A parent finds out a molester is coaching a youth baseball team

The following story comes from an old friend who has been involved in O.C. politics and Latino activism for some time. He prefers to remain anonymous, particularly as his post is about sexual offenders, including one that lived close to his home. Read on:

It was about three years ago that I started regularly checking the California?s Megan?s website to view those convicted sexual offenders living near my home, my parents home and my children?s schools.

See I have four kids and have watched all those sensational local news accounts: like the one showing California state parole agents shuffling around sexual offenders from one day to another, or Channel 2(9) David Goldstein?s discovery of sexual offenders living in those seedier looking motels next to the Magic Kingdom or his special investigative report of Megan?s registrants living too close to schools and/or parks.

Then who could forget watching NBC?s Dateline featured story the last three years called ?To catch a predator.? It was just an eye awaking experience to witness and realize that there is really no identifying trait in anyone that allows a parent determine if a person is a child predator or not. Basically, if you take ten random people and line them up, no one can identify the sexual predator, much more the already convicted sexual predator.

Sure, I believe most deeply caring parents or guardians understand that while statistics show that most child predators are known to the victims and not that creepy neighbor who lives down the street they still will be more vigilant against that creepy neighbor.

Living in southeastern Anaheim (zip 92802) the past five years, I was extremely concerned that there were many Megan?s registrants residing very close. However, I soon realized that it could be much worse had I moved to central Anaheim, or even worse Santa Ana. Please don?t get me wrong here because the aforementioned sentence should not be understood as having some sort of ?NIMBY? attitude. The reality is that I am just as concerned for the children living in central Santa Ana as my precious ones at home.

Nevertheless, I examined and took careful note of all the ?too close to home? sexual offenders. Soon I found myself wondering if I had seen any of these sick creeps jogging or walking by my house. I figured out that my only recollection of those offenders on the Megan?s website was because I previously viewed their picture .

Then one day I walked into the neighborhood liquor store and saw the closet convicted sexual offender from my house. I had my son in my hand and I found myself holding on tighter. I didn’t want to seemed dazed so I just bought what I needed to and headed on out. When leaving, I noticed that I had parked directly behind this person?s vehicle. I noticed many things, but what caught my eye was something that will play out more a year later.

There were two stickers on the bumper of this person?s black Jeep Wrangler. They both were identical, two baseball bats with a ball and the description, Tustin Pony Baseball.

I remember thinking surely there was no way this person was associated with that organization. Telling myself that the police authorities (parole officer, local city police, etc?) would have at least confirmed that he is not involved in any youth organization. Or perhaps the jeep did not belong to him or those stickers were on the Jeep when he purchased used.

Again, my worst case scenario was that he was involved with this youth baseball league was put aside because I assumed that every responsible agency that monitors these individuals would have reasonably and/or easily confirmed the sexual offender?s compliances with being a Megan?s law registrants. Wrong?

It took me a year and a half later and an extremely lucky (unlucky) walk to my son?s base ball game to find out the truth.

I saw this sick creepy neighbor yet again. This time he was wearing shades and strolling between baseball fields at a Tustin school. We passed and I took a double-take look but hesitated to stare. I kept his movements in the corner of my eye while I took my son to his base ball game.

This sick creep walked to the same parking lot that I parked in and retrieved a chair or other bulky object and walked back to a nearby baseball field. I immediate mentioned to a few of the other parents on my son?s team that I saw someone ?that appeared? to be on the Megan?s website. I didn’?t point out this person or give the direction that he walked because the last thing I wanted to do was mistakenly identified a person as a possible threat. I hesitantly left my son with his grandmother because of my daughter?s girl scouts meeting was fast approaching.

Then as I walked through the middle of the baseball fields, looking in the direction of baseball field that person walked towards earlier, I saw him. But, it was not in the stands cheering or rooting for a team it was standing in the baseball dugout. To those not in the know, that?s the place where all the players hang out, separate from their parents.

