitler 
>>>considering he had been out of jail less than a month at the lime he 
>>>reported the behavior. In my mind this behavior constitutes a violation 
>>>of his parole and of his treatment contract with Valley Treatment 
>>>Specialties.
>>>
>>>Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
>>>
>>>/s/
>>>
>>>Dalton Lombard
>>>
>>>The contents of this letter and other events raise some questions.
>>>
>>>First, with respect to the binoculars:
>>>
>>>1.    When did Sitler acquire the binoculars?
>>>
>>>2.    Did he previously possess them and someone returned them to him, 
>>>did he lately acquire them, or did someone lately acquire them for him?
>>>
>>>Given his history of voyeurism and its leading up pedophilic incidents:
>>>
>>>3.    What was his motivation for either acquiring or keeping the 
>>>binoculars?
>>>
>>>4.    Shouldn't the possession of binoculars been a no-no in his 
>>>probation agreement?
>>>
>>>Second, considering the comment "I consider this to be a very high risk 
>>>behavior for Mr. Sitler" from his therapist:
>>>
>>>5.    Why was bail granted at all?
>>>
>>>6.    Is he not a high risk to reoffend?
>>>
>>>7.    Why hasn't a Motion to Revoke Probation been filed by the 
>>>prosecuting attorney so that an evidentiary hearing can be held and a 
>>>decision whether to revoke probation or not be made by the court?
>>>
>>>There is a new letter from Dr. Lombard to Judge Stegner now in the file:
>>>
>>>8.    Why has this letter been sealed?
>>>
>>>9.    Aren't the citizens whose children who are now at risk with Sitler 
>>>out on probation entitled to the information which would allow them to:
>>>
>>>        a.    Evaluate the risk?
>>>
>>>        b.    Express their opinions to the prosecutor, media, etc.
>>>
>>>Sitler was ordered by the court to vacate his current residence on June 
>>>19, 2007.  Today is June 29, 2007.  The screen snapshot just below was 
>>>taken at 7:30 pm today (06/29/07).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>According to the Idaho Central Sexual Offender Website 
>>>http://www.isp.state.id.us/identification/sex_offender/obligations.html 
>>>Sitler is obligated to:
>>>
>>>Within 2 working days of changing the address or location of residence 
>>>within the county where the sex offender is registered, the offender must 
>>>complete an address change form in person with the sheriff of that county 
>>>of the change.
>>>
>>>OR
>>>
>>>Within 5 working days of moving to another state, the registered sex 
>>>offender must provide written notice of the move to the central sex 
>>>offender registry. The person must also register in the other State 
>>>within the time period required by that State, but not to exceed 10 days.
>>>
>>>10.    Has Sitler complied with the above but for administrative 
>>>ineptitude his State of Idaho sexual offender profile has not yet been 
>>>updated?
>>>
>>>As of now, a status hearing on this matter is scheduled for Monday, July 
>>>2nd at 2:00 pm.  Since schedules can change, those interested should call 
>>>the Clerk of the Court's office early Monday to check for any change 
>>>(Courthouse:  882-8580).
>>>
>>>
>>>Wayne A. Fox
>>>1009 Karen Lane
>>>PO Box 9421
>>>Moscow, ID  83843
>>>  (208) 882-7975
>>>waf at moscow.com <mailto:waf at moscow.com>
>>>  
>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>=======================================================
>>>  List services made available by First Step Internet,  serving the 
>>>communities of the Palouse since 1994.                  
>>>http://www.fsr.net                                 
>>>mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>=======================================================
>>
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>>=======================================================
>>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.                 
>>http://www.fsr.net                                
>>mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>=======================================================
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>>
>>=======================================================
>>  List services made available by First Step Internet,  serving the 
>>communities of the Palouse since 1994.                  http://www.fsr.net 
>>                                 mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>=======================================================
>


>=======================================================
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>=======================================================

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