Frustrating

I hate the mentality that says, "By demonizing a pedophile, we risk forgetting how flawed we all are." When I hear that, what I think the person really means is, "Because we are all sinners, we need to give the pedophile a break for their crime, because otherwise we would need to be held accountable for our sins."

Are all sins the same? This is debatable. Some sin can be addressed and not hold long term consequences, while other sin can hold life long consequences. Some sin involves other innocent people and carries long-term consequences for them as well.

I don't correct my children the same every time they sin or disobey. Some situations require as little as a verbal correction, while other offenses need much more than just a verbal correction. Teasing a sibling isn't the same as hitting a sibling.

Taking the car without permission isn't the same as sexually violating a child. Nor is the sin of pride the same as sexually violating a child. Nor is the sin of adultery the same as sexually molesting a child. I could go on and on. Is it all sin? Yes!

We should not try to divorce ourselves from judgment. We can exercise good judgment without being judgmental. When did we as Christians start believing that holding people accountable equals sitting in judgment over someone.

NOTHING excuses preying on vulnerable families and molesting their children. There's a difference between being sinful, which we all are, and being a predator.

Maddening

Maddening is the only word I can think of to adequately describe how it feels to know that supporters of Patrick have purposefully chosen not to read his sexual-psycho evaluation. Originally when we got word of the evaluation, we kept it pretty hush hush. People knew Patrick was court-ordered to undergo the evaluation. When word got out that the evaluation was completed, some families pushed for the elders to get a copy from Patrick and read it. The families wanted to be sure that there was no past history of sexual crimes. At first, the elders were adamant that they would not read his evaluation. Jim Cameron had made a statement that he wouldn't want everyone to know about his secret thoughts. Finally, after more pressure, the elders agreed to request that Patrick allow them to read the evaluation, but not until after the sentencing took place. In hindsight, that makes sense to me now, in a sick sort of way. Remember that Jim Cameron and Dave Barrueto already knew Patrick had done much more than kiss our child. They didn't need to read the evaluation to find that information out.

The evaluation is not full of Patrick's secret thoughts. It is full of Patrick's crimes and how he went about them and his thought process. It is not fantasy. It is full of actions that Patrick did to innocent minor children, to unaware mothers and daughters, and with animals. The evaluation is full of direct quotes from Patrick detailing his actions and crimes.

After the sentencing, it was possible to fill out a request form to attain a copy of Patrick's sexual-psycho evaluation. I know of few families that filled out the form and did receive a copy. Patrick himself has access to a copy. But many families were not interested in the evaluation. It didn't matter to them what was in it. "They are just called to love Patrick." I cannot even pretend to understand this kind of thinking. How can these individuals help Patrick, when they don't even know what they are dealing with? How do they know what behavior to watch for, if they deny there is even a problem?

Progression

There is often a progression with the worst of the worst offenders. Our case was a progression. Patrick went from victimizing his minor siblings, to adult consensual incest with a sister. He went from peering in on mothers and daughters in their bathrooms and watching hours of pornography to sexual contact with dogs, to victimizing someone outside his family.

Not only did he victimize someone outside of his family, Patrick had the audacity to act on his deviant behavior in a home where the parents and seven other children were sleeping. Very risky. Very arrogant.

Patrick talks in his evaluation about "the thrill of the hunt." Scary.

Do Tell

This is something that some friends of mine have had to face. Over the past two years, Patrick attended Chapel Hill Church in the Gig Harbor area (I do not know if he is still attending) and some of my friends knew people that attend that same church. Do they tell them about Patrick? Another example is a friend that knows of someone that is in support of the Rojas family and they share a mutual friendship with someone else. Do they share the story and connect the dots?

I don't even have to hesitate. Yes, you should tell anyone that you know that might be in contact or in community with Patrick D. Rojas or The Rojas family. There is this idea that if you share with someone that Patrick is a registered level 2 sex offender, that you are gossiping. That is a lie. The information is a matter of public record. A consequence of Patrick's chosen behavior is that he will need to be identified as a sexual predator all the days of his life! This is the only possible way to even have a chance of avoiding another child being sexually violated by him, especially since he isn't upfront about his deviant behavior.

One of the reasons our family was victimized was because people around us kept Patrick's previous sexual crimes a secret. Not only that, but his parents, Eddie and Kathy Rojas, encouraged relationships between Patrick and other minor children. I will never understand as long as I live the reasoning behind their logic. Very twisted and sick thinking is all I can come up with. Denial!

Response to the Unbelievable Post

Danielle,

I contacted Kathy once (a long time ago) , That is all. I am staying out of this because I don't know what to say, Juvenile defenses are private and not put on the internet. Only adults are out there. Will you please take his name off of your blog, out of grace for me? I do not know where Kathy is, the email I received did not mention where they were. As a result of your email I am no longer going to email her, that is, in the future if I was going to. Please don't have anger against me, Maybe I am chicken, But I am waiting until both of us heal a bit and can see one another with love. Please, will you consider my request.

Thank you in advance, (I removed her name)

I received the above e-mail (6/22/09) from the mother in response to the letter I wrote her (Unbelievable post). I have considered her request and although I understand what she is asking me to do, I just can't honor her request. I am sure as the mother of a registered sex offender, I wouldn't want people to know about my son. I can see from the two families I know of that they just want to leave it behind them and move on.

I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and a mother of a survivor. I can in no way be a part of hiding the name of a criminally-convicted registered sex offender, juvenile or not. The fact that her son is a juvenile and that they want to keep his identity secret makes the scenario even more similar to ours. Remember, Patrick was caught at age 15 and then again at 17. His parents kept it secret because they felt it was behind them. Our child was a later victim--one that could have been avoided.

Anonymous

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Patrick's Profile":

About ten years ago, the Rojas' were appointed pastors of our church. It was a strange fit, so we left, but my good friend stayed along with her family. They became close, and when Jairus [Rojas] was 19, he kissed my friends' daughter, not quite 12. Eddie told the parents that [Jairus] was just curious and was then disciplined, and also stated that their daughter was flirtatious. Didn't think too much of the whole thing, until reading your story. That family... I knew something was not quite "right". I am sorry for all that has happened to you and hope you can heal.

The time period would match up with ~1998-2000,Senior Pastor @ Vineyard church in Lompoc/Santa Maria, California from Eddie's resume.

Dear Anonymous:

I understand the desire for anonymity, but I really wish I knew who you were. I would love more details/information. I assume you have given your "friend" the link to this blog. If your friend or yourself would be willing to contact me via private email, I would greatly appreciate it.

Assuming that what you have stated about Jairus is true, it makes so many things clear to me. The Rojas family has lived in over 25 locations in Patrick's lifetime. How many others have been victims of a sexual nature from one of the Rojas family members. If you are reading this and have information, I appeal to you to contact me via e-mail or as the above anonymous person has.

Knowing this information and putting it all together in one place quite possibly might break down the facade that the Rojas family has, which might lead to someone turning Eddie in. Revealing a pattern and past history of victims and cover-up might also, once and for all, open the eyes of the people that are supporting Patrick in his denial. The timing couldn't be more crucial. With August fast approaching, knowing Patrick will be free of all legal accountability, it is vital that those around him are aware of the danger he poses to children. Now add to the mix that his brother Jairus is possibly a pedophile as well.

It has in no way been scientifically proven, but there is much speculation amongst the authorities that deal with sexual deviants/pedophiles that they often see this type of behavior run in families. Is the behavior learned? Were these men abused as children and then continued the behavior?

That aside, Eddie Rojas needs to be located.

Protecting Who (part 3 of 3)

The offender in our case, Patrick D. Rojas, is considered a level 2* sex offender (which indicates some expectation of re-offending.) I believe it's just a matter of time before Patrick re-offends, given the way he has chosen to live and the way people support his denial. I firmly believe, because of misguided thinking, that the minute Patrick is off probation his crimes will never be discussed by his supporters. I believe that he and his family will try to integrate themselves into a community that is unaware of the danger Patrick poses to minor children.

The legal community aware of our case is certain he will re-offend, given the opportunity. Know who he is! Warn anyone you know that lives in the Kitsap area of Patrick D. Rojas. He works in the construction business with Jim Cameron and his brother Jairus Rojas. Know who you are hiring and letting in your home.

The Adam Walsh Act also requires states to have a uniform system for categorizing sex offenders, which has in turn required Washington to reclassify offenders living in the state. The classification system is as follows:

• Level 1: reserved for those least likely to become repeat offenders. Level 1s are generally first time offenders who knew their victims. They have completed, or are in the process of completing, a treatment program. Level 1s are required to register for 15 years and update their information once per year.