I then mentioned to another parent about this situation and added to her ?this person was in the dugout ?. Still not wanting to misidentify an innocence person I mentioned that I?m leaving but I remember the jeep that this person may be driving. ?I?ll go check that out and see if it is the same?

In the parking lot, there it was?that same black Wrangler Jeep, the one with the same Tustin Pony baseball stickers.

Nevertheless, as I was still thinking this may not be the same person as shown on the Megan?s website. Perhaps, this is a brother of the person or maybe this person status doesn?’t restrict his ability to be around youth. I certainly was not about to confront him and point blank ask for his name and/or ask if he is registered on Megan?s website. There were too many reasons or uncertainties not to move on this immediately.

The next day (Monday), I went on to the website and looked to see the offense that this person committed. If there could be any best scenario with this creep I?d assume that it would not involve a child but was I deeply wrong. There it was, the description for this creep, ?LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS?

I immediately contacted the Tustin police to report my suspicions. I was still not aware of what someone on the Megan?s website can and can?t do. Everybody that I spoke to before my call to the police pretty much confirmed that a registered sex offender should not be in the dugout.

I called the police department to report this incident and was referred to leave a message for a detective that works a Tuesday through Saturday workweek.

The next day, I spoke with the detective and offered my account of what I witnessed.

It was around two days later that I called the detective again and discussed my concern. She confirmed that initially the League?s official had a familiarity with the name that I had provided and would visit the Megan?s website to confirm if this person was involved in the assisting the Youth pony league. The discussion turned upsetting when the detective mentioned that a Tustin?s Pony league official stated that he had a friend that worked at the Orange police department and he would personally contact that person to report this incident if a positive identification was made.

Perhaps, I?m not getting it because I don?t understand why a policing authority would rely in essence the Tustin Pony League official to confirmed the identity of a Megan?s registrants and contact the registrant?s home city policing agency (Orange PD) of this person to confirm if he is compiling with all laws.

Nevertheless, I assumed that I did what I could and that was more than enough.

The next day, I reached the detective and asked if a positive match was made. She confirmed that the Tustin official did confirm the identity and called that p
erson to let that person know that he cannot participate in their league?s team. An agreement was made that he would only be able to drop of his son and would in no way be in the dugout. He also confirmed that this person has been very active in the league the last two years.

At the end of this conversation the Tustin detective mentioned that if I see this person in the future please contact the police immediately. I asked if anything would be done given that this person knowing put himself in the midst of children the last two years given his status on Megan?s website. Her reply was repeating that this person will not be participating in this league?s baseball activities. While I never asked I wondered if an investigation included interviewing the current and past baseball players this convicted sexual offender has coached throughout the last two years? Given the complexities of rounding up all those baseball players the last two years I assumed that a complete investigation was not done.

After this incident, I contacted Assemblyman Spitzer?’s office and was referred to Assemblyman Devore’s office because the league’?s fields are in Devore’s district. I left my information with some young fellow in Devore’s office and was promised a return phone call the next week. (Still waiting).

It should be also mentioned that at the United State?’s Megan?s website I reported this person over three weeks ago and have not received a call either.

I have came to understand that a person listed on the Megan?s website, unless they are own parole or probation may still be allowed to be around children. As Channel 2 David Goldstein told me that a Megan?s registrants could conceivably live in house with ?ten kids?. However, I don?t understand why the following law found on the Megan?s website could not apply to this convicted child molester.

Prohibition on Sex Offender Registrants Working with Minors

Sex offender registrants whose sex crime was against a victim under age 16 are prohibited by law from working, as an employee or volunteer, with minors, if the registrant would be working with minors directly and in an unaccompanied setting on more than incidental or occasional basis or would have supervisory or disciplinary power over the child. If the registrant’s crime was not against a victim under age 16, the registrant must notify the employer or volunteer organization of his status as a registrant. Failure to comply with this law is a misdemeanor offense. (Penal Code