Convicted sex offender commits suicide over signs...

[Eric McTavish]

Ok I’m curious, since this has come up on these boards what are folks thoughts on this???

Convicted sex offender commits suicide over neighborhood signs
Associated Press
Last update: April 23, 2005

OCALA -- A convicted sex offender apparently committed suicide in despair over signs posted in his neighborhood calling him a "child rapist."

Clovis Ivan Claxton was found dead by his father Thursday with one of the signs beside his body, less than a day after his release from a psychiatric hospital.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office is investigating, and autopsy was scheduled for Friday.

Claxton's death follows the high-profile arrests of sex offenders in the separate killings of two Florida girls less than seven weeks apart. State lawmakers have responded by passing a bill to require lifetime supervision of some child sex offenders.

Bright yellow, laminated signs displaying Claxton's picture, date of birth, address and the words "child rapist" appeared earlier this week on utility poles in his neighborhood after a county commissioner proposed posting such information in the community. The sheriff rejected the idea.

"I think this is a clear example of an unintended consequence, which can occur when we go beyond what we call police protocol when handling sex offenders," Sheriff Ed Dean said. "I understand the concern of parents for their children. But we must not allow hysteria to take place."

After seeing the signs, Claxton, 38, told the sheriff's office that he felt "extremely scared and feels that people in the neighborhood are now out to possibly hurt him."

When he threatened suicide, he was involuntarily committed to the mental health hospital Tuesday and released the next day.

Claxton was convicted in Washington state in 1991 of molesting a 9-year-old girl. He was 20 at the time, but his mother said he was developmentally much younger due to a brain injury.

Jane Claxton blames County Commissioner Randy Harris, who proposed the flyers, for her son's death.

"Just don't get on the bandwagon," she said. "There's going to be other (deaths) if Randy Harris has his way."

She said her son required constant care and recently relied on leg braces and a wheelchair.

"He hasn't been in trouble for 18 years, and he's branded for life," she said.

Harris said sex offenders need to take responsibility for their actions.

"I don't blame his death to the signs," he said, adding he was undeterred in his quest to alert people to sex offenders living in their neighborhoods.

Marion County northwest of Orlando has more than 600 registered sex offenders.


Information from: Ocala Star-Banner, http://www.starbanner.com/

[MoonWench]

Ah, the fine line between protecting the children and protecting the offenders right to rehabilitate and be safe. What's sad is that most people who worry about child rapists shouldn't be looking at their local sex offender, the should be looking at their family. If people would just remember that most of that stuff is do in house more children would be safe. Posting signs about one thats already been caught does not really help anyone.

[Lady Laurel]

I feel bad that this happened. It is sad that he felt he was being targeted,but people still have to protect thier children from these predators some how. To me information is the key and if you know for certainity thier is one in your community then you have some control.

It seems he was a different case with mental problems of some other kind.

[Artemisia]

As a survivor of this type of violence, I could care less what happens to an offender.

Quote: "...extremely scared and feels that people in the neighborhood are now out to possibly hurt him."

Awww, poor baby, people may be out to get HIM, that really frightened him... let me get my Kleenex out. (and as we know, most people are good and they wouldn't have actually physically hurt him)

If he was honestly mentally disabled, which would in a terrible way explain the violence, they wouldn't have discharged him from the hospital the next day. (edit: in other words, they would've known he was mentally handicapped and this entire situation would've probably played out differently). Other than that, let the offender be scared. His actions are his own. He took his own life. (edit) Due to the signs? Tough. I've heard of people who survived this type of violence and because of it have taken their own lives too. (2nd edit) This entire situation played out bad, first and foremost at the victims expense, then finally at the offenders expense.

[Kae]

It is a fine line to cross - protecting and individual's rights and protecting your children. What are we willing to give up to have one or what are we willing to keep to have the other? Each case is individuala dn should be judges as such. If we are going to target the individual after he/she has served their term, shouldn't they just remain in prison? There has to be a solution, this was obviously not it.

Kae

[Nevada]

actually if he was honestly mentally disabled they wouldn't have kept him...they only admitted him for speaking of self harm...not for his possible mental disability...I am very mixed over this due to being a molestation survivor but also a sis in law to a mentally disable person. As a survivor I believe the only true cure for child molestors is death..but as a family member and long time volunteer for mentally challenged I know that depending on the severity of the mental disability is whether he truly knew to no give in to physical urges, many do not. Fortunately my bro in law hangs around a 12-14 year old level so knows the difference. But a pair of good friends who are sisters both taught and were house supervisors for mentally impaired and have some real hair raising and in some cases embarrassing stories to relate. To hound someone to death....one wonders what the present true wrong was in this case

[Dmitri]

While I am not shedding tears over this mook's death, this is, to my knowledge, illegal. And if the culprits are found they could be put in jail. Even if he HADN'T killed himself.

