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