*• Level 2: reserved for those who are moderately likely to reoffend. Level 2s generally have more than 1 victim who they subjected to long-term abuse. They did not complete, or refused to participate in, a treatment program. Level 2s are required to register for 25 years and update their information every 6 months. (As part of the plea agreement Patrick will be off the registry after 10yrs, 2017.)

• Level 3: reserved for those most likely to become repeat offenders. Level 3s generally have more than 1 victim, whom they may or may not have known, and are likely to have committed other crimes of violence. Level 3s are required to register for life and update their information once every 3 months.

Sex offenders are required to register in person with the sheriff's office for the county they intend to live in. The level assigned to a sex offender is determined at the time of registration by the particular law enforcement agency.

Protecting Who (part 2 of 3)

Common reasons for plea bargains vary: It may be a lack of evidence that will stand up against a slick lawyer or trying to avoid the victim testifying in front of the abuser. The biggest reason for a plea agreement is money - or really a lack thereof. The government saves so much time and money is saved if a plea agreement is reached.

There are two reasons I have a huge problem with this: one is that justice is not served, which re-victimizes the survivor on a different level. Interpretation of the plea agreement by the victim: I, a child, have just been physically violated and psychologically confused and experienced a soul-changing crime, by no fault of my own. But the state needs to plea so they can save money.

The second reason I have a problem with plea agreements for child sexual abuse is that, as a society, we truly really don't know the potential dangers of the predators. Level 1 abusers are supposedly not likely to re offend. Where do they come up with this? An example of a level 1 crime is the rape and murder of little Zina Linnik, right here in Tacoma, WA, July 2007. The man responsible for this unimaginable crime is Terapon Adhahn. Prior to his crimes against this little girl, he was assessed as a level 1 sex offender from a previous conviction where charges against him were reduced to “incest,” and he completed 60 months of “treatment” for sexual deviance, then was judged to be a Level 1 sex offender, meaning those who evaluated him did not believe he was at high risk to reoffend.

They were wrong, of course. Adhahn has continued to reoffend and reoffend and reoffend. He is small - 5′4″ and slight of build. He was quiet, kept to himself, paid his bills on time, kept a clean house, and was hard working. He did handyman work and drove a tow truck. He had served honorably in the military as an Army Ranger.

But in private, behind closed doors, in his bedroom and on the streets, he terrorized, raped and murdered little girls. He took in one young girl he met through a friend, whose mother was having difficulties raising her. She was 12 and called him Dad. But, she says, he raped her at least 150 times, maybe 300 times, before she could run away at age 16. Sometimes he raped her at gunpoint. Sometimes he bound her, then raped her.

In another instance, he kidnapped an 11-year-old girl as she was walking alone to school, forced her into his truck, bound her with duct tape, then violently raped her, severely injuring her. She managed to get free after he’d left her bleeding in the woods, and she was found dazed and bloody, walking alongside the highway. She is 18 now and has identified him as the man who raped and terrorized her.

To read the entire story visit this link

I leave you with this. The labels given to a sex offender are only a general indication. Do not let your guard down because someone is labled at a level 1 as oppossed to a level 3. Level 3 being the worst and considered likely to re-offend. 

There is not a way to definitely say that a sexual predator will not re-offend. Why do we as a society give them time and time again to do more harm? I believe there are more survivors of sexual abuse than there are abusers. We need to join together and demand changes in our laws and in the way these deviants are managed! 

R.E.M - Everybody Hurts (Live)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPZzWYkdS6Y


Although our family has been through such a devastating betrayal and we are still clearly on our path of healing. I do recognize that there are many-many families and individuals who are also healing from other devastating circumstances. I hope the above song speaks to you.
Hold on...Hold on...


Part 2 of 3 ~ "Protecting Who" will be posted Monday evening.

Where's Waldo

You all remember "Where's Waldo?" I want to know Where in the World is Eddie!

You might also remember Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon which is a trivia game based on the concept of the small world phenomenon.

With that in mind, I want to suggest that one of you reading this blog is linked to the Rojas family by six degrees of separation. The only way to find out is if you are willing to send the link to this blog or e-mail a post to all your contacts. I would suggest sending the "Recap" post so the person who is the recipient can get an overview and at least see Eddie's photograph. I still really have hope that Eddie and Kathy Rojas will be located by someone reading this blog. I also hope that anyone who knows where Eddie is will call the police. I cannot do this alone. It takes a few clicks of the keys on your computer and the willingness of you to share this blog with everyone you know.

I have had some people that occasionally post the link on their facebook page. I also have had some people tell me they have sent e-mails with the link and a brief description of the blog to their contacts. If you haven't already or have been thinking about sending the link out, now is the time to do it.

