I can’t describe how unfairly and destructively these laws have affected our family. How can laws possibly treat each offender as a group without any consideration of the true circumstances?

My son, at a young age was victim to an internet sting operation. He was pursued for NINE MONTHS by local police who tried in every way possible to lure him into a trap. Yes, he was online looking for a sexual encounter. NO, he was not looking for an encounter with anyone underage, yet for NINE MONTHS, the police consistently sent him emails after he said NO to the offer several times. How is that fair?? He was apprehended in his car – MY SON DID NOT COMMIT ANY CRIME, but he was grouped with those that perhaps did horrible things.

Of course, law enforcement was delighted that they had “clean” evidence on him and convicted him as a level II offender for 25 years. How is entrapment fair?

My son never committed a previous crime; WAS a contributing citizen to society; nothing was found on his hard drive that was incriminating; his psychological evaluation came back “clean” without doubt; he has mounds of education debt for which he worked hard for jobs he now cannot get because he is on the sex offender’s registry that, according to every study, does not allow any type of rehabilitation for an offender to repent and have a chance to heal; a chance to move forward; a chance to rebuild a respectable life.

My son thinks about taking his own life everyday. It has become my full-time job to keep him alive. He is reminded everyday of one bad life-choice that law enforcement provided which changed his goals for success, for living and the view of his self-worth. He doesn’t want to live anymore. THAT IS WHAT YOUR LAW IS DOING.

Where is the support for healing? I know that society does not care about registrants. They are viewed as animals; because the way the law is written makes it so. There are tens of thousands of examples similar to this one. Is it possible that everyone victimized on this registry are unable to change? Or are all of them going to re-offend? I don’t think so and if they want to they will and no list is going to stop them…the data proves this.

Please help my son to care about his life again. Allow him to become a respected citizen in his community. Please do something good for those that have remorse so they don’t have to hide anymore. Please don’t make his punishment more painful. I beg you.