OCR Text |
Show Prevention of abuse is an By Elizabeth Goode Express Writer In the Uintah Basin there have been a number of cases reported of sexual child abuse in the past year. Following are two stories that serve as reminders that this very old problem needs constant attention. atten-tion. ... "When Jim was eight years old he was abused by an older brother. Three years later when his family moved to Montana, he had to walk past a house on his way to school. There were lots of kids playing in the front yard, so he began to stop to play. The owner of the house eventually invited some of the boys inside where they were abused. This went on for several sev-eral years. Jim's mother was a alcoholic so having Jim out of the house helped her with her addiction. "Eventually Jim was able to get out of the abusive situation, but it has affected him for most of his life. The only way he has been able to deal with the nightmare night-mare is reaching out to God and religion." bay DeLahunt shows Master Gardener Master Gardeners class to beam soon Short days and cold-temperatures remind us that we 'iu'e in the midst of a Uintah' BaM winter. However, a few signs that the winter doldrums will eventually give way to warmer and longer days are beginning -ream ; 0F A LITTLE PrtOSTATE CAnCEfl SCREENIUG 1 because yjTH a 1 nj 6 ciix::ce of CEirja c:.s02ed,t;ey kkovv , ; , ASOUT PROSTATