Back in August of 2005, Jan P. Helder Jr, was convicted by a jury of trying to initiate sexual contact with someone he believed to be a 14 year old girl. The crime was committed online.
But in a stunningly ridiculous move, the trial judge [U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple] overturned the verdict and released Helder. The judge said that since Helder was actually communicating online with a Platte County [Missouri] undercover officer, and not an actual 14 year old girl, he could not be convicted of trying to have sex with an underage person.
What the hell was this judge thinking? If it had been a 14 year old, this pervert would have gotten away with child rape. Computer undercover officers are our best weapon against child molestors.
Fortunately, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis refused to allow this travesty of justice. They recently reinstated the jury's guilty verdict and sent the case back to Judge Whipple for sentencing. The appeals court said the real issue was that Helder thought he was seducing a 14 year old.
The 43 year old Helder has now been sentenced to 5 years in prison with no parole.
But I still have to wonder about Judge Whipple. Did he sleep thru law school or what? This is like saying someone who tried to hire an undercover officer to commit a murder, could not be convicted of attempted murder because the officer was not a real hitman.
Is Whipple really competent enough to be a U.S. District Judge?
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