Columbia, S.C. (WLTX) - It's one statistic that consistently goes up in South Carolina every year: the number of victims of sexual assault crimes. One thing that differs case to case: the punishment for sex offenders.
One example of a sex offender not going to jail is the case involving a Kershaw County man by the name of Carl Baker, Jr. Baker pleaded guilty in 2006 and was convicted of sex crimes against three underage women. Despite the severity of the convictions, Baker received probation but no jail time.
In addition to abolishing parole in its entirety, S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster says he'd like to see harsher punishments-and probations-handed out to sex offenders.
"[Sexual predators] need to be taken off the streets," McMaster said.
"We need to find them, we need to arrest them, we need to prosecute and send them to jail," the Attorney General continued.
McMaster is working to put pressure on the people who work sexual assault cases. He says they need to be tougher on those who commit these crimes, for the sake of the victims and protecting the public.
The Kershaw County teenager who was sexually assaulted by Baker says she was too scared to pursue a trial. Despite pleading guilty to that crime and two others, Carl Baker, Jr. was sentenced to five years probation with 15-20 years' suspension for each crime. That means as long as he does not violate probation, he never has to serve time behind bars.
"I was just sad and depressed and you just don't want to live," said Ashley Anderson, victim in that case who asked us to reveal her name.
The feeling she experienced is shared by thousands of other sex assault victims in this state. McMaster says the responsibility of pursuing a tough sentence shouldn't fall entirely on the victims.
"[Baker] had me terrified where I thought nobody would believe me," she said.
While it's the job of state prosecutors to bring the people responsible for that fear to justice, justice isn't an easily definable term.
"There is no mandatory minimum [number of years convicted sex offenders must spend in jail] under our law today," said McMaster.
McMaster is calling on defense attorneys, state prosecutors and judges who preside over these cases to set the bar higher in terms of sentencing decisions.
"There's plenty of jail time available--which means a judge can sentence them to a long time if he or she wants to," McMaster continued.
That includes prosecutors arranging stricter plea bargains. He'd also like to see tougher rulings, such as judges issuing sex-crime convictions to be served consecutively instead of simultaneously.
"I think we need sentences that match the crime. If you do the crime, you've got to be prepared to do the time," McMaster said.
Substantial time, he added, especially for Internet predators; and probation supervised by a judge instead of probation officers.
He says it's difficult to say if-or-what a minimum mandatory jail sentence should be part of the law for sex offenders, because sex offenses include a wide-range of crimes.
But he is asking for more to be done, for the victims' sake.
"The experts around the country have said that these men are going to keep on doing this unless they're somehow locked up or very closely supervised," McMaster said.
Ashley Anderson recalls of her case:
"I couldn't trust nobody, because I didn't know whom I could trust," she said.
The Attorney General did add that therapy and counseling should be a requirement for every person who commits a sex crime.
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jail for womenby simplehowto3,471 views
According to an article in ProPublica Roland Burris defied his own staff to continue prosecuting Rolando Cruz for the 1983 rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl in the Chicago suburbs. Later there was proof the man was innocent 100% Brigid Kenney, pleaded with Burris to drop the case She resigned, writing in her resignation letter that Burris was ignoring evidence and that she felt she was "being asked to help execute an innocent man." We all make mistakes but this needs to be addressed honestly
evil9999999999999999 3 years ago
The Purpose of the sex offender registry is to lock up all straight men and disfranchise them from society or a decent life leaving the gays and the whores to fuck up this land. Where is the drug dealer registry? The murder registry (for wives who killed their husbands)? Illegal arm sales registry?
Where are those,well?? No. It's all about sex, sex, sex, and then throw in a girl or a women into the picture. Now the media and police can keep their dicks hard while looking at pics of the victims
rexx123456 3 years ago
Here Here.
wullies11 3 years ago
My name is McMaster, i look a little like him, so might be his love child!!!!!!
wullies11 3 years ago
Chinchilla is correct. Most former offenders have never raped anyone and have a very low re-offense rate. The news media often skews the facts to gain ratings.
You can be a sex offender for urinating in public or making a prank phone call. Plus, there are now children on Registries as young as 8!
Finally, get this, over 90% of new sexual abuse will be committed by someone who is NOT on the Registry and by someone you already know.
These statistics are from the Dept. of Justice, not media hype.
ApparitionZ 3 years ago
You do realize that not all sex offenders are child molesters, right?
I read of a man, 50+ years old, married, 3 kids, a home of 20+ years... forced to move because his wifes father said he 'raped' her when she was 16. The city extended the "can't live near a school" distance, and BAM! He's forced from his home.
You cannot blanket punish people for crimes you believe they MIGHT commit, not when they have served their time, gone through treatment, and have low risk of reoffending.
DeadlyChinchilla 3 years ago 2
Yes, lets do like Louisiana wants to pass as a bill and allow the STATE, via the judicial system, to force CASTRATION on people. Can you imagine it? Being told by the government to chop off a body part it finds offensive.
Is this still the USA? I thought it had been a long time since anyone chopped off hands for petty theft, much less allowed castration as a 'fair' punishment. Ridiculous. Just like the homelessness in Miami and other major cities, people take 'protection' too far.
DeadlyChinchilla 3 years ago
McMasters does not have the brains to pour piss out of a boot! He is too busy kissing Southern Baptist assholes!
onearmbiker 3 years ago
if you had a child who was sexualy offended what would you do? Think about these children, any one who harms a child needs life in prison and ther ass beat every day. You can in no way put drug dealing in the same category. If u do drugs its because u want to do them. Its thinking like this that keeps these ... on the street. Children don't ask for this.
BrryHaze 3 years ago
I agree, bookteafun..people seem to have a need to justify all their wronges by being able to say, im not AS BAD as THAT! wife beaters, drug dealers who causes people to overdose, school bullies,, feel ok ,as long as they are not SEX OFFENDERS,,, Feelings only count if sex is involved??? Its only assault if sex is involved,,Children are abused on a reg basis,, mentally damaged, and the law usually doesnt budge till SEX is involed,, Kids are allowed to be traumatized as long as its not sexual hm
Dreambro1 4 years ago