Your friend or relative might have a friend that has a friend that knows a friend that is neighbors of Eddie and Kathy Rojas. This is so possible. Please do not assume you are not somehow linked to the whereabouts of Fransis Edward Rojas AKA Eddie Rojas.

Protecting Who (part 1 of 3)

The problem is that many of these criminals are able to plea bargain down their charges. Even more are able to keep their true actions under wraps until it's too late to hold them accountable (like in our case.) Massive sex predators are grossly mismanaged in the legal system. One example from our case: Patrick's one-year jail sentence was reduced to 10 days in jail and two years of probation. We were told that if Patrick violated his probation conditions, then his plea agreement would be void and he would have to serve the full jail sentence. In actuality, if someone violates their parole conditions, the judge has many lenient options.

Patrick did violate his parole conditions, he went before the judge. We were not notified. Patrick spent only five additional days in jail. I still have not been able to confirm exactly what his violation was, but I was able to confirm with his probation officer that he did indeed violate parole and spent a few extra days in jail. I do know his sentencing conditions are very loose.
* He can have no contact with anyone in our family.
* He has to meet with his probation officer.
* He has to abide by conditions set by his therapist (such as no contact with children, no Internet, taking a lie detector test).

We are not privy to all his conditions, which I think is wrong. To think that Patrick can't manage to go just two years without violating his parole, knowing he is being monitored, makes me extremely nervous for the day he is no longer on probation. He will be off probation in mid-August 2009. To date, Patrick hasn't shown any real signs of a transformation or of a person who is actively working to change his behaviour.

Unbelievable

This week I was contacted and warned that a long-time friend (whom I have not recently been in contact with since I learned her son was a convicted level 1 sex offender) has been regularly having e-mail exchanges with Kathy Rojas. I know in my head people actually support what Eddie and Kathy Rojas are doing, but in no way can I justify their reasoning for the support. To see that someone who has known my family for years and knows our child very well is actively supporting these criminals (remember, there is a felony warrant out on Eddie Rojas) is another blow to my heart.

I could not just let this one go. I made contact with this person. I sent her the post "What Eddie Knew" along with a somewhat short inbox message on facebook that did have a snotty comment in it.

Here is her response: ( I am leaving in her son's name because he is a registered level 1 sex offender)

No, I had no idea. Just sent her my love. Jesus loves her, and so do I. I also love you. Jesus wants healing for all of us. Not hatred, but forgiveness. The comment about the support group was uncalled for. No, we are not. Remember, Zeke confessed all, he and we hid nothing. His offense was minimal and it is over now. We only shared it with close people who could support and pray for us, not those who would gossip. I pray Jesus puts your life back together and makes it better than before. In Joel, He promises to give us back 7 fold of what Satan has stolen!! I believe that for you, because he is doing that for me. God's blessings to you and your family.


I wanted to reply with, " you drank the kool-aid!" Instead, I really thought about a response. I want to share this on my blog because I want the people reading this that may not grasp the mindset of the people supporting the Rojas family to have a glimpse inside. This was my response:

Wow, what Bible are you reading? God is not only a God of love. He is also a God that seeks righteousness, justice, a God of wrath. This same God of love has special scriptures in the Bible set aside for those who hurt his children.

You have never contacted our family to check on our child. Yet you want the Rojas's to know you love them.

When I told you what happened in our family, your very first response was, "They better get a good lawyer. The state will be out to get Patrick." Did it ever occur to you that maybe Patrick committed a crime and deserved a consequence?

Do you not get what taking the Rojas girls in hiding is teaching them? It teaches them it is more important to protect your pedophile brother who molested you over and over-over many, many years. But because he cried and said he was repentant (yet again), Patrick shouldn't face the authorities (the same authorities in the Bible we are told to obey) and accept the consequences for his previous crimes.

This would have also hopefully lead to the girls getting the help and support they need to properly start their healing process. Instead of having a warped twisted view of who God is. Have you considered maybe, just maybe, Eddie and Kathy are in sin/breaking the law. What else are they hiding? It is not gossip to ask questions and use your brain. Yet, you defer to them and want to let them know you love them. Confusing.

I also know that in spite of what happened in our family, God will bring good in our lives. BUT not because of it! There is a huge difference.

You're right. I do not know the details about Zeke. I guess I was someone you felt would gossip and not support you. Whatever!

What I do know is that whatever he did do warranted criminal charges, that Zeke is a registered sex offender, that he had to attend court-ordered therapy and was on probation, that he was not allowed to be alone with his younger siblings. I know that the state has too much to do and doesn't have the time to trump up charges.

Now I hope for the sake of innocent children that Zeke is no longer a danger, but I would not boast that Zeke is not a possible danger to children in the future. There is no cure for a sex offender. Any level of sexual deviant behavior is life-altering. I am offended that you would minimize sexual abuse. Zeke's success in life will require that he never assumes a life of normalcy. He will need accountability and need to be vigilant. Maybe because he is your son, it is easier to walk that line of denial.

Maybe you do live in the light. Does everyone you interact with that have children know that Zeke is a register sex offender?

You admitted yourself that you only told "people that would support you." How is that not hiding? You never told our family. I will say at least you obeyed the probation rules and did not interact with my family. You always had a convenient excuse why we couldn't get together, but not the truth.

I have minor children and one that was victimized by someone that started out just like Zeke and has parents that sound just like you. He confessed, repented, and now lives life as if it never happened. This is selfish thinking that lead to a victim number six (my child).

I just wanted you to know who and what you support, because now you are fully accountable before the Lord.

Danielle

Epidemic

I am not being melodramatic when I say childhood sexual abuse is an epidemic.

I want you to consider this, the fact that there are many sex offenders out in our society that have not been reported. Some even were reported but for one reason or another charges were not filed or dropped.

Therefore it is fair to say the statistics do not really show the full picture.

Washington State - Number Of Registered Sex Offenders: 19,700*as of 7/10/07 -from Klasskids webpage

Total population in Washington State 6,287,759.

Do some math and let's say the average offender on this list abuses 5 people, then you are talking about 98,500 victims in our state alone. Now consider this, these are only the ones we know about.

Epidemic might be an understatement!

Register for e-mail alerts if a sex offender moves into your neighborhood in Washington State

Registered Sex offenders on facebook

Sentinel’s technology is the foundation for Sentinel SAFE, the software MySpace uses to identify sex offenders on its site. Sentinel SAFE is a database of more than 700,000 registered sex offenders in the U.S., complete with names, photos, dates of birth, email and IM addresses (when available), and more than a hundred other data points. Cardillo took the 90,000 sex offenders who were removed from MySpace and started looking for them on Facebook. He says:

We found over 8,000 offenders on their site without much effort. My professional opinion is that the real number is 15 to 20 times that.

The actual number of matches he found was 8,487. (excerpt from the above link)

* I realize not all sex offenders are pedophiles but sexual abuse is sexual abuse.

My Opinion (part 4 of 4)

#1-Is a sexual predator an evil person? Yes! (post 1 of 4)
#2-Can they be cured? No! (post 2 of 4)
#3-How can a pedophile be a safe part of our community?
(post 3 of 4)
#4- Should sexual predators be able to hide their identities?

Should a sexual predator be able to hide their identity?

Simple answer: no.

Our system has made progress in identifying predators, but the system is greatly flawed. In our case, Patrick was only charged with a gross-misdemeanor when in fact his actions should have earned him felony charges. Fortunately, we have an officially recorded psycho-sexual evaluation, which resulted in Patrick being labeled a level-two sex offender. Otherwise, he would have only been labeled a level one and not even his picture or information would have been on the sex offender registry.

All the authorities in the legal system that were familiar with our case considered Patrick a level three (the worst-of-the-worst) offender, but because of the guidelines and restrictions, Patrick could only be labeled as a level two. If I had my way, there would be a system in place that literally marked sexual predators with a visible sign. I do not have real hope that something like this will ever happen, but it should. The system has so many loop holes and clauses to protect the abuser, that it is disheartening.

My Opinion (part 3 of 4)

#1-Is a sexual predator an evil person? Yes! (part 1 of 4)
#2-Can they be cured? No! (part 2 of 4)
#3-How can a pedophile be a safe part of our community?
#4- Should sexual predators be able to hide their identities?

There is therapy available.

I believe that if a pedophile actively works his therapy program and avoids contact with children at all costs (meaning they might have to not do some things they normally would have), there is a chance they would not victimize another child. But cured? No. In the same way an alcoholic must completely abstain from alcohol, a pedophile must completely abstain from contact with children.

If a pedophile has contact with individuals that do have children, they need to be up front about that. Let's say the pedophile attends a church. That individual needs to reveal that they are a danger to children and should be forbidden any contact. An attempt to live a life of normalcy will eventually lead to re-victimization, which may or may not be reported.

Do I believe in miracles or redemption? Yes, but I do not believe anyone should risk the well-being and safety of their children to find out if there has really been a transformation in the predator. Only God knows the heart. These individuals are born cons and can fool anyone. Everyone around the pedophile, including the pedophile himself, needs to understand that there are lifelong consequences. THEY SHOULD NEVER BE AROUND ANOTHER CHILD IF THEY ARE SINCERE IN THEIR RECOVERY. Any alteration from that plan will surely lead to another victim. Why take the gamble?

A pedophile can be a safe part of our community IF they are upfront about their deviant behavior with all their relationships, make every effort to avoid contact with children, and remain in therapy. I have yet to meet this individual.

My Opinion (part 2 of 4)

#1-Is a sexual predator an evil person? Answer: Yes! (part 1 of 4)
#2-Can they be cured?
#3-How can a pedophile be a safe part of our community?
#4- Should sexual predators be able to hide their identities?

Can a pedophile be cured?

I would argue, no, they are not curable.

There is no convincing evidence that a pedophile can be cured. Quite the opposite. It is possible for a pedophile to have gaps in their victimizing of others, but, when push comes to shove, they nearly always end up victimizing again, even after a gap of 10 years of no reported offenses.

I remember when we were in the throws of our legal case,there were two men in Seattle that were caught victimizing children after years of living "normal" lives. One man had remarried and had gone 10 years without an offense, according to the article, and then had some life stresses and returned to victimizing children.

I believe that most likely in that 10-year period, there were other victims, they just didn't report the crime. This man had served time for his previous crimes and went through therapy and tried to enter life as if he didn't have a problem. The biggest warning sign is when a known pedophile tries to live as if they were not a pedophile.

My Opinion (part 1 of 4)

#1-Is a sexual predator an evil person?
#2-Can they be cured?
#3-How can a pedophile be a safe part of our community?
#4- Should sexual predators be able to hide their identities?

I am not a doctor (although I play one on TV), so my answers to these questions are opinions only. My opinions may not be based out of years of study, but I do have real life experience and I have listened to the professionals and done some research. As with everything, you can always find someone with a differing opinion. If you don't like mine, you can feel free to click the exit button on your computer. I am not looking for a debate.

#1-Yes, I believe a sexual predator is an evil person. This is usually a person that is more concerned about fulfilling their twisted desires than the consequences of their desire. Their sickness (as some like to call it) or their sin (as other call it) alters the lives of their victims forever.

Most sexual predators are psychopaths, meaning they don't have consciences like the rest of the functioning world. They don't have a moral sense and they rarely learn from past mistakes. This lack of conscience is what normal people cannot relate to. We assume they have shame or guilt for their actions, but they do not. These people know how to fake the proper emotions, but when they are honest in therapy, they usually admit to lack of emotions for their victims. It is common for them to be sociopaths or have a narcissistic disorder in addition to their sexual deviant behavior.

I firmly believe that a sexual predator is unlike the rest of the population. I believe, with extremely rare exceptions, they are evil. Can they be cured? I'll answer that one tomorrow.

It's Messed Up

Why is our legal system so messed up?

Even when everyone knows a person is dangerous and guilty, a criminal can get by with little or no consequences because of a technicality. Crazy making.

There is so much a victim needs to endure in order for the legal system to even consider prosecuting. The victim has virtually no say on whether or not a case goes to a plea agreement. And I cannot relate to the slick lawyers that financially prosper from putting sexual deviants and harmful people back in society.

The only way to help the prosecutors is to contact our representatives. Contact yours today and let them know how you feel about this issue. Here's a link to your Washington state representatives by district:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/statewide.aspx

If you live in another state, it's easy to find them there as well with a quick Google search.

It seems so hard to make changes. There is a clear difference in parties. The majority of one side strongly believes in rehabilitation and treatment for sexual predators and the other side just wants prison time. I want prison time with hardcore monitoring once the time has been served.

I often wonder why someone who embezzles money serves prison time, yet someone who alters another human life gets probation. Someone who harms an animal serves prison time, yet someone who harms the life of a child serves days in a county jail. It is so messed up.

Never Know

I will never probably know when Patrick started to groom our family. When did he start to fixate on my child? It still really creeps me out that Patrick believed he romantically loved our minor child.

