Child Rapist Walks, Jaws Drop

(Topeka, Kansas) A 38-year-old local man, Orlando Paul Cisneros, was convicted by a jury on 17 child sex offenses, including aggravated indecent liberties, criminal sodomy and rape, against a 14-year-old girl. Under sentencing guidelines, Cisneros faced 155 months (12 years, 11 months) in prison.

On Friday, Shawnee County District Judge Matthew Dowd sentenced Cisneros to probation. Dowd deviated from the guidelines because Cisneros committed the repeated rape and sodomy when he was depressed, therefore, his behavior was and is excusable -- apparently. The prosecutors and the victim's family were stunned.

To digress momentarily, readers may recall the outrage when Judge Edward Cashman in Vermont sentenced convicted child molester Mark Hulett to 60 days in jail for repeatedly raping a girl. There were calls to throw Cashman out of office.

There's also the public outrage regarding Judge John A. Conner in Ohio. He sentenced pedophile Andrew Selva to home confinement and probation for molesting two boys over a three year period. And, as with Cashman, voices called for Conner's ouster.

In both cases, it appears that the judges thought not of the victims, but of the perpetrators. Judge Cashman and Judge Conner sent the message that there is nothing sacrosanct about protecting children. There is no dividing line between right and wrong. It's maybe, somewhat, a little bit wrong -- depending on circumstances.

So now we have Judge Matthew Dowd, joining Judge Cashman and Judge Conner in the apparent belief that child rapists don't necessarily deserve harsh, or even reasonable, punishment.

Dowd allowed Cisneros to avoid paying for his crimes. Dowd reasoned that Cisneros was depressed so -- no jail. Dowd reasoned that Cisneros held a job so -- no jail. Instead, Cisneros gets probation.

This case is a miscarriage of logic. The victim, still only 14 years old, is at risk of future overtures from Cisneros. Dowd should have at least sentenced Cisneros to incarceration until the girl is out of her teens, giving her a chance to grow up without the ever-present knowledge that her rapist could be lurking around the next corner.

And, yes, Cisneros has been told to stay away from his victm, but if child sex offenders have a generic trait, it's that they regularly ignore the law. In that regard, they arguably have something in common with certain judges.

Tip: SKE