Two years
ago I came home to two Williamson County Detectives in my living room
questioning my son. I told them that we would be happy to cooperate with
them in what ever was going on but they said my son was an adult and
just kept hammering him with questions. It was like slow motion. I could
not stop them because they said my son was an adult and he would have
to ask them to leave. My son was far from an adult. My son told me
everything was ok. He thought he was doing what I had taught him to do.
“Respect the law” he had no idea they were setting him up. The fatal
question was did you touch her breast? My son honestly answered yes I
did. The officers quickly turned off there recorder and said “that is
all we need.” Then they walked out of my house without any
explanation. We had no idea what would happen from there on. I have
wished a hundred times that I had insisted they leave. Just like my son,
I thought we could trust the law. Instead they made their case without
any regard for the circumstances that had occurred and why my son
touched her breast.
My
son was indicted on a charge of sexual assault of a minor.
He
had just turned 17 yrs old and the girl was 14 yrs old. They did
not have sex. But, he admitted to touching her breast. The girl
was scared of her parents because she stayed out all night. As soon as
they contacted Williamson County it was out of their hands.
Charges
were filed by the county, not the family. My son was forced to quit
school and did a year of house arrest. His principal, teachers,
counselor, neighbors and family friends all wrote letters to the judge
telling him that they were making a huge mistake in punishing him this
way. He was an honor roll student and had numerous awards for FFA and
wanted nothing more but to go to college. He worked two jobs to finance
his animals in FFA and to buy his first truck.
After
appearing before the court monthly for that year it was time to go for
the trial setting date. “$30,000.00 later” and an additional $25,000.00
if we set a trial date. “Because it is all about the money!”
They
said that because he had admitted to a crime he would be charged with a
first degree felony of “Sexual Assault of a Minor''. If we went
to court he would be facing a five to thirty five year sentence with no
option for probation and he would be required to register as a sex
offender for life. The plea bargain they offered was to reduce the
charge to a third degree felony of ''Indecent Exposure with a Minor''.
He
pays probation and fees for a sex offender counseling class and a
cognitive thinking class that he attends weekly.
The
expense of this tragedy is nothing in comparison to the devastation my
son and our family have experienced.
He
is no longer allowed to see his little brother and sister because they
are under the age of 17. He can not visit his older brother because his
apartment is too close to the pool. He can not participate in any family
or other functions that anyone under 17 yrs old might attend. He can
not go to a movie theater, McDonalds, shopping mall and the list goes on
and on. We have restrictions where we can live as long as he lives with
us. The sheriff, probation officer and the registration officer come to
our house without notice to inspect our residence regularly. We
feel as if we are on probation! This is a nightmare for anyone or
any family.
Susan
Mother
of a RSO
Texas
Voices
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