[Vision2020] Quick Question

[Tom Hansen]

Glenn Schwaller stated:

"I guess the best the public can do is to review the sex offender postings 
with their kids on a monthly basis so they can see their faces and know 
where they live."

No, Mr. Schwaller.  The best the public can do is better thant that.  Next 
Monday the public can distribute flyers (complete with photo and details) 
announcing that a Level 3 sex offender was relesed into their neighborhood 
last Friday.  For starters the public can post these flyers (which will be 
downloadable from a local popular website) at Rosauers, at Safeway, at 
Winco, at Wal-Mart, in local taverns, and at Friendship Square.

You see, Mr. Schwaller, the people of Moscow (which includes alot of parents 
and school teachers) deserve alot better than:

A Level 3 sex offender being quietly released into their neighborhood.

A Level 3 sex offender who (apparently by law) has eight days after release 
to register as a sex offender.

A Level 3 sex offender on probation, supervised by one of two probation 
officers that are responsible for maintaining supervised probation for 60+ 
other individuals.

A Level 3 sex offender whose description and residence is widely unknown.

This is not the makings of a safe environment.  It is the recipe for viloent 
disaster.

However, I do stand corrected.  The Moscow-Pullman Daily News did run one 
article concerning Steven Sitler almost a year ago.

>From the June 8, 2006 edition of the Moscow-Pullman daily News -

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Christian college defends actions amid rumors

By Omie Drawhorn, Daily News staff writer

Thursday, June 8, 2006 - Page Updated at 12:00:00 AM

Accusations that New Saint Andrews College kept knowledge of a sex offender 
and his activities under wraps has put college officials on the defensive.

Officials claim accusations that the college tried to cover up student 
Steven Sitler’s activities and delayed in reporting the matter to law 
enforcement and the public aren’t valid.

Doug Wilson, pastor of Christ Church and a college board member since 1994, 
called the rumors “crazy”.

NSA didn’t make a public announcement because officials were trying to 
protect the victims, he said.

“When you have a situation like this, the court system has a policy of 
keeping victims’ names out of public knowledge to protect the names and 
reputations of victims,” Wilson said.

He said that is why he did not inform the public when a parishioner brought 
to his attention that Sitler, 21, had sexually abused their child.

He advised the victim and the family to report the matter to the police 
immediately, and they did so, Wilson said.

“I would have announced the situation, if it was just Steven and no 
victims,” he said.

The college immediately expelled Sitler upon his confession, Wilson said, 
and students were told that he had been expelled because of “criminal 
activity”.

The Christ Church congregation was made aware of the situation, he said.

Sitler was convicted of one felony count of lewd and lascivious conduct with 
a child under the age of 16 in July and sentenced in September, said Latah 
County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson.

He was taken to the North Idaho Correctional Institution under the retained 
jurisdiction program before being moved to the Latah County Jail. He 
receives treatment twice a week in Clarkston and Pullman.

Sitler was sentenced to life in prison. How that sentence is served is 
subject to review every year. Second District Court Judge John Stegner 
ordered another year in the Latah County Jail in April, and will review the 
case again in one year’s time.

Thompson said if Sitler is released into the community it will be under 
intensive probation supervision for the rest of his life.

“The combined sentence is appropriate,” Thompson said. “It ensures public 
safety and at the same time places him into an intensive sex offender 
program.”

Thompson and Sitler’s attorney, Dean Wullenwaber of Lewiston, reached a plea 
agreement in September because of Sitler’s willingness to admit to other sex 
abuse crimes he had committed — both in Moscow and in Stevens County, Wash.

“This was his first criminal conviction at all, but he disclosed he had 
offended on more than one occasion,” Thompson said.

Wilson, in a letter to Stegner dated August 19, said he hoped Sitler’s 
penalties would be “measured and limited”.

“It’s not the same as light, but it’s not an ‘Oh, my God’ response,” Wilson 
said. “Steven did not realize the magnitude of what he was doing. Now I 
believe he does.”

Wilson and New Saint Andrews College President Roy Atwood said they feel 
they are being targeted.

“This whole thing is coming from the same group of people interested in 
zoning code violations, tax issues and issues related to perjury,” Wilson 
said. “My interest is in keeping victims and their families protected.”

“They are exploiting people’s tragedy for a political purpose. That’s 
beneath anybody’s reasonable treatment of other people,” Atwood said.

“Society is becoming more tolerant of sexual sins and perversions,” Atwood 
said. “Homosexuality and other forms of sexual perversion are becoming 
mainstream.”

Wilson said he dealt with the issue “in a textbook way”.

The congregations of Christ Church and Trinity Reformed Church, a ministry 
of Christ Church, make up about 1,000 people, the size of a small town, he 
said.

“In a small town, there are people who do awful things,” he said. “People 
are trying to turn this into a scandal.”

Wilson said this was a scandal to the families involved, but the manner in 
which the school dealt with it is not part of that scandal.

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As Moscow sees their children off to school . . .

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho