There was an article the other day out of Springfield Missouri. You can read the entire article here. The article mentioned some things that bear repeating:
A ten-year long study of the US Department of Justice shows female sex offenders tend to get lighter sentences. Although the same percentage of offenders for both sexes tend to do jail time, women typically do less. Men’s sentences are between 6 and 31% longer than women’s for the same or similar crime.
“I think if you look at the community there are still stereotypes that women don’t pose as much a threat as men,” explains Greene County Prosecutor Dan Patterson.
He is correct. Many people think that there is little or no harm done by a female sex offender. Some go so far as to think that the victim is “lucky” and should be happy about it.
“Because it happened to be a woman with a boy the world tends to pat a boy on the back and not have that much sympathy for him, but at the same time he’s a child and she’s an adult,” the mother from the beginning of our story concludes.
This also makes it much harder for the victim to actually say anything about what happened. The article points out a few cases in their area that demonstrate the difference.
We took a look at a few similar statutory rape and sodomy cases in the Ozarks where the offenders were men. Darrell Tindle is serving 20 years in prison for sex acts with a child under 14– remember Laura Kirkland got seven.
Chad Nevels got four years for sex with a 14-year-old, while Allison Peck originally got probation.
The last line of the article is this:
Patterson also tells us many sex offenders were themselves victims at one time in their lives, and women abused as children tend to elicit more sympathy in sentencing than men who were abused.
Correct again. My view is people are people and should be treated the same. That means as a unique individual unto themselves. I guess that good thing is that more articles like this are starting to appear in the press.
Repeat sexual offender?
http://female-offenders.com/Safehouse/2011/03/female-sex-offender-repeat-offender.html
The following information is from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Boone County, Arkansas.
10/04/2012 – Woman Charged in Rape
Sheriff Danny Hickman reports that on the 2nd day of October, 2012, Sheriff’s Department Investigators located the subject of an investigation regarding the suspected Statutory Rape of a 13 year old male, registered Sex Offender Danielle M. Mcdonald, age 32.
McDonald was parked in a wooded area off of Old Capps Rd. with a thirteen year old boy. Mcdonald fled on foot into the wooded area and was apprehended after a short foot pursuit. The 13 year old male told investigators at the scene he was in a sexual relationship with McDonald.
Danielle McDonald was arrested and brought to the Sheriff’s Office where during an interview McDonald confessed that she had multiple sexual encounters with the thirteen year old boy.
Sheriff Hickman said McDonald is being held on a No Bond Parole Violation White Warrant and has been charged with 2 counts of Rape and Fleeing on Foot with bond set at $50,000.00. McDonald remains in custody at the Boone County Jail.
http://boonesheriff.com/press_view.php?id=565
Dannielle Marie McDonald
Address: xxxxxxxxxxx
Harrison, AR 72601
AKA: Danielle Graham; Danielle McIntare, Danielle M Graham, Danielle Marie Graham, Danieele Marie McDonald, Danielle marie McDonald
Employer: None
DOB: 10/27/79
Gender: Female
Hair: BROWN
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5’5
Weight: 135
Race: White
Scars/Marks/Tattoos: Scar on Neck
Additional Info: 1994 Dark Green Dodge Dakota
Registered Sex Offender – Risk Level 2
Abused and allowed the abuse of a 2 year old female.
http://boonesheriff.com/sex_offender_view.php?id=175