Pantagraph.com | News | Prosecutor: Child molester like 'kid in a candy store' at sleepover

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Flaming wrote on Oct 8, 2008 3:35 PM:

" To #1mama, how can you call yourself #1mama when you are defending an admitted child molester? Any self respecting MOTHER! would put their child first. And his girlfriend is an adultress that chose him over her own daughter too. What kind of example is this? What are the unselfish reasons a man would plead guilty to a crime he supposedly according to you did not committ? I will be waiting with albundy54 in Downs municipal court! "

flaming wrote on Oct 8, 2008 2:26 PM:

" Unfortunatly I know them too and I know that he is a repeat offender already. He doesn't have a license like Fuming said but you could still see him driving around Downs. He has been suspected of this for years actually but no one was able to prove anything before. I agree that a man would not plead guilty to a crime that will affect him for the rest of his life if he was not guilty. He was around children at Downs 4th of July Celebration drinking. I am glad I have the right to call the cops on him if he ever comes around my children! "

FUMING wrote on Oct 6, 2008 2:31 PM:

" Sorry, but I don't know where you got your information cause i have talked to some of the girls that were there and both of them were DRUNK and had been fighting. That is why she went to bed and left him up with 8 little girls. Then she got up about 3:00 cause she heard something and wanted to know what he was doing. If he is such a saint then why doesn't he have a job? If you know these two so well then why is it that all they do is brag about all of the porn they watch all night long. For the record he plead guilty cause otherwise his girlfriend was going to get in trouble for lieing on the stand. For the record also he went camping in Michigan right before school started with his girlfriend and her daughter. What happen to the rules of not being around kids under the age of 16? People need to wake up and smell the roses about these 2 cause they are not saints like some of you are trying to make them out to be. "

PWNZILLA wrote on Oct 4, 2008 9:56 AM:

" Zeva...too bad this guy did'nt kick a cop, he would'nt have gotten off so easy. and that is sooo sad....i dont condone abusive behavior towards a cop, but i deffinately dont agree with less than half of 180 days for molesting a young child. "

Zeva wrote on Oct 3, 2008 9:24 PM:

" I just read that in Ottawa Illinois a guy "Kicked" a cop and was given a 3 1/2 year sentence!!! Now is this a distorted picture or what???? "

#1mama wrote on Oct 3, 2008 8:49 PM:

" albundy54 - I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion!!!! "

albundy54 wrote on Oct 3, 2008 6:45 PM:

" To No.1 Mama, an innocent man does not plead guilty. Maybe you thought you knew this guy but apparently you did not. This hogwash of pleading guilty for unselfish reasons is BS. It is parents like you that allow predators to run the streets and judges like Fitzgerald who refuse to give them the sentences they deserve. You say you know this man? Tell me what mind of man gets himself in a situation where is with a room full of underage girls, drinking or not? A decent man would not allow himself to be in that situation. So No.1 Mama make your case in the Downs municipal court. "

chubbyalaskagriz wrote on Oct 3, 2008 6:26 PM:

" In our society it's difficult to tell who values children less- the criminals who prey upon them- or the justice system who preys upon them. 180 days? This is an OUTRAGE. "

#1mama wrote on Oct 3, 2008 5:10 PM:

" The mother was not drinking at all, ask any of those girls there - espically her daughter which was at that slumber party of course and the daughter also is standing behind Mr.Janes along with a few other of the children that were at the slumber party. "

FUMING wrote on Oct 3, 2008 4:29 PM:

" Sorry, this is sad!!! 180 days for doing something to a child. I am sorry, if he should have to do time she should also. There were 8 little girls there for a sleepover. If you can not refrain from drinking one night then something is wrong. For her to pick him over her own flesh and blood is also sad, that is just wrong. I feel sad for the daughter that will never be able to go home. Grant it the mother may not have done any thing to the child but they both were there and they both were drinking. Who was the responsible one there. What is one of the girls got hurt, who was going to do the driving cause he couldn't cause he has not license.
He did not learn nothing from this, he will end up back there for the same thing again. Neither one of him or her have obeyed any of the guidelines that they were given. Why wasn't nothing done about that. I just don't get the system at all. "

McLeaner wrote on Oct 3, 2008 4:06 PM:

" I am usually all for rehabilitation and I usually think criminal sentences are disproportionately high, but this makes me sick. A receidivist sex offender such as this should be sentenced to DOC with a civil committment hearing (for sexually dangerous people) after that. Some times rehabilitation is not an option and evildoers must be separated from society. "

