Compounding the injustice

As is custom, click on the title to go to the story in question.

I imagine that other folks have followed with some interest the case of the US prosecutor who was arrested in an airport as he traveled to have sex with a 5 year old child. He had been chatting on-line with undercover cops who posed as the mother of the imaginary child. In the two weeks of chatting, the two had struck a bargain in which the prosecutor believed he was going to get a hot date with a 5 year old. When he was arrested, he was carrying earrings (for the mother), a dora doll, and petroleum jelly. EEEUUUUUWWWWWWW

This prosecutor was married, had children, and as far as the people in his community knew - a stand up guy who coached kids teams. (Okay, group shudder.)

I don't quite understand how anyone would think sex with a 5 year old would be so hot as to jeopardize everything in your life. Even if he wasn't thinking of his career - the years of study and work he undertook to earn his position of trust - he should have been thinking about how his family would bear this burden. Did he really believe he would never be found out? How many other children has he met that were actually children? Is there a trail of children in our country who have encountered this man before a random cop found him? I have a hard time believing that this is his first and only transgression.

The prosecutor killed himself in jail this weekend. He deprived our society and his family the opportunity to ask "Why?" He selfishly avoided further investigation into his past deeds. But, now his attorney has announced that he will ask that the charges be dropped against him. Not that the case be dismissed because the criminal doesn't live any longer - but that the charges be dropped.

I'm thinking that if there are children he raped or molested who haven't been found, knowing that he will never be held responsible for his actions is an injustice. Although, I'm sure his family will be relieved to know that he won't have the on-going label of "child rapist." I'm not sure how that helps -- since they still have to live with the horror of the event itself.