Posted on 04/22/2005 9:42:50 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
Residents in a Ocala neighborhood could face charges after a convicted sex offender apparently committed suicide in despair over signs labeling him a "child rapist" posted in his neighborhood, according to Local 6 News.
Clovis Ivan Claxton, 38, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in Washington in 1991, had lived at 3230 SE. 45 Street in Ocala for about two years.
Tuesday, Claxton noticed bright yellow, laminated signs displaying his picture, date of birth, address and the words "child rapist" hanging on power poles in his neighborhood. A county commissioner proposed posting such information in the community but Sheriff Ed Dean rejected the idea.
After seeing the signs, Claxton called the sheriff's office and said that he felt "extremely scared and feels that people in the neighborhood are now out to possibly hurt him."
"Once he made these type statements our deputies took this man into custody under the Baker Act law and transported him to a local mental health facility for evaluation," Marion County Sheriff's Capt. Denis Strow said. "He was later released."
Tuesday morning, Claxton's parents found him dead of an apparent overdose with one of the child rapist flyers by his side.
Jane Claxton blames County Commissioner Randy Harris, who proposed the flyers, for her son's death, according to a report.
"Just don't get on the bandwagon," she said. "There's going to be other (deaths) if Randy Harris has his way. He hasn't been in trouble for 18 years, and he's branded for life."
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.
Dean said it is an example that police work should be left to authorities.
"We need to keep calm, do the right thing," Dean said. "Not go overboard with it. Protect our children. Use all of the resources we can but not stir a community up to a frenzy."
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.
State law allows for flyers to be printed and distributed, Local 6 News reported. But, altering the signs or flyers is against the law.
Claxton's address had been added to the top of the flyer along with the words "child rapist."
"It is a violation of the law," Strow said. "And should we find who perpretrated it, I'm sure it is a case that would be reviewed by the state's attorney office to see if they wish to pursue it."
The person responsible for the flyers faces up to 1 year in jail.
The sheriff's office is investigating and an autopsy was scheduled for Friday.
Marion County is located northwest of Orlando and has more than 600 registered sex offenders.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Amen! That is why God had us set up courts so that we could remove the trash from society and give them the death penalty.
Yes, isn't that insane. They are protecting us from Martha Stewart yet these perverts run free.
Good idea! Single women with children should not be allowed to have men spend the night while their children are in the home. That ought to be fun to enforce! /sarcasm
A few weeks ago I printed out our states sexual offender list and gave it to a friend of mine with a young daughter. There had already been attempts to nab kids in that area and a few blocks away there were reports of two other attemps, with different descriptions and vehicles.
I think people need to know about the perverts in their midst. The sad thing is that the perverts cannot afford to move to the wealthy areas so that the rich can enjoy the perverts too. Course, the same people living in their gated communities want the perverts to have more rights than their victims.
I can't believe the amount of liberals out in force in support of sex offenders rights.
That's right. God doesn't make us do anything He gave us a choice.
That isn't what your original question was. You asked if God could change someone. The person has to change. God doesn't do it for them. He expects people to put forth the effort.
It used to be in this country, that if a Man raped a woman and was convicted of such in a court of Law, he was taken out and hung by the neck until dead.
Rapes were rare occurances for that reason in places where there were established courts.
I don't recall ever hearing of a child being molested during those times, but I'm sure they occurred. I cannot imagine however, that they would have suffered anything LESS than a hanging for that same offense.
Much more, I would wager that they probably never would have made it to trial. They probably would have been taken out by the locals and pulled apart and their body parts burned at a crossroads at night.
I have zero sympathy for child molesters and child rapists. In my opinion they get what they deserve. Send them on to the supreme Judge of the Universe and let him decide that persons fate in the afterlife. He has no place among the living.
I think the article says that he was living there for 2 years. Where was he before? While he lived elsewhere how would the mother know how clean he was. Was he living behind bars prior to those 2 years?
Put more precisely, I am asking for where this "original question" was in a prior post.
I believe you are thinking of someone else. My comments have been consistent and the post you were replying to is indicative of that.
Public shame used to take care of that.
No more.
We all - you and me too - choose to sin. It is only by the grace of God that we can choose otherwise. Can you choose to accept this grace? Is God's grace withheld from all sex offenders?
Could a sex offender choose to accept God's grace, repent and be forgiven?
Yes it should have read 'the' original question. But, the point still stands.
If that is the case, I gently suggest you learn how to communicate more effectively. Emotional outbursts are immature and show a lack intellect. I'm not saying this about you - I'm being honest with the impression you give to those who use reason in discourse.
In my church we call this avoiding the near occassions of sin.
Some criminals, Christian or not, cannot get away from their evil desires.
If you were tempted to adulter, would staying away from temptation mean isolating yourself from all women?
That's right. Noah found grace in God's eye because he chose well when given the choice.
Actually, I think we are meant to overcome temptation not isolate ourselves from the world.
Where the hell are the rest of the FReepers who use their brains? Did they all Opus? This is insane! Glad to see you're still here.
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