#1mama wrote on Oct 3, 2008 4:03 PM:

" He is not guilty of this crime - I know him. Maybe all of you should know your facts before you go preaching to the world!!!!!!! He plead guilty for very unselfish reasons. "

makana wrote on Oct 3, 2008 3:08 PM:

" Oh please Zeva you guys keep "Chester the Molester" there in McLean county..we have our own problems in Hawaii!!! LOL "

honesty wrote on Oct 3, 2008 3:04 PM:

" The sad thing of this is, that I seen Him, Girlfriend and her daughter at the mall when one of the radio stations was having a contest Daddy Drag Races. He got 2 place. And her daughter was right there with them for it. Now that is sad Mom and him broke the rules. So what does that tell you. So I'm sure he will be the same way when he gets out. I can't beleive that they didn't send him away or give him more time. That is a sad only a hand slap........... so very sad. What is the court come to.... "

well now wrote on Oct 3, 2008 2:45 PM:

" He and his lawyer need to be put in a cell with Pelo, Love and a couple of BIG GUYS that are on year 15 of a life sentence. "

ConcernedCitizen wrote on Oct 3, 2008 2:17 PM:

" Something needs to be done about these types of people. This not only hurts our children physically, but emotionally. This girl may have relationship problems for the rest of her life...not to mention the fact that she will never want to go to a sleepover again. I have friends who won't let their daughter go to sleepovers for just this type of reason. I used to think it was silly, but now, I'm not so sure... "

yeahh wrote on Oct 3, 2008 1:49 PM:

" ok seriously, 180 days? thats crap, hes not gonna learn anything from that, they will never change, these type of people will just keep violating kids because they're sick in the head. so why do we keep putting them in jail for like a short amount of time when people go to jail for pot for like... what 2 years or something? "

albundy54 wrote on Oct 3, 2008 1:23 PM:

" Yet another handslap for a pedophile by Fitzgerald. I am outraged because a sex offender getting a case in Fitzgeralds' court room is a guarantee of leniency. This guy needs to go and I have said that in this forum many times. It sickens me everytime this judge gets a sex case, he is the easiest on sex offenders than any other judge on the circuit. Check his record. "

annagraham wrote on Oct 3, 2008 12:53 PM:

" Shame on you, "Judge" Fitzgerald. You make my blood boil just as much as Mr. Janes in this case. "

editorgirl62 wrote on Oct 3, 2008 12:48 PM:

" Studying sexual predators/criminals was part of my Criminal Justice major. Those who molest children do so because of their URGE to do so. There is NO CURE for the thoughts and fanatasies they have about children. Some who've molested say treatment helped them "control" their urges, but again, there is NO CURE. With this slap on the wrist, this person will reoffend - I'd bet the farm on it. Most molestors have had numerous victims by the time they are caught, too. We live in VERY DANGEROUS times when any judge will let a person who so greatly harmed a child walk away after a few days in jail. And we wonder why so many children grow up to use drugs and commit crimes....shame on you, Judge Fitzgerald! "

mixdown wrote on Oct 3, 2008 12:47 PM:

" No one lives with anything "forever." I and others I know were molested as children and turned out just fine; no counseling necessary. I'm not saying molestation is okay, I'm just saying that children are extremely resilient. Counseling and crap like it is the product of an overreactive society that believes that no one bears the ability to get over it. Thus, no one ever does, because the conseling pounds the memories into their head much harder than the actual incident. "

PWNZILLA wrote on Oct 3, 2008 11:28 AM:

" Thank You Country Boy....and Amen Nonya...this is just ridiculous. A system that has failed not only an innocent family, but a little girl as well. I think the Judge should join him for letting him off so easy, he too is no better. If that was my kid, that person would'nt live to tell about it. "

chitowngirl wrote on Oct 3, 2008 11:08 AM:

" Sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated. It's only a matter of time before he does it again. So sad. "

Michael wrote on Oct 3, 2008 10:44 AM:

" The court gave the preacher guy molester 20 years because he had pictures too. Sounds like it's ok to molest, just dont' photograph it? This is a weird message to people that use our children for sex...take your chances, you may get off? There needs to be a more set and uniform punishment. "

Flaming wrote on Oct 3, 2008 10:24 AM:

" I can't believe that is all they gave him either. How can his girlfiend still pick him over her own daughter? Now she still won't be able to go home. At the least he can't have contact with anyone under 18 and I can now protect my family from him. Downs is a small town, who is going to enfore this and make sure he stays away from these young kids? "

kc wrote on Oct 3, 2008 10:18 AM:

" This breaks my heart! This child will live with it forever, you do eventually get over it in some ways. But it will never completely leave her. I just pray when she grows up that she will realize that she did nothing wrong! "

woo wrote on Oct 3, 2008 10:01 AM:

" once again a convicted child molester gets only six months for molesting a child under 13 years old and will only serve half that while someone who sales pot get years in prison. i've commented about this many times. i cant believe the average jail time for a child molester in mclean count is six months. if you want to clog up the prisons then do it with these sicko's and quit doing it with pot heads. what a shame. when is the court system gonna give these poor kids some justice??? how sad. the judge's should be ashamed of their selfs. and as for attorney mark johnson he should be as well. if i were an attorney theirs no way i would even defend these sicko's and then for him to say that the six months was too much is terrible! "

ugly angel wrote on Oct 3, 2008 9:34 AM:

" Talk about a wake-up call!! This turd needed some REAL JAIL TIME!! Not 180 days in county!!
THERE REALLY is NOT a punishment good enough for the damage this pig has created.
Looks like if they admit to the crimes they have committed that in itself is ALMOST punishment !!
Should have been @ LEAST 4 years in PRISON, then a probation/parole time..Nice Job with the system failure!!! "

nonya wrote on Oct 3, 2008 9:31 AM:

" When are we as a society going to value our daughters more? You get more time for selling drugs or stealing than for molestation?!! Oh, thats right.....our children do not have a dollar value, but street drugs and tangable goods do...... "

fyi wrote on Oct 3, 2008 9:22 AM:

" I thought that violent crimes carried a mandatory 80% of actual sentences be served, so why is this guy going to get day for day credit? I didn't tell on my 17y/o buddies when I was 17 and got 6 months in jail....all they did was steal some cd's....ironically, I hired Johnson as well. I guess property is more important than children's safety. Let's vote that moronic judge out. "

nonya wrote on Oct 3, 2008 9:12 AM:

" county boy, you said it right. "

nonya wrote on Oct 3, 2008 9:12 AM:

" As a society, when are we going to value our daughters more? You get more time for selling drugs or stealing than for child molestation? We place more of a value on our possessions than the real treasures, our children. If this was my daughter, he would not have 180 days, but be 6 feet under!!! "

Dave wrote on Oct 3, 2008 9:09 AM:

" It's hard to understand how out of touch our judicial system is with morality and justice.
Reading this made me cry and I'm a grown man. 90 days in jail for molesting a young girl? Really, just 90 days? 35 years for possessing cocaine but 90 days for molesting a child? Pelo should have gotten off with a couple years if this sentence is fair. "

me wrote on Oct 3, 2008 8:49 AM:

" i totally agree hs should have gotten ALOT more time. but besides that he should have been ordered to pay for any counseling that the girl and her fmily needs. if that was my child i know that i would be needing some counseling after hearing the amount that he was giving. "

New Nana wrote on Oct 3, 2008 8:20 AM:

" You must be kidding.....180 days in jail! you may as well let him walk now. And only recommended outpatient treatment, how about COURT ORDERED sex offender counseling. This is like a kid getting slapped on the hand for scribbling on a desk at school. "

Zeva wrote on Oct 3, 2008 7:46 AM:

" This guy only gets 180 days????? What's wrong with this picture? Did he get a round trip ticket to Hawaii too? He should have been given more jail time because the victim will live with this for the rest of their lives. "

Alli wrote on Oct 3, 2008 7:40 AM:

" Crimes against children need carry more severe penalties. "

mwillis71 wrote on Oct 3, 2008 7:13 AM:

" WOW! that is all he got! I see people get more time for posession of an herb than that. "

Country Boy wrote on Oct 3, 2008 7:10 AM:

" molest a child = 180 days
possess marijuana = 1-3 years
caught with cocaine = 5-10 years
the downfall of our court system...priceless... "

anchor wrote on Oct 3, 2008 6:33 AM:

" Who really feels sorry for child molesters? 180 days is too few. "

Ads by Yahoo!

Online Degrees

See Today's Mortgage Rates

Weekly New Car Bargains