SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Jeffrey Allen Weathers moved from Alaska to an oceanfront apartment in the Caribbean, but his new neighbors soon suspected the heavyset American hadn’t come for the sun. The FBI now says they were right.
Weathers, with convictions for sexual assault and possession of child pornography in his past, had moved to a small Puerto Rican town in the belief he could avoid registering as a sex offender and live without that stigma, an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit.
Weathers was arrested — thanks in part to his landlord — but law enforcement officials say other sex offenders share the perception that tropical Puerto Rico, where restrictions are less strict than in many U.S. jurisdictions, is an ideal place to hide.
Federal agents have arrested at least five other sex offenders over the last year for failure to register in Puerto Rico and sent them back to the U.S. to face prosecution on other charges, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Rafael Escobar.
He said the marshals are investigating 10 cases of unregistered offenders suspected to be on the island.
“I‘m sure there’s a bunch more,” he said. “The Internet is there, and these guys are checking to see where the law is weakest.”
Each month, about half a dozen sex offenders come to the island from the U.S. mainland and do register with local authorities, according to Puerto Rico police Capt. Margarita George, who oversees the island’s sex offender registry. Nobody knows how many others fail to report in.
She said some are drawn by the lack of laws barring them from living near parks or schools — the sort of rules that have forced sex offenders to camp under bridges or in woods in parts of the United States. And failing to register is a misdemeanor in Puerto Rico — not a felony as it is in most parts of the U.S. Some, like Weathers, find themselves colliding with federal rather than local authorities.
Offenders have told police they can do things in Puerto Rico that are nearly impossible elsewhere, such as buy property, George said.
“It is a fact that the guys who come down here know they’re not that strict,” Escobar said, though he said he did not know of any offenders from the mainland who committed new sexual offenses in Puerto Rico.
About 100,000 of the 714,000 registered sex offenders in the United States are unaccounted for, said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The U.S. Congress tried to close local loopholes on tracking them in 2006 when it required all states and territories to impose the same tough monitoring of sex offenders, calling for convicts to update their registration information in person as frequently as every three months. So far, however, only Florida, Ohio, Delaware and some Native American jurisdictions meet the new federal standards.
“Our primary concern is there is really abundant evidence that the most dangerous offenders seek out situations where they are anonymous,” Allen said.
Puerto Rican officials are working with the U.S. Justice Department on legislation to meet the federal requirements.
American sex offenders have sometimes been drawn to other nations in the Caribbean and Central America, but U.S. citizens need no passport to come to U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. In densely populated Puerto Rico, an island of 4 million people, police are distracted by violent crime.
Weathers, a balding, 53-year-old Oregon native came to Puerto Rico in March, moving into $300-a-month room in Quebradillas on the island’s northwest coast, where he collected Social Security benefits, according to the FBI.
William Young, his landlord, said Weathers struck him as strange, often getting into disputes with other neighbors. Young began checking into the background of his new tenant and learned that Weathers had been convicted in Alaska of sexual abuse of a minor in 1999 and possession of child pornography in 2006.
Young said Weathers didn’t deny his history and told him repeatedly that he picked Puerto Rico because its laws are more relaxed toward sex offenders.
Young said his tenant even seemed to taunt him after he began trying to evict him.
“He would say to me, ‘There’s a little kid across the street that I talk to every day,’” Young said. “He knew that would upset me.”
The landlord got in touch with the U.S. Marshals Service, which launched the investigation that led to his arrest last month.
Prosecutors say there is no evidence that Weathers abused anybody in Puerto Rico. He was arrested after he moved out of the apartment and made a brief stay at a psychiatric hospital. The FBI affidavit said he is a paranoid schizophrenic.
Defense attorneys say federal law is overly harsh on those who fail to register. They say some offenders are too poor, sick or simply disorganized to keep up with the requirements.
“I really don’t think this is about protecting children so much as pillorying people in the public stocks,” said David Weber, an attorney with the public defenders’ office that represented Weathers in Anchorage, Alaska. “In most other areas of the law, you don’t get to keep re-sentencing people for the same stuff.”
But prosecutors say the public interest in knowing where sex offenders live is clear.
“If someone is flying under the radar, you have to wonder why they are doing that,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Marshal Morgan, who is handling the Weathers case.
