Community Service for Sexually Abusing 5-Year-Old

(Bentonville, Arkansas) This story is an example of the criminal justice system merely slapping the hand of a sexual offender and, thereby, guaranteeing that it will happen again.

From the Daily Record:

It was the most devastating day of her family's life when she found out her 5-year-old daughter was being sexually abused, according to the mother of a sexual-abuse victim.

The mother was in court Wednesday as a teenager pleaded guilty to sexually abusing the girl. "You totally destroyed (the girl's) life and devastated my husband's and mine," the woman said as she addressed the court. "The person who will be paying the most is my daughter. You ripped the innocence straight out of her."

The 15-year-old boy was charged with sexual assault in the second degree, a class B felony. At Wednesday's hearing, he changed his plea to guilty, and he admitted to engaging in sexual contact with the child on Jan. 31.

Interestingly, the little girl's father attempted to present information regarding the likelihood that the boy would repeat his crime but Circuit Judge Jay Finch refused to hear it. The girl's parents then walked out of the court only to be ordered back. Finch admonished them and told them to basically forget about the experience. After that, Circuit Judge Jay Finch sentenced the boy to probation and 72 hours of community service.

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.