Outrage Growing over Repeat Sex Offenders

(CBS)  When 17-year-old Chelsea King went for a jog near her San Diego home last week, police say she ran into John Gardner, who they believe raped and murdered her before dumping her body nearby.

CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports Gardner, 30, is a known predator. In 2000, he pleaded guilty to molesting his 13-year-old neighbor. His psychiatrist said he was "a continued danger to underage girls in the community" and recommended a 30-year sentence.

However, prosecutors made a plea deal so the victim didn't have to testify. Gardner served just five years.

Sex Offender Charged in Teen Killing

He did wear a GPS monitoring device until 2008, but since then investigators think he may be involved in the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl last year and may have attacked a 22-year-old woman in December. Convicted sex offender Jake Goldenflame says without therapy, prison terms are useless.

"It's wishful thinking to believe that simply by locking someone up for a number of years that's going to magically transform him when he comes out," Goldenflame said.

Experts say there are not enough parole officers to monitor the more than 700,000 registered sex offenders in the United States. At least 100,000 may not even be living where they say they are.

"The sex offender registry provides this false sense of security we are monitoring and doing something with the sex offenders out there," said Robin Sax, a former Los Angeles county prosecutor.

And monitoring doesn't always work. Even with home inspections, Phillip Garrido was still able to hide Jaycee Dugard in his backyard for 18 years. Last November in Cleveland, 11 bodies were found in the house of another registered sex offender being monitored by police.

If convicted, John Gardner will now spend the rest of his life behind bars -- but some say if the system were tougher he'd already be there.

[hologram5]

"It's wishful thinking to believe that simply by locking someone up for a number of years that's going to magically transform him when he comes out,"
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That's why you shouldn't be let out you sick basterd. Anyone that wants to steal the innocence of a child like that SHOULD NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN! In fact, send them ALL to a deserted Island and let them prey on each other.

[KEOD]

The CJ system is a joke. As a country we need to wake up and realize what we're doing with these perves isn't working. This is a different type of crime and a different type of criminal. At the first hint of trouble (i.e. stalking, molestation,, child porn etc) these freaks need to be put away for life. Personally, I would prefer a more extreme and immediate solution to the problem but I'm sure that would offend the delicate sensibilities the bleeding heart liberals.

[carrieward]

..."
However, prosecutors made a plea deal so the victim didn't have to testify."

Gotta love that line! Well guess what other deal happened? Hmmm.. How about now? Does the Victim have to testify? Oh wait...
SHE CAN'T

(or can she?!)

[MentalWanderer]

There are a LOT of comments flying in here, and almost everyone is justifiably enraged. But, we need to think more clearly about this. Our system of justice is not equipped to handle our culture that has severely deteriorated since our brilliant founding fathers established it. In fact, the system they set up wasn't even equipped for their more genteel and civilized world, and had to be modified and augmented repeatedly over the decades. Since the advent of DNA identification, literally dozens and dozens of men, wrongly-convicted of serious offenses, have been released. Our system must jump through many hoops to guarantee justice -- and it still fails too often to be tolerable. The very existence of a sizable population of men like this hideous predator push the system beyond its fragile limits. We need a better way to segregate these creeps before they hurt people. Just killing this guy is not going to do anything but prevent him -- and him alone -- from hurting anyone else. The whole population of the country is going to have to give up more and more civil rights just to live in peace.

[magnumdr]

DUH!

[EnufIsTooMuch]

I get so sick of seeing this. We wouldn't release a wild, deadly animal around our kids, but for some reason it's ok when it has only 2 legs? We haven't learned our lesson when this stuff happens over and over and over and...

We release them, often times, because there's no room to keep so many prisoners. I can understand that, but instead of building more prisons to keep these animals alive, we need to build more death chambers to kill them faster!! I'm laid-off from my job, but we can spend $50k a year to feed and house these scumbags. I'll probably be on the street soon, but let's make sure they're well cared for.

I try to be open-minded and listen to all sides, but if someone can make a valid point against the Death Penalty here, please do.

"We shouldn't kill people to show that killing people is wrong," maybe ? Please, don't even waste your time. I don't look at terminating this genetically-defective 'thing' as killing a human being, but more like putting an end to something that is known to be deadly for our kids, and that has absolutely zero worth and is only a very dangerous liability.

We know all we need to know about these creeps, they rape and kill children, and they cannot be rehabilitated!! That should be enough!! They shouldn't become guest of the state (or Feds) for a little while, then be allowed to go free if they wear a pretty ankle bracelet and pinky-promise to be good boys.

Enough is Too Much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ellensmithee]

There isn't ENOUGH outrage!

[babooph]

The prisons are full of drug addicts-leaving little room for....

[itFarmer]

I say string them up for there First Violent Sexual Offence. We cannot afford to put them in jail, and we cannot afford for them to strike twice. If there are guilty of a violent sexual offence, hang them on Main Street.

Lets protect our children before protecting the rights of criminals.

[dellastreet-2009]

I wholeheartedly agree with you! Our children are the most important!

[countrycuz1]

Wow... One way you judge a society is how well it protects it children and elderly. I guess we don't score too high on that one.

[dellastreet-2009]

We certainly don't rank high!