# The handyman is a convicted sex offender. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 29, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724 "2012-07-29T02:27:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/141 "2012-07-30T03:46:42Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > Now thats just fucking stupid. Condemning a person just because of the way his brain is wired? You banning gays too? Please tell me you did not just equate child rape with homosexuality. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/142 "2012-07-30T03:54:23Z")
> [@Beastly\_Rotter](#): > > Please tell me you did not just equate child rape with homosexuality. Nope he didn’t - He equated pedophilia to the structure of the brain, as in, it being something that the sufferer can’t help (although they can choose not to act on it) to homosexuality also being the structure of the brain and not a lifestyle choice. If I understood correctly, it was not a value judgement, but rather a statement of fact that nobody “chooses” to be have pedophillic attractions, anymore than somebody chooses to be gay. It’s just the way that the individual brain is wired. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/143 "2012-07-30T04:12:26Z")
The crime against the 6 year old was a long time ago and he could have been wrongly convicted. From the description of the types of things that could have led to the charges it seems like it might be easy for a 6 year old to be led to say things that didn’t happen or didn’t happen how she said or thought. There’s been enough cases of people wrongly convicted of child molestation that there’s a not unreasonable chance it’s not as bad as it sounds. But it could be, and if it is you have no indication that he’s done anything like it again. So, he’s dating a younger women. That’s not necessarily an indication that he’s only into younger women. How many women his age are going to date someone who has trouble keeping a job? How I feel about sex offenders is that the majority of sex offenders have never been caught. We can all freak out every time we see one who is known, or we can be practical and keep them away from children but let them go about their business until they show signs of trying to re-offend like palling around with, or showing too much interest in children. There’s an identified sex offender, one you’re safer from than the other sex offenders you interact with and let your children be around every day. The convicted sex offender in your neighborhood is one you can point out to your children and say “Stay away from that person. Do not walk by his house. If he gets within a certain distance of you, run and scream”. The other sex offender in your neighborhood is probably your kid’s best friend’s uncle who thay hang around with all the time. He does a good job at a fair price. Use him whenever you can until he proves himself untrustworthy. Don’t recommend him out to people with young children and if people with children ask for his number just calmly explain that he has a past conviction listed on the web site and let them make their own decision. Explain that he does a good job and since there are no children around, you decided to give him a chance. I need some work done around my house, I would hire him. I have no children and there are no young children in my immediate area. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/144 "2012-07-30T04:22:11Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > He couldn’t pass a character and fitness review to become a lawyer. [Just because you \*are \*a character doesn’t mean that you \*have \*character.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/quotes) ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/145 "2012-07-30T04:28:59Z")
> [@Girl\_Next\_Door](#): > > You outed him because until you posted that I had no idea what his name was. Now I know his name, date of birth, height and weight. And he’s 10 years younger, 3 inches shorter, and 20 pounds heavier than me. Which is a whole hell of a lot more than anyone on this board knew about me before I posted this. Yeah, you outed him. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/146 "2012-07-30T05:08:54Z")
> [@Confused dart cum](#): > > (e.g. there’s another guy with the same name as him that’s a sex offender: [http://www.homefacts.com/offender-detail/PA5239/John-W-Campbell.html](http://www.homefacts.com/offender-detail/PA5239/John-W-Campbell.html)) and it’s a common name. I checked that site for my name. There are 21 registered sex offenders who have the same name. None of them are me, not that I expected I would show up there, since I ain’t a sex offender. An ad link there gave me the opportunity to search for criminal records. There were 44 people in my state alone. None of them were me. These days, it’s nice to have a ridiculously common name. They’ll be overwhelmed with results, most of which are obviously not applicable. They _won’t_ keep looking long enough to dig out _my_ embarrassing details… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/147 "2012-07-30T05:44:21Z")
Just out of curiosity, where did you find him in the first place? Did someone recommend him? Ad in the paper? Leaflet in your door? Angie’s List? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/148 "2012-07-30T06:19:57Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > Now thats just fucking stupid. Condemning a person just because of the way his brain is wired? You banning gays too? A pedophile may not be able to help the way he feels. He CAN control the way he ACTS. His brain never forced him to rape that girl. If you are honestly calling him the victim, because “his brain is wired that way”, you’re the fucking stupid one. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/149 "2012-07-30T06:42:52Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > A pedophile may not be able to help the way he feels. He CAN control the way he ACTS. His brain never forced him to rape that girl. If you are honestly calling him the victim, because “his brain is wired that way”, you’re the fucking stupid one. This > [@](#): > > Personally I wouldn’t be too bothered if paedophiles were separated from the rest of society, even if they’d never committed a crime (there are objective tests which can demonstrate erotic response to children). Is the original quote. Which is asking us to criminalise the way he feels. So while nobody is suggesting that actions should be excused, here is somebody suggesting that he should be blamed for an attraction (that is still moot at this point, as we don’t know that he is even a medically diagnosed pedophile) that is the result of his (supposed) brain being wrongly wired. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/150 "2012-07-30T08:25:59Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > Would you trust this man if you were the six year old, violated by a teenager old enough to drive, and nearly old enough to serve? Would you continue to allow him in your home if the six year old were your child? I’m all about forget and forgive for most transgressions, but whatever he did to a six year kid that warranted jail time would be difficult for me to put aside. And what offense has he committed recently that he has been paroled for? And he cracks jokes casually about being on parole? For those shouting live and let live, what is it about these circumstances that inspires a second chance? I guess you TOTALLY missed where _every single person_ advocating what you are calling “forgive and forget” (none of which involves saying what he did was OK or forgetting he did it) emphasized employing him ONLY where there where\*\* _no children?_\*\* NO ONE is saying having him work in a home with a six year old running is OK. In fact, we’ve all said that’s a circumstance where you would NOT want to hire him. As for parole - that can extend for many, many years past prison release. There are people who are on parole for the rest of their lives. We’re not talking about “putting aside” what he did, what we’re talking about is letting a man who is, apparently, behaving these days make an honest living doing work where no one is either tempted to repeat a past offensive or put into danger by someone. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/151 "2012-07-30T08:57:35Z")
“She is a psychologist who believes she can judge whether or not he is a changed man by listening to his explanation, looking for regret, and examining his behavior when confronted with the situation.” Psychologists in general way way way overestimate their ability to do these kinds of things. I would think I had the hang of who was fibbing and who wasnt when I worked in family violence, and regularly find out I knew squat. Even worse I would then repeat that same process every 6 months or so, thinking that _this_ time I really had figured out how to do it. Otara ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/152 "2012-07-30T09:51:08Z")
> [@Crime\_Scene](#): > > Thank you for the suggestions, Rachelle. He has already earned a tip he doesn’t know about by putting up a range hood without me asking him to do it. He heard me tell my wife in passing that I’d need an electrician since the wiring in the house was so sketchy and old. He put it up and told me later; he didn’t seem to be seeking praise. When he left last night he needed cash, rather than my standard check, because he needed money to get him through Sunday. I gave him $50 on a prepaid card to get him through the weekend. There will be plenty of work if I decide to stick with him, but like I said, I just don’t know. The most recent conviction I listed looks like its from '07. So what the fuck more do you need ? He’s doing good work, hasn’t nicked your stuff or broken your shit, hasn’t fucked your wife either. So he’s something of a deadbeat and probably depressed/alcoholic/both. That’s more sad than frightening. Passing bad checks could have been desperation, could have been malice - what do you care ? He’s not buying anything from you is he ? Nor pretending he’s done the job when he hasn’t ? Not planning on marrying him, are you ? Then, again, the fuck should you care what kind of a man he is ? You’re not his psychopomp, nor the guy who has to weigh his heart against a feather, nor his minister - you’re his employer. Everything beyond “does he reliably do a good job, yes/no ?” is you being on a power trip. I wouldn’t leave credit card receipts lying around in plain view around his workspace to tempt his Imp of the Perverse (cheers, Neil !), nor conspicuous bottles of booze for that matter, but beyond that: his life, his shit, his concern. Furthermore, I can guarantee you you’ve worked and are working, you’ve known and are probably even friend with people who’ve done and are still doing worse than him. They just never got caught at it, is all. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/153 "2012-07-30T09:59:20Z")
22 years is a very long time for anyone but the difference between 17 and 39 is even further. I was completely screwed up by my own history of child abuse at 17 and I did all sorts of really bad shit (though I didn’t molest anyone). Through some miracle the cops and I didn’t run into one another then and I recently passed both a Police Check and a Working With Children check so I can volunteer with troubled teens. I worked on me along the way and the two versions of me have virtually nothing in common. If this guy has been on the register that long and regularly rolled by the cops (as his list suggests) you can bet they were looking closely for any kiddy fiddling. The fact none appears is a good sign I think. Plenty of molesters are never caught/charged/convicted, the next guy you hire may be a shit worker and a serial rapist without a record. I would give him work in your child free situation and I spent a lot of time in dark places from my own history, however, you don’t have to hire anyone that worries you and this seems to worry you. The question is not really about him but about your comfort level. ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/154 "2012-07-30T10:36:28Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I guess you TOTALLY missed where _every single person_ advocating what you are calling “forgive and forget” (none of which involves saying what he did was OK or forgetting he did it) emphasized employing him ONLY where there where\*\* _no children?_\*\* > > NO ONE is saying having him work in a home with a six year old running is OK. In fact, we’ve all said that’s a circumstance where you would NOT want to hire him. > > As for parole - that can extend for many, many years past prison release. There are people who are on parole for the rest of their lives. > > We’re not talking about “putting aside” what he did, what we’re talking about is letting a man who is, apparently, behaving these days make an honest living doing work where no one is either tempted to repeat a past offensive or put into danger by someone. Tough.Many employers choose not to hire based on a dirty background check. It’s the prerogative of the employer to make sound business decisions. He has a list of offenses that occurred after the heinous offense. He evidently isn’t trying very hard to redeem himself and function in society. He’s a skilled construction worker, should be able to find work anywhere in the US. And if current and future employees choose not to hire him based on background checks: tough. Maybe he will stop breaking laws if he feels the repercussions of his actions. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/155 "2012-07-30T11:21:34Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > And those "others " include a bunch of soft -headed douches on a liberal -leaning Internet messageboard. Seriously. If even **Rand Rover** isn’t willing to show any compassion, then… well, that’s actually baseline, but the _point is_! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/156 "2012-07-30T12:45:58Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > I have an ideological problem with sex offender registries,\* and \*with charging underage criminals as adults (which happened, or else he wouldn’t still be on the registry). I mean, there are kids as young as 12 or 13 who do something stupid, and right away everyone starts talking about charging them as adults. What the everloving FUCK? > > Anyway… obviously you can’t unlearn what you learned, so I’m not advocating you just forget about it. But I do think he’s done his time and, if he hasn’t been convicted of any other sex crimes in the 22 years since his original offense, then you and your neighbors are very, very likely safe. I would recommend letting him finish the job, but don’t hire him again in the future (and don’t recommend him to anyone else). > > I think you should consider investing in criminal background checks in the future, though, if this kind of thing worries you (or at least look people up on the registry before you hire them). It’s not fair to pull the rug out once you hire the guy, because once you hired him he probably stopped looking for other work during that time period. It’d be one thing if he just got out of jail yesterday, but that isn’t the case. 🙂 That is untrue. I have several juveniles on my Megan’s Law list. They did horrific things as juveniles. They have to register as sex offenders. But they were not tried and convicted as adults. > [@Capt\_Kirk](#): > > Just to add if you wish a call to his parole officer it would be welcomed by all. Most employers don’t/won’t call, so a PO has little info to work with. > > **CAPT** It may be different in each state but in mine they are all required to report where they are working. If he didn’t then he is in violation. So by all means call. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/157 "2012-07-30T13:15:52Z")
I can make this simple. You hired him to do work. So far he has fulfilled his obligations on time, on budget, and even exceeded expectations by helping out with another project while he was at it. You did not hire him to hang out with you, or babysit your kids. His crime was over two decades ago and we don’t know the particulars. After that nearly all of his run ins with the law have been procedural or regarding being drunk. If he isn’t drunk on the job then that doesn’t matter. You hired the man to work. He shows up on time, sober, and does his job well. You have nothing to worry about. Keep the info to yourself and keep an eye on him. If you have the slightest suspicion about inappropriate behaviour, then pay him and let him go. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/158 "2012-07-30T13:17:50Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > He’s a skilled construction worker, should be able to find work anywhere in the US. Pardon me while I laugh. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/159 "2012-07-30T13:22:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > **WHY?** No matter how nasty the crime was, a convict who has done his time has as much right as anybody else to make a living. Or to live next door to you – some people even object to **that!** :mad: ^^^^^ this. If we’re not going to go with “he’s done his time, he’s been punished, it’s over (until / unless he does something again)”, we might as well make sex offenses capital crimes. Not to increase punishment but to put them out of their misery so they don’t have to wander the earth reviled and hated and scorned all the days of their life. Hmm, I suppose making a rapist do precisely that has a certain appeal, sure enough, but there is that practical consideration. The guy’s not going to be able to find honest work. We’re creating a situation where we’re going to make him a desperate person who will steal or engage in illegal activities in order to survive. We reduce his interests in trying to be a good citizen. But we leave him in our midst to do as he will. Seems like a bad recipe to me. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724/160 "2012-07-30T13:28:21Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > A pedophile may not be able to help the way he feels. He CAN control the way he ACTS. His brain never forced him to rape that girl. If you are honestly calling him the victim, because “his brain is wired that way”, you’re the fucking stupid one. Agree with this also. Our legal system is based on the idea that you’re responsible for your actions. If people are not capable of managing their own affairs, they need a guardianship and perhaps, if dangerous, incarceration, as fully incompetent people. The rest of us get to act, get to have our intentionalities and not our “brain wiring” or our socialization or whatever regarded as the reason we acted as we did, and we can be held responsible for our acts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-handyman-is-a-convicted-sex-offender/629724.md?page=9)