Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Sexual Predators
Two recent cases involving sexual predators caught my, and a lot of others, attention recently. Sex related crimes make up some of the most difficult for me to understand. Obviously, I hope for all of us, sex is a pleasurable, enjoyable experience best shared with an equally willing, consenting adult.
But, as we're told, sex related crimes are about power and use of force rather than the actual sex. Truly a perversion of one of God's greatest gifts to mankind.
Ten days ago, a former Maysville, KY resident was arrested in Ft. Myers, FL for "allegedly taking inappropriate photographs of a teen girl at a Fort Myers beach."
Mr. Pipal held a high level job at the local branch of a national (maybe international) company. I'm not sure which one. Judging from his house, he easily earned a 6 figure income. He and his son once made a beautiful wood strip canoe which they donated to the school for raffling off.
This is a man that had everything going for him and threw it away due to a sexual compulsion of some sort. I know psychologists can explain many of the mechanisms and processes involved but, even with all that, I still don't feel like I understand the motivations of this.
The second case consists of much more tragic circumstances. A convicted sex offender with outstanding warrants attacked and killed a 13 year-old girl,Esme Kenney. Esme was a talented 7th grader who attended The School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati. Last Saturday afternoon, she went out for a jog in a park close to her home and never returned. While searching for her the police came upon her attacker and immediately thought the worst. They were right.
Anthony Kirkland, the man accused of Esme's murder, holds a long record of violence and sexually related crimes.
Truly a disgusting person. And, tragically, a person whom the system failed to track adequately.
I have no sympathy for Kirkland. I don't understand why someone becomes such a monster. If I did understand, I'm doubt it would make any difference in how I feel. Having a daughter in the 7th grade, like Esme, I worry about such monsters frequently, every time she goes somewhere where I'm not sure their is anyone there to protect her. I won't describe what I would do to someone who did to my daughter what Kirkland did to Esme lest you think I'm the monster.
I have little sympathy for Pipal either. Here's a man who had what most only wish for. Yet, he threw it all away to commit perverted acts in the presence of young girls.
I wonder sometimes that sexual offender registries are unfair to people who made a one time mistake. But, how do you tell. And, for violent offenders a registry isn't enough. Maybe, this is the answer, plus lots of time in jail. Or, in Mr. Kirkland's case, should he be guilty, the chair.
But, as we're told, sex related crimes are about power and use of force rather than the actual sex. Truly a perversion of one of God's greatest gifts to mankind.
Ten days ago, a former Maysville, KY resident was arrested in Ft. Myers, FL for "allegedly taking inappropriate photographs of a teen girl at a Fort Myers beach."
"She was with about nine of her friends at a birthday party at the beach," said the father in a phone interview Monday, "He (Pipal) was next to the light pole taking photos of her back side and at one point, he reached around and took a photo of her... from the front."The police charged Pipal with disturbing peace/breach of peace, a misdemeanor. This was the third sexually related charge for Pipal. The last was last year.
"Witnesses said he was about six inches away from her body with the camera.," he said, "Her friends saw him do it and yelled to warn her."
In 2008, Pipal, served 30 days of a 90-day sentence in Brown County, Ohio after complaints were filed regarding his behavior at an athletic event in Ripley in October 2007. The charges stemmed from an incident involving a girls' soccer game at Ripley Union Lewis Huntington High School. Pipal had driven the St. Patrick School girls' soccer team to the event and had allegedly "pleasured himself" in view of others while attending the game.Being slightly acquainted with Pipal because we were members of the same church and his son went to the same school as my oldest, I find his actions tragic and nearly impossible to understand.
Mr. Pipal held a high level job at the local branch of a national (maybe international) company. I'm not sure which one. Judging from his house, he easily earned a 6 figure income. He and his son once made a beautiful wood strip canoe which they donated to the school for raffling off.
This is a man that had everything going for him and threw it away due to a sexual compulsion of some sort. I know psychologists can explain many of the mechanisms and processes involved but, even with all that, I still don't feel like I understand the motivations of this.
The second case consists of much more tragic circumstances. A convicted sex offender with outstanding warrants attacked and killed a 13 year-old girl,Esme Kenney. Esme was a talented 7th grader who attended The School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati. Last Saturday afternoon, she went out for a jog in a park close to her home and never returned. While searching for her the police came upon her attacker and immediately thought the worst. They were right.
Anthony Kirkland, the man accused of Esme's murder, holds a long record of violence and sexually related crimes.
Prisons records show Kirkland was sentenced in 1987 to spend seven to 25 years in prison on charges of voluntary manslaughter and aggravated arson.Police believe Kirkland committed 4 other murders and hope to link him to those crimes.
...he was accused of breaking into a woman’s home and raping her. He was acquitted of that charge.
Most recently, he was on parole for soliciting a 13-year-old girl for sex in 2007, ...
Truly a disgusting person. And, tragically, a person whom the system failed to track adequately.
I have no sympathy for Kirkland. I don't understand why someone becomes such a monster. If I did understand, I'm doubt it would make any difference in how I feel. Having a daughter in the 7th grade, like Esme, I worry about such monsters frequently, every time she goes somewhere where I'm not sure their is anyone there to protect her. I won't describe what I would do to someone who did to my daughter what Kirkland did to Esme lest you think I'm the monster.
I have little sympathy for Pipal either. Here's a man who had what most only wish for. Yet, he threw it all away to commit perverted acts in the presence of young girls.
I wonder sometimes that sexual offender registries are unfair to people who made a one time mistake. But, how do you tell. And, for violent offenders a registry isn't enough. Maybe, this is the answer, plus lots of time in jail. Or, in Mr. Kirkland's case, should he be guilty, the chair.
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