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.
It isn't about "you".
That may be part of your problem.
Then I believe I have already agreed with your words in their entirety to date.
You have no issue with me. It must be with another.
Children are not destroyed for life by molestation.
That is an unfair branding of a victim and it needs to stop.
We are ostracizing them and telling them their lives are ruined and destroyed. How can one expect a child to rise above their background if we constantly shove it in their face that they can't - they are a victim.
I agree. With God's grace. I believe it is even possible to experience metanoia and find what tempted us before becomes abhorent to us now. We can be transformed.
The answer to this problem is for the first offense to be life in prison, no parole. I am talking about predatory child molesters, those who prey on YOUNG children, not the statutory rape stuff. They don't usually change and if they do change they can suffer the consequences for their crimes in prison.
Nothing will change until we get sentencing reform.
Make that death. God gave us capital punishment/death penalty for a reason. To remove dangerous people from society. Society shouldn't have to keep paying a penalty for what these pos' do.
I was also sexually abused and the damage done was very difficult to overcome growing up. I don't think people realize just how much damage is done either unless they have been through it. It was through the my faith in Christ and His healing touch that I was healed and set free.
I have worked with convicted pedophiles as a case manager and they all reoffended and ended up back in jail. You are right, parents of children had better stay on top of things and watch out for the red flags. Most of the more adept perps are like pied pipers for children. They are very manipulative and can be quite charming. The cunning ones don't LOOK like your average chester the molester.
you are right only God can erase the guilt and pain you feel. Children always feel like they are at fault. Now I can spot a pervert a mile away and I am right 99% of the time. I also watched my children and now my grandchildren sometimes too close i think. very rarely were my children allowed to spend the night at other people's home.
I agree. The minimum though should be life in prison that way those who are tempted may think twice before acting on their impulses.
I am speechless!
>>>Children are not destroyed for life by molestation.
That is an unfair branding of a victim and it needs to stop.
We are ostracizing them and telling them their lives are ruined and destroyed. How can one expect a child to rise above their background if we constantly shove it in their face that they can't - they are a victim.<<<<
Maybe not destroyed totally but greatly scarred and their lives turned upside down for a long long time. Have you been through it to know how hard it is? How your young mind is inundated with very adult things and you have no clue how to handle it? Do you understand what it's like to have NOWHERE to turn for help and no way to get out of the situation? I pray you don't but let me tell you it is not easy in most cases because of the dysfunction of the families. Child molesters specifically choose those kinds of vulnerable children to take advantage of.
We could greatly reduce the number of victims if the sentencing laws were appropriate for the crime. Any grown man or woman who get's off sexually with a child under 12 or 13 should never have the opportunity to reoffend it should be a mandatory life sentence with no parole.
>>>>you are right only God can erase the guilt and pain you feel. Children always feel like they are at fault. Now I can spot a pervert a mile away and I am right 99% of the time. I also watched my children and now my grandchildren sometimes too close i think. very rarely were my children allowed to spend the night at other people's home.<<<<
I can spot them too. I am single so I haven't had any children but I have nieces who I am fiercely protective of and if I ever caught anyone abusing my seven year old niece (the other one's married) I would beat the ever loving cr@p out of them.
Quite apparently you must equate this to the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps the problem is that you have rubbed your nose so much in the lives of these manipulators and liars that their behavior is coming off on you. That is a great danger when dealing with the wicked.
Florida can't protect children from sexual predators, but they want to protect sexual predators from "signs". What's wrong with this state?
"Jeffery Dahmer was a child molester who got his comeuppance in no uncertain terms."
Never heard that before.
on the flip side, your children pick up on your neurosis. If you want your children to grow up to be afraid of their own shadow, keep doing what you're doing.
Nothing on his record since 1991. Could it be he hasn't been caught, or worse, he has left no live witnesses.
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