Is My Nephew Safe Around a Known Sex Offender?
Reader’s Question
My sister ended up pregnant with a man she knew for only a few months. He ended up telling her he was on the sex offender list. He said that when he was 20-23 years old, he went to meet someone he thought was a 14-16-year-old girl from the internet for sex, but it turned out that “she” was a cop. My sister has spoken with his parole officer and once learned that he had violated his parole by having a computer and a “MySpace” page and he had to go back to jail but is now out. He has always asked about his son, but I’m not sure what kind of contact, if any, would be in the best interest of my nephew. Should the boy never be around his dad, or what?
Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply
Sex offenders are not a homogeneous group. They consist of a wide variety of individuals with sexual behavior problems, some of whom have abnormal sexual interests and preferences. Although there are some moderately reliable statistical predictors, it’s also very hard to say with any real degree of accuracy not only who might engage in future sexually inappropriate behavior but also how limited or circumscribed that sexual misbehavior might be. Some men who have a particular fascination with teen females have no interest in prepubescent children whatsoever and no other deviant sexual interests of any kind. But some offenders have multiple deviant interests, and many times not all of their deviant behaviors have been detected or come to light. For all the above reasons, most offenders are placed under supervision so that they are forced to demonstrate their willingness to abide by rules that protect the innocent. Visits with children are sometimes forbidden. When they are permitted, however, they are most often required to be strictly supervised. Offenders who were merely immature and made a mistake can generally lead responsible, normal lives. Some, however, harbor significant character defects and have problems abiding by society’s reasonable requirements for them to prove their safety. Your sister’s boyfriend certainly raised a red flag by not abiding by the terms of his parole. If he’s allowed supervised visitation with his child, it would be in the best interest of all if the supervision is very thorough and that the visit is in accord with all of the terms his supervising officer and the court have set down.
