Who is sexualising our youth?

I have read a lot recently, about how the youth of today are being sexualised by the media, the internet, Paedophiles (sic) and many other external sources.

Indeed, if you were to believe the Daily Mail, that bastion of truth and decency*, you would think that 99% of Internet users are child molesters out to groom your daughter and rape her before she reaches 10 years of age. But actually, even now, more than 70% of sexual offending against children** is perpetrated by someone known to the victim, such as a friend or family member. How many teenage boys are raping their 15 yr old girlfriends, as a matter of law?

 So lets consider, shall we, where the "sexualisation of the young" claimed by the papers comes from.

Well firstly, as we are talking about newspapers, what about the Sun and the Star, where teenage breasts can be found day in and day out? Let us not forget that the Sun published the first pictured of Sam Fox the day of her 16th birthday - they must therefore have been taken when she was 15.

 To be honest, I think that the hypocrisy of the papers is not unusual, but the media doesn't have as much influence as is claimed. And I'd like to exemplify this by considering my bus journey home from work today. At the Bus Station, a couple got on with two children. The couple must have been in their 50s or 60s, and the children were clearly pre-teen, and apparently not related. Throughout the journey, the older pair were teasing the younger pair about their "relationship" asking if they were boyfriend/girlfriend. A pre-teen boy and girl...?

When I was 13, I was first asked by my father why I didn't have a girlfriend, and was I queer or something. By that time, some of the boys in my year group were claiming, in their indecisively toned voices, to have popped the cherry of girls in the same year, or even in the year below. Not only that but some of the girls in the year were already dating year 11 or higher boys. Indeed, when I was in year 12 and 13 (then called the Sixth Form), I was dating a Year 9/10 (forth form) girl, and no eyebrows were raised by either my or her parents - her father gave me a packet of condoms, this being in the heady days of the early to mid 80's, with "ADIS - Don't Die of Dyslexia" adverts on every billboard.

Lets examine Teen Chatrooms. In these places, teens talk to teens about sex, pretty much exclusively. They swap stories, boasts, images, sometimes videos. "Sexting" is rife. By 13, most teens hormones are boiling over, and they need to find some sexual release, whether that be alone, with another, in chatroom, watching porn, whatever rings their bell. It's a miracle that so many get to sixteen without having had their "first time"

And as a result, the majority of teenagers conversations in private are sexual.

I have therefore come to the perfectly reasonable conclusion that what is causing the sexualisation of our 12-17 year olds is, primarily, our 12-17 year olds; this is how life has been since even before we could speak and conceptualize the phrase "voulez vous couchet avec moi?".

Sleep well.


* This was the Daily Mail's front page, the day that Amanda Knox was freed from Jail. https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2011/10/04/amanda-knox-guilty-says-the-daily-mail/#3daecd723e81

** For the definition of a child, you need to look at several different pieces of legislation.
The Children  and Young Persons Act 1933 defines a child as a person under 14
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 defines a child as someone under 16 (for consent purposes)
In the Criminal Justice System you are treated as an adult for sentencing at 17, but not put into an Adult
Prison until 21. 18-21 year old's normally go to YOI, and 17 year old's would be put into secure accommodation.
The Protection of Children Act 1978 defines a child as Under 18.
For Child Benefit you parent can still be in receipt while you are at college until you are 19.

And don't forget, ignorance of the law is no defence...

The licence thou gavest, Lord, is ended

As of midnight I become (or perhaps became by the time I post) a Free Man. Not merely a Prisoner on Licence, but really, truly free.

My last Probation appointment was late last night, and my (fifth) Probation Officer signed me off, reminding me not to breach today as "You can still get recalled" - yeah, no I cant.

So, I am now free, completely square with the house, no longer a Sex Offender but now an Ex Offender. And I await a sentencing hearing at a nearby Crown Court for an Anne Handschue*, who is about to go down for Perverting the Course of Justice, having been found guilty 3 weeks ago.

I am now, therefore appealing, on the basis of her convictions, and relying on Lisa's* comments and new statement as the "new evidence" for the CCRC.

Work goes well, with a payrise at the end of last month, but the Audi failed its MOT on Steering faults, which may cost too much to fix. However, we'll see over the next few days as I try to fix it.

So, the briefest of updates, and I can now officially tell Northants police and Probation to stick their monitoring and MAPPA where the sun shineth not. Enjoy your weekend, I plan to...


*As ever the Blog may be a concatenation of events, and names may be changed to protect both the innocent - and the Guilty.

Done the Crime, done the time

When I was younger, I read "The Green Mile" as a serialized novel. Later I watched the exceptionally good Film adaptation.

One of the things I remember distinctly about both the book and the film is the concept that when the man has been put to death, that's it. He's square with the house, his debt is paid, and he is treated with respect and even reverence.

What a pity that doesn't seem to apply in the UK.

Now, the law in the UK is that you get sentenced according to your offence, and then (except in very specific circumstances) you get automatically released after served 1/2 of your sentence. You then remain "on licence" until your sentence end date, the basis being that controlled release and rehabilitation is more effective than retribution and punishment of the loss of your liberty. Moreover, as occurred to me, you can be recalled if your Offender Manager believes you are a further risk.

So therefore, unless you do something else wrong, when you get released, you've done your time, in terms of prison. Even though you have probation time to do, you are square with the big house.

Yet suddenly, this week, I find that after nearly a year from re-release and within sight of the end of my licence, a company I have had some dealings with wants to try to make my status public to help them win a court case. Apparently Offenders on licence have no rights, and certainly shouldn't expect to be allowed phone lines, internet service, cars, insurance or even housing.

Now, as my gentle reader will know, (sorry Isaac) I am currently appealing in any case, and so anything done by an individual relying on my conviction is on shaky ground. So why then, does this company think it, and only it, is the arbiter of who can tell my neighbours etc about my offending?

And, guess what Northans MAPPA are doing about it? You're right, sweet feck-all.

Ah well, might be time to move.

Normality returns

Well, what news - apart from I've been away from the computer too long.

OK - First things first. My target for normality was always Home, Car, Job.

And a few days ago, I achieved all three. I've been in the flat here since October 2009, barring a recall, and I started work for an IT firm in Corby about a month ago. Not only that, one of the directors was selling an old Audi, which I picked up for £200 and now use for commuting.

So, Home, Car, Job achieved.

Not only that, Lisa and I are finally sorted too - back together and a proper couple, finally
:-D

My lovely ex, Anne, is still on bail, and has been remanded on Tag Bail pending her trial for Perverting the Course of Justice, Perjury and Harassment. My solicitor says that if she's found guilty, she will likely go down for a Jeffrey Archer stretch.

So all in all, life is getting better, step by step.

Have a good break, seasons greetings etc, and I will be back in the new year, hopefully with even more news.

Justice starts to prevail :-)

Finally things are happenning.

My ex has been charged with Perverting the Course of Justice, not just in my recall, but also in my original trial. Ex is on bail with conditions not to approach me, contact me (even via Solicitors) or ask any person to do so on her behalf, and she's on a 10 hour daily tag.

This means the Police now are considering my original papers and my solicitor has invited me to consider appeal against conviction and seek a re-trial. The logic behind this is that in any retrial, I can't get a heavier sentence than I did first time round, and that will be served by the time I come back to trial (especially since I'm currently on licence). As a result, my record would be clear, and I'd get compensation for wrongful imprisonment.

Moreover, Probation has now apologised for my Probation Officer lying to people about me, and taken me off his books and onto a new one (my fifth in 4 years) who has been told that I am to be signed once a month and otherwise left alone, particularly now I'm potentially appealing.

My MAPPA officer has also told me, "off the record" that MAPPA has reconsidered me and I will get maybe 1 visit a year from here on in, which will stop altogether if I am acquitted at a retrial. Also, Lisa has agreed to give evidence on my behalf in any civil or criminal proceedings relating to my trial or the trial of my ex :-D

Finally, I've been offered a job, which I found online, and Probation has waved it through on the nod.

Now know people reading this will say "But Fenrir, if you did it and pleaded it, why are you seeking an appeal and retrial?" Well, the simple answer is that this prosecution was not for something I actually did, but for something I thought. I hurt no-one, and Lisa's testimony confirms this. If no-one gets hurt in something going on between two consenting parties, what's the public interest in the prosecution? And without Anne's false testimony starting the case, the police would have had no grounds to search the house, seize the computers etc, so the case would never have happened.

So it's been a very good October. In fact the only bad thing that's happened in the last month is that Lisa and I have broken up - we are still very good friends, but there is too much stress going on for her to carry on with me.

Ah well, every silver lining has a cloud...

What chance the Ex Offender

Lets make a few things clear - I did what I was accused of doing. I pleaded guilty and I have served the custodial element required by law. I may have another 9 months of Probation supervision left, but ultimately, I have done my time, and more...

So, whilst recognising that I am still serving the rehabilitative element of my sentence, surely the agencies I engage with should be looking to help me find work, or training, and not trying to prevent me from working?

So... lets see what my licence conditions say:

1) Must permanently reside at an address previously notified to and agreed by your supervising officer and Must not reside, even for one night, at any other address without the prior consent of your supervising officer.

2) Must not engage in any work paid or unpaid, including voluntary work, without the prior consent of your supervising officer.

3) Must not access any online forum, board or community without the prior consent of your supervising officer.

So, according to item 1 I can't work nights, or do Long-Haul deliveries.

According to 2 I can't start a job unless my OM approves it, and according to 3 I can't even look for work online at all.

I have to assume that the Powers that Be don't actually want me working, and I have pointed this out to both Probation and the Job Centre. And nothing is going on.

Oh, that's not true - Ive been forced onto the new "Work programme" so I went for an appointment with the local provider. And took along my disclosure document.

From the start my appointment was going to be unsatisfactory - despite the provider being made aware of my issues with the staff member who did initial interviews, she started the process with me before passing me to a colleague.

This colleague seemed polite, and helpful, but was uncertain of what she was doing; "it's my first day doing this job".

Initially she scan-read my documents, but then started to ask me the same questions again. When my Criminal Record was broached, she read my disclosure document, and her face changed from "how can we help this guy" to "let's get rid of this pervert now, he should never have been let out of prison"

The remainder of the interview from that point seemed to be as much about justifying refusing to take me on the programme as to try to help me, and certainly the proposed action plan does nothing to assist me. Indeed when I explained the training I am seeking, I was told, flatly, that this would not be available unless I had a job offer - it must be clear that in this recession, this is not how things work, and indeed this is contrary to the intentions and aims of the "client-needs focussed" Work Programme.


So, if I'm not being supported by the people being paid to support ex-offenders (for such is what I am) and I'm not being supported by the government programmes for unemployed people, what hope is there of me finding a job.

I may as well start stealing from shops - I won't go to prison for it (for the first 150 times I get caught anyway) and I might end up better off.

And even if I do end up in court and in prison, at least I don't have to worry about money when I'm in there and I can declare a different offence on release.

Strangely, Probation don't want to talk to me about this...

Happy Holidays

I've just got back from a lovely time away, and apologies I didn't let you all know I was going to Dartmoor for 2 weeks.

I say "Just Got Back" - but actually I got back on 30 August, as I had to prepare for three cases over the last 2 weeks.

The first one was the outstanding Police SOPO matter. That was finally heard on 2 September by a Circuit Judge, who dismissed the Police application as entirely unreasonable, accepted my proposed amendments to my own SOPO, and made the order with costs, since I first asked for that identical order 7 months ago!

The second one was a childcare matter - which the first one has affected quite nicely.

And the third was a Moneyclaim for £4500. I lost the battle, but won the war, as the other side are now entering into mediation with me :-)

So all in all a satisfactory week.

Oh, and my ex has been arrested again, for Perverting the Course of Justice. Karma's a bitch, baby.