(The following is my column for this week's Newton County News.)
At some point during my first years of teaching, when I was teaching creative writing at Diamond Middle School, the community was scandalized when a man was arrested near the school after arriving there for what he thought was going to be a sexual liaison with a teenage girl.
It was no teenage girl, however, that the man, who was from Michigan if memory serves correctly, met that day, but the Diamond Police Department. This internet pervert was yet another victim of one of Officer Jim Murray’s internet sex stings.
At the time, I thought this was a terrible way of conducting business. Why bring perverts from Michigan to Diamond? In the back of my mind was the naïve thought that if the police department did not lure them here, then we would have none of these people in Newton County.
As the years passed, I have changed my thinking about these stings. Unfortunately, they have started catching just as many people from this area. We remember the case a few years ago of the Neosho man, an officer with O’Sullivan Industries in Lamar, who was arrested after arranging a meeting with “an underage girl.” He eventually pleaded guilty and is serving his sentence in state prison.
Jim Murray, the Diamond Police Department, and the Newton County judicial system have taken this problem seriously and several of these people will not have the opportunity to continue pursuing their sickness for several years.
Unfortunately, not all prosecuting attorneys and judges take things as seriously as those in Newton County do.
On Dec. 3, one of the latest victims of a Diamond Police sting, former Collins Mayor Allen Kauffman is scheduled to stand trial in Newton County Circuit Court on felony sex charges in connection with another Diamond Police sting. His attorney, Dee Wampler of Springfield, wisely encouraged him to be tried by the judge and not by a jury, since Newton County juries take this kind of offense seriously.
Kauffman, who is also a minister, is charged with three counts of enticement of a child. If Judge Timothy Perigo finds Kauffman guilty, the man is undoubtedly headed for an extended stay in a state prison.
It will be a far cry from the treatment Kauffman received when he was arrested on a similar charge earlier this year in Cole County.
On July 22, Kauffman pleaded guilty in Cole County Circuit Court to a charge of sexual misconduct involving a child younger than 14. Kauffman was caught in a sting as he tried to arrange to have sex with a 13-year-old girl.
Kauffman received a suspended sentence, was placed on supervised probation for five years, must complete 100 hours of community service, and have "no internet use." (As if anyone is actually going to be able to monitor him.)
The Cole County prosecuting attorney offered this sweetheart deal despite the knowledge that Kauffman had pulled a similar stunt in Newton County and was awaiting trial.
As long as there people like the Cole County prosecuting attorney who treat these crimes like harmless misdemeanors, we are going to continue to have repeat offenders.
Fortunately, Newton County judges, juries, and prosecutors have been sending the right message. This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated in a civilized society.
1 comment:
One of the new Newton County prosecutors first acts in office was to drop charges against a man who was accused of molesting his 12 year old autistic daughter. The charges are public record as is the fact that he dropped them. These internet cases make for good headlines, but there is no commitment to dealing with the more widespread and real problem of people forcing themselves on girls they know.
As for the Murray family, a good reporter would be asking questions about why Bob Murray is no longer associated with the Neosho Christian School. The Murray's need to worry about the plank in their own eye and forget trolling the internet looking for specks in other people's.
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