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Hythloday
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 11:45pmI’m calling out both sides. Just because you’re the other extreme, doesn’t make you any different than the opposition. If you want to keep claiming that Libs just want to see child molesters roam the streets, fine, then hold those judges, attorneys accountable. However, don’t also scream God, Christian, and advocate generalizations, because guess what: you‘re the same as your opposition being that you’re making emotional decisions. If we can’t try people on individual cases, then we’ll never understand the justice system is broke. I thought America is a Christian nation, then act like it, that includes redemption. If we can’t allow individuals to be redeemed on a case by case basis, then explain to me what the concept of redemption is for? If we are going to have either law or policy with blanket jurisdiction, then don‘t complain when your punished for something in a criminal zone so large that you’re seen as no different than the worst either. And perhaps most importantly, stop being cafeteria constitutionalists! Lifetime registration after a sentence, followed by arbitrary state and federal law changes that are ex post facto are unconstitutional. And to be fiscal, consider this, if we locked up all 715,000 now resistered, plus those currently incarcerated, at 70,000 grand a year (and climbing) that’s about 105 billion a year. I know the cost would be incidental to most, but it‘s one of those things which will never recede if we don’t ever let these guys out, who’ll sit locked up for 30-50 years. And with our current financial bubble ready to burst, can we afford not to consider a little more sense with our convictions?
Report Post »santacary
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 2:59pmthis crime is a crime like having sex for money. it is an old crime , if we look in the days of Christ and even before that in rome the rule was if you were 10 or 12 and had not been assulted by some older man your next. this is as bad as it sounds , it dose not make it right , i know if you take the time to get to know one you’ll find the shame of his sex offender in his life ,who did him worng , as i have seen sex offender HAVE all ready been victims. look at your life see who sexauly assulted you, wher do you put the shame ? who could you go to? you don’t the people who have misstreated you to go to jail for one reason or other so just who do you talk to ???
Report Post »yes the bible says to put them to death . good plan most would wecome death as the shame is to much to live with , so mabe we should find out why they did what they did, and remove the shame .
that won’t happen as we as mear human cannot remove shame thats a God thing , as it call for forgiveness. we are all sinner you and i are in the same boat you should be sent to see a Holy God and what did you do to gain heaven ? why should a Holy God let you or i dwell with Him ??? look at they that sin with the eyes of God ????
Libertyluvnmomma
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 12:40pmI value human life above all else. However, the destruction and damage to children who have been abused is incalculable. Pedophiles and convicted sex offenders need one punishment- DEATH.
Report Post »They cannot be reformed. Period.
When will America get serious? There is no room in our society for it and it makes God cry.
Tallysrfr
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 1:28pmMurderous comments like yours make God cry. How do you know that all sex offenders cannot be reformed? You watch too much tv. I happen to know several sex offenders who committed their crimes under the influence of drugs and alcohol. They are clean and sober now, have healthy families, are contributing to their church and community, and helping people in need. Painting people with a broad brush and advocating their extermination sounds like Nazism to me. Ignorance is what lead ordinary people to allow the Holocaust to happen. Is THAT what you people are advocating? Sick.
Report Post »Skwerl
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 11:06amThe laws may be more lax in PR regarding this activity, but the people aren’t. Human debris like that tend to mysteriously wash up on shore or found fertilizing the lush flora in the tropical forest.
Report Post »BeadGirl
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 9:05amThis is the time where what was once good is bad and what once was bad is good. Unfortunately it is only going to get worse and worse.
Report Post »INFIDEL
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 9:45pmPedophilia is a sexual orientation. It cannot be changed or “cured” anymore than can heterosexuality or homosexuality. Like any sexual orientation, pedophilia is driven at it’s core by the reproductive instinct. As we all know, the human motivation to procreate is profound, powerful and impossible to suppress.
Once a person’s reproduction instinct has become fixated on a particular erotic narrative, be it attraction to children or persons of ones own gender, it cannot ever be modified.
Pedophiles (overwhelmingly males) are therefore inherently and irreversibly dangerous. Ideally they should be imprisoned for life unless they submit to surgery that physiologically eliminates their sexual drive (physical castration). Barring that, they should be monitored at all times. An implanted GPS tracking device would probably do the job.
Report Post »GarbyBarengar
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 12:08amSeriously?
Report Post »Libertyluvnmomma
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 12:43pmsounds expensive.
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 9:20pmI have a couple of concerns here, the first being that there have been people who have been convicted of “sexual crimes” for the most inane things, like the father of a molested murder victim out on the West Coast. He was convicted of sexually molesting his daughter. Later, the police actually caught the murderer, but last I heard, the parent was still fighting to get his name off the list of sexual predators.