I can guarantee that the County Commissioner Randy Harris, will have a lawsuit filed against him for inciting people to commit illegal acts, which resulted in death. the lightest they will be able to charge him with would be Reckless Endangerment.

[I'Cin]

As mentioned, it seems that he had other problems but if they were that bad, why was he out? And I do find it somewhat different if he was truly mentally handicapped - there is a level of not being responsible for his actions that puts a different spin on it.

Yes, you do have to worry about what's going on at "home," but posting signs about one that's already been caught does help someone -- it helps the kids that might otherwise be the next victims. As discussed in the earlier posts, studies show that the child molesters are almost never cured. It is a crime that has one of the highest rates of repeat offenses. Hell, vacuum cleaners, baseball tickets, and hair dryers (among other things) carry danger warnings. I can make an informed decision on whether to be near (or use) those things. I find these creeps to be much worse - shouldn't I be allowed to know that there's a danger in the neighborhood? Is posting it like this was illegal, probably, and maybe should be. But I do think you should know if someone convicted of sex offenses with a child is living in your neighborhood.

And sorry, I might buy that robbing a 7-11 was a mistake, a bad judgment call, and give you the benefit of the doubt that you served your time and are likely to not to do it again but molesting/raping/murdering a child is WAAAAY beyond bad judgement.

As a parent, I see it as one less pervert (see disclaimer above over mental handicap and responsibility) I have worry about living in my neighborhood when my kids go outside. Is that heartless? Maybe. Does disseminating information about someone's past put him at a disadvantage and take something away from him? Maybe, but I can't really feel bad about it. Children's safety (not even just my own children) comes first.

I'Cin

[DameGoode]

I actually work with CHILDREN who are sex offenders. (Children who have commited acts againist other children.) Many of the kids have been abused themselves, but not all of them. And I've worked with quite a few mentally retarded students who have been caught in sexually compromised positions voluntarily, not voluntarily, or the other person not voluntarily.

I agree that there is really no cure, but if the person is actually willing there is training that he or she can take. This is a set of routines that the person chooses instead of to harm. It's not a cure, but a set of difficult decisions.

As a professional, the guy that posted those signs ought to be fired at the least. There is protocol, that we don't get to superceede. The whole thing smacks of viligilantism. (Is that even a word?.. I suppose it is now.) Taking the law into his own hands is not the job description, but abiding by it and upholding it. In Cleveland, we recieve a letter when a sex offender moves with in so many mile radius, with the name, description, and address. That is much less inflamatory than posting with bright yellow signs and pictures.

Let's not forget that you can be labeled as a sex offender for 18 year-old senior having sex with a 15 year-old sophmore, and being caught. Often those "sex offender" lists do not include descriptions of the crime they are convicted.

Don't get me wrong, people deserve to be punished and held accountable, but they are untitled to SOME rights. Otherwise we, the general law abiding populace, become legalistic barbarians.

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

Just a few clarifications. I first heard this story on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" and the quoted article seems to be a little misleading by comparison. Seeing as how the editors of the quoted article are seemingly unable to grasp simple math ("After seeing the signs, Claxton, 38, " and "was convicted ... in 1991 ....He was 20" are two incongruous statements. Either he's 34 now or 24 then or it happened in 1995.) I'm more inclined to believe Olbermann's version.

My understanding is that the incident for which he was convicted was a simple "show me yours, I'll show you mine" situation, not a "molesting". Inexcusable, yes, but combine that with the facts that a) he's "developmentally disabled", and 2) he's had a completely spotless criminal record in the 14 years since then and I think one would be hard pressed to call him a sexual predator.

Also, the signs put up by the authorities had his picture and address and other related information. The "CHILD RAPIST" tag in large block letters was appended to the signs after they were posted by some unknown vigilante civilian. So the label was not only inaccurate, but unauthorized as well.

So what we have here is a retarded guy who made a minor mistake 14 years ago and has lived a non-offensive existence ever since, essentially lynched by a hysterical public in the name of "protecting children" (an all too common rallying cry amongst those who have difficulty coming up with a rational justification for their actions).

Child molesters certainly do not deserve our sympathy, but I'm not entirely convinced this guy qualifies.

The people who thought the "slippery slope" arguments were unfounded may have just recieved their wake-up call. Here's hoping they aren't too arrogant to pick up the phone.