Why our child? From all accounts our child didn't fall into the easy-target category. Our children had parents that were very committed to them. We were around all the time. Our child was shy, somewhat quiet, and very innocent-looking and acting. The only thing that I can think of that made us vulnerable was being overwhelmed with life. We sincerely trusted Patrick and respected his parents. We were trying to be a part of a community that cared for each other in a way we believed was biblical.

If that's what put us at risk, I cannot adequately express to you how much that simple fact has messed me up. It was our faith and beliefs that made us vulnerable. That is hard to reconcile.

Patrick's Profile

Patrick doesn't exactly fit the "profile of a pedophile" information I shared on the previous post. I will point out how his behavior in hindsight really did have some of the red flags. I have to remind myself regularly everything is easier to see in hindsight. I understand that a good pedophile goes undetected because they groom the entire family and are usually patient. Knowing that doesn't ease the pain and the guilt I feel. I was sensitive to this issue and even I was fooled. THAT IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO GET.

With that said, it would seem we are all so vulnerable. Our children especially.

The church we were attending was almost exclusively all homeschooling families. It promoted the inter-generational interaction which homeschooling promotes, so the fact that Patrick interacted well with children made perfect sense. The fact that being a mentor and an example is expected of the young adults, so the tutoring and interaction with our one child seemed ideal. Patrick came from a family that did things as a whole family as much as possible. That is also how the church liked to plan most church gatherings.


The fact that Patrick was at our home regularly during this time period made sense as well. We had moved. We were overwhelmed with a newborn, 5 other children, and all that needed to be done in this new home which needed a lot of attention. Our church promoted (as all should) knowing the needs and helping those in need in the congregation. Patrick had time and was happy to help. He called regularly. He helped Eric set up our computer (Patrick is a whiz on the computer). During this time, Patrick learned our password to our computer by watching Eric over his shoulder (unbeknownst to us.) He brought us kindling wood because we were heating strictly with a wood stove. He was tutoring one of our children. He was leaving seemingly innocent notes to another child that said things like, "Smile Jesus Loves You." He was either bringing candy to all the children or sometimes only to one of them. At Christmas time, Patrick knew our family was financially struggling, so he hid presents under our tree for all the children. He rallied his family to gift us money to buy a Christmas tree.

Can you see how the Christian community and values are a playground for a pedophile? If this type of behavior was from a non-Christian, I like to believe I would have been suspicious. Instead, I saw the behavior as selfless, which our church strongly believed was central to living out the gospel of Christ.

Where Patrick doesn't fit the profile is that Patrick stated in his evaluation that he himself was not molested. It is more common for boys who are molested as children to grow up and have pedophilia behavior. This leaves me to wonder if the behavior was learned. Or was Patrick just born evil?

Recap

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR THE UP-TO-DATE RECAP


I believe this would be a good time for a review:

*January 2007 we discovered that one of our children had been sexually violated by our pastors adult son, Patrick D. Rojas (22yrs old at the time of the crime)

*We reported the crime

*August 2007 Patrick D. Rojas had his day in court. A plea agreement enabled this predator to have minimal consequences. Justice was not served!

*The pastor of the church we were attending, Peninsula Household of Faith Community Church in Port Orchard,WA., Eddie Rojas and his wife, Kathy and an adult son, Jairus had previous knowledge of Patrick's pedophile behavior but kept it a secret.

*The elders of the church, Jim Cameron and Dave Barrueto, knew in detail the crimes committed against our child and did not report any of the information to the sheriffs detective. Jim actually implied in his statement to the sheriff that Patrick's actions were innocent and "just the wrong age and wrong place." It was not until a plea agreement was in place and the sentencing had occurred that these two men shared that they had known all through the legal process the details of Patrick's crimes.

*As of August 2007, Eddie and Kathy Rojas along with 10 of their children went into hiding to avoid the state interviewing their minor daughters about the alleged sexual crimes against them by their brother Patrick D. Rojas.

*Patrick D. Rojas is a convicted level 2 sex offender living in Port Orchard, Washington with his brother Jairus. Patrick has a total of 6 minor victims that we know of (age ranging from 18mo. -11yrs old), he has admitted to sexual acts with dogs, peeping in on women and children in bathrooms, pornography, consensual incest with another adult sibling. He is a danger to all adolescent children and a sexual predator of convenience.

*In 2008, a felony warrant, was finally issued for Francis Edward Rojas, AKA Eddie Rojas.
The warrant is for witness tampering and is a nation wide warrant. I am asking for everyone that reads this to forward the information to all their contacts in hope of Eddie being located.

*If you see Eddie or know where he is you are to call your local police and inform them of his whereabouts and that there is a warrant for him in Washington State. The local police will handle it from there.

*The Rojas's have family in Rolla, Missouri and have solid contacts in Israel.

RECIDIVISM:
Pedophiles have a high rate of recidivism (the frequency of additional sexual crimes committed after being caught. .) Some treatments are effective in lowering recidivism. The typical child sex offender molests an average of 117 children, most of who do not report the offense. [Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 1988]*Source: I HALL, MD, RYAN C. W.; AND RICHARD C. W. HALL, MD, PA.. "AProfile of Pedophilia: Definition, Characteristics of Offenders, Recidivism, Treatment Outcomes, and Forensic Issues". MAYO CLIN PROC 82:457-471,2007. MAYO FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.

Define Pedophile

This link is very informative. Know what we are dealing with!
*What Is A Pedophile

Portions taken from: What is Pedophilia and why are child pedophiles such an epidemic? by Dr. Herbert Wagemaker

We know that pedophilia runs in families. Boys who are molested often molest boys when they grow up. Do they molest because they were molested or because they have a genetic sexual orientation toward children?

I feel that there is a strong genetic predisposition in pedophilia. I believe that pedophilia runs in families and seems to be a variant of OCD, which has strong genetic predispositions. In other words, pedophilia seems to be an illness that is caused by abnormal brain chemistry with strong genetic connections.

One of the important questions we must ask is, "How safe are our children when registered sex offenders are living in our neighborhoods?" Most pedophiles are multiple offenders and are involved with a number of kids. The answer to this question revolves around the treatment of pedophilia. How effective is it?

Web MD web site (http://www.webmd.com/ ) states, "Sadly, there is no cure for pedophilia." This is true. There is no cure, but there is treatment.

Another article to take a look at:Profile of a Pedophile

This Has Always Bothered Me

If you remember. In numerous posts I have referred to letters of character reference that a variety of family members, church members, and some church leaders in our community wrote on behalf of Patrick. These were written to say what a great guy Patrick was and what an asset to our community he was and that it would be a waste for him to serve real time in prison for just a moment of poor judgment. These letters boasted that Patrick was repentant. The people who wrote the letters claimed to have already seen a change for the better in Patrick.

There was an Eagle Scout who claimed to be an excellent judge of character. He eloquently stated his personal relationship with Patrick. He wrote a very persuasive letter to the judge requesting that leniency be extended to Patrick. There was also a leader from the Heritage Homeschool Organization that wrote a letter on behalf of Patrick using the organization's letterhead and signing with his official title. I could go on and on.

None of these people ever contacted us to verify information they were selectively given by the Rojas family and the leaders of PHF. Nor did they bother to contact the prosecutor or detective involved in our case. One thing that I still don't understand to this day is that, for some reason, Patrick and his lawyer requested that the contents of the letters be sealed. We were able to read each individual letter in the prosecutors office, but haven't been able to attain actual copies because they aren't in the public file.

People would argue that these individuals made a simple judgment error in writing these letters. Fine. But that doesn't take away the consequences of their errors. After the deceit of the Rojas family was revealed and after Patrick was shown to be deviant and dangerous, only one individual felt compelled to write a retraction and send it to the courts. Out of 30+ letters, only one wrote a retraction. Everyone else is still on record in support of Patrick David Rojas, a convicted level-two sex offender who admitted to having sexual interaction with animals and a baby, who admitted to peeping in on mothers and daughters in bathrooms, and who admitted to other dangerous, deviant behavior.

This has always bothered me!

People Wake Up

Day in and day out we hear more and more stories about sex offenders and pedophiles. The story of the day is about the 5yr old little girl that vanished while scottering outside unsupervised.

Wait it gets worse the mother of the 5yr old was "friends" with known sex offenders that were not suppose to be around children. You can look this up and get more information and details but what I want to highlight on my blog is this: the mother states on a radio interview that this particular sex offender was only around her daughter 15% of the time and the other 85% of the time the mother was with the sex offender without her daughter. Now I have no idea if this particular individual has anything to do with the disappearance of the little girl but what I am sure of is that this man was grooming this mother during 85% of the time he was with her to gain trust to be able to be trusted to be around the daughter the other 15% of the time.

Why do people want to risk sexual abuse of a child? Shame on you if you put a "relationship" above the safety of your child.

My heart grieves for that little 5yr old girl!