Another case involved a high school boy who was at a party where there was some sexual activity (yes, I am being vague for a reason) Because he was 18 and a legal adult and his partner was not, even though the actions were consensual, he was tossed in jail.
And of course, there is the classic case of a elderly mother and her son who ran a day care where allegations of sexual abuse. Although the case later fell apart rather spectacularly years later, I believe the son has been denied pardon and may still be in jail in Massachusetts. This same type of scenario also happened another case in New Jersey.
Please before everyone comes down on me like a ton of bricks, I am not defending those who are true sexual predators. My point is that there are people who have been falsely accused and can not clear their names or reputations afterwards. I think that it is shame that these innocent people have to fight so hard to receive cooperation from the government on this.
Secondly, those who are truly guilty of sexual predatorship, what do we do with them? As someone cited earlier in the thread, these people legally can not live near schools, parks, churches (which frequently have schools or classrooms for either religious training, day care or actual schools), hospitals, etc. They have become outcasts. Once again, I do not condone their actions. But with all the legal restrictions that they are faced with, we as a society, need to consider possibly creating some kind of community for them where they can live and work legally rather than forcing them under bridges and into isolated areas.
So, yeah, it’s fine to be upset with sexual predators, but since we have created such a maze of legal restrictions, there needs to be a place for them to live. Or maybe we need to work out a deal with another country where this isn’t such an issue. I don’t know what the answer is, but there must be one. And committing violence against these people isn’t the answer, either.
Report Post »RayGone
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 7:17pmWhat ??? Did they open a new Catholic Church there???
Report Post »missmarie
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 5:36pmARTICLE: “About 100,000 of the 714,000 registered sex offenders in the United States are unaccounted for, said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.”
MISSMARIE: Y‘all better find ’em before I do. q:-)
ARTICLE: Defense attorneys say federal law is overly harsh on those who fail to register. They say some offenders are too poor, sick or simply disorganized to keep up with the requirements.
MISSMARIE: Tough luck, bucko! You do the crime, you do the time! Life ain’t easy!
Report Post »Tallysrfr
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 6:53pmThese are people who have DONE THEIR TIME already! More and more states and municipalities(at the behest of the Federal Govt) are passing more and more laws and ordinances, which amounts to sentencing people over and over again. That’s double jeopardy and is unconstitutional. When FL lawmakers passed the “Jimmy Rice Act” for civil commitments, they even said,“We have to get AROUND the Constitution”!! One FL county bars them from just going to the beach. One part of the “ordinance” says that if one part is ruled unconstitutional, it does not negate the other parts, so that it has to be struck down piece by piece, because they KNOW it is unconstitutional and no politician will defend them. Why is there no registration for murderers, or home invasion robbers, or drug dealers? Because they would be defended. So why then did they start with sex offenders? Because they wanted to set up the FRAMEWORK without any resistance and with the public’s favor. Wake up! In due time they will be registering and tracking YOU!!
Report Post »debak
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 2:50pmLiberal justice at it’s best. Why do some continue (led by the AFLCIO) to advocate for these predators and forget about the victims? This shows the despicable attitudes of far too many. Hate crimes laws, legalizing dope, condoning offensive and harmful behaviour everywhere you look. Illegal immigrants, who are lawbreakers, getting the backing and support from Libs. Child predators- ditto, drug dealers- ditto, gang members- ditto, rapists-ditto, theives-ditto, tax evaders-ditto, Terroroists-ditto. Libs seem to think somehow the crimes committed by these criminals are not their fault. They think they are getting a bad rap, inhumane treatment, and need to be “understood” and we need to show compassion and “help” them rehabilitate. We need to mainstream them back into society with a free pass and a shake of the finger and advice of “don’t do it again”. BS. We need to clamp down on the immoral scum, we need to tell them, it is YOUR DOING, not mine, not your mamma‘s or daddy’s or Uncle Sam’s that led you to where you are. We need to stop condoning and start condemning the wrongs of this growing immorality and Stop it in it’s tracks. But, to do this we would have to turn back to the Commandments of God and so many liberals won’t stand for this. We know that man, left to his own devices, morals and standards will only try to outbeat the next as to how far and how low they can stoop.
Report Post »GarbyBarengar
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 11:59pmWhat are you implying?
Report Post »Really I want to know.
Laus Deo Too
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 2:18pmCrimes against children are the lowest forms of human behavior. Those convicted of such acts should forfeit any right to live among the population. One strike is out in crimes against children. These offenders are very much prone to offend again. All the counseling in the world doesn’t seem to rehab these people.
Report Post »legacyboygt
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 3:49pmaccording to the DOJ, sex offenders recidivism rate is between 3% and 11%, significantly lower than any other crimes. Please do ur own research and don‘t regurgitate what u hear Kimberly Guilfoyle and Bill O’reilly say…The Draconian Adam Walsh Act is unconstitutional, demonstrated by states like Ohio as it begins back peddling in its attempt at enforcement. Less than 5% of sex offenders are sexual predators. The predators need the additional enforcement, not the guy who had too much drink and was labled as a sex offender for public urination, or the 18 yr old with a 16 yr old girlfriend…
Ellie
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:46pmThis is the modern day version of the Scarlet Letter (now a “P” vs. “A”).
If people want sex offenders to serve a life sentence via registration and living restrictions then JUST LOCK THEM UP FOR LIFE and be done with it.
This kind of continued punishment after release from a prison sentence, that can change year to year as new restrictions are created or edited, is ridiculous beyond description and causes more problems then it solves.
Report Post »Shivelykegler
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 7:54pmI agree, while I NEVER condone any actions that hurt a child ( other than a good spanking for missbehavior ) its become crazy at how people react.
If you want them to pay a life time price than simply give them life with out parole, otherwise all these crazy laws do bleed over to affect people who never commited the crime.
Report Post »Ellie
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 11:40pmI know a place that is miles from elementary and high schools, nowhere near a public park, and where their movement can be 100% monitored 24/7/52 it is called PRISON!
When these people get out it is next to impossible for them to find gainful employment, pay any amount of taxes, and are a constant drain on society as a whole. Sounds like both they and society would be better off if they just served life in prison with parole hearings every 20 yrs on a case by case basis, a.k.a. American Justice as it was for the first 150yrs.
Orrrr… we could let the progressive have their way with the sex offenders and by that I mean apply eugenics to the problem…. oh wait they have done that already via chemical castration on a number of occasions
1952, Britain, Homosexuality of any sort makes you a sex offender. Alan Mathison Turing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing) one of the most brilliant CREATORS of Computer Science, whose work was instrumental in breaking the German’s Enigma code thus leading to a rapid end to WWII and saving thousands of lives on all sides… commits suicide after he was found guilty of being gay and subjected chemical castration by the very government he had saved from oblivion.
Report Post »GarbyBarengar
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 12:07amHistorically maybe, but in a modern context no.
Report Post »Jeff in Miami
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 4:12amI am as conservative as they come but the idea of locking these people up for life seems unjust. I don’t know what the answer is maybe a monistary on a mountain top but there needs to be a safe place these people can go where they will be safe and away from the public. This is one of those things that some one needs to really think through, maybe GITMO is the place, beach view and monitored by gaurds.
Having these people move to normal neighborhoods is no answer but surely there is some place these people can go and not be a threat to the public. I have heard that many of them flock to the Philippeans or Thailand. This is not a solution either, exporting our problem to poor countries that this activity is tolerated.
Report Post »wciappetta
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 12:09pmI totally agree with you….I also hate the bunching up of all so called offenders…Under todays law my father would have been branded a sex offender since he was 20 and my mother still15 when I was born and they’ve been married now 54 years….. i understand the concerns but life sentences after the fact in such cases are not right and in fact should never see a court….
Report Post »Freelancer
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:40pmYou can NOT reform a pedophile PERIOD! They just find new ways of hiding their activity. There are tons of websites out there that tell these people where to go, how to act and how to fly under the radar as they indulge in their sickening behavior. Maybe they should buy Bikini Island and drop them all off there and let them fend for themselves.
Report Post »santacary
Posted on September 9, 2010 at 2:38pmsay free , don‘t thow the stone if you can’t back it up , i know people (who ill remane nameless) who have found the wherewithall to not reoffend ,it’s hard but to paint the picture with that wide of a brush just blacken the whole painting , you may not know it but all of us know some who has commited a sex crime just the few who have been caught. even less have been convicted , if you knew the victims ,you’d know that the ones who are offended the loess are the ones who talk the most; the ones who have been offended from early childhood will say the least , but be hurt the most . those offender can be beyond our reach . that my friend is a case by case work , as non of us are all the same so to are the one on the rolls of sex crimes.
Report Post »icesk8rgirl96
Posted on September 8, 2010 at 1:35pmIt’s crazy what this world is coming too! Ha, I’m the first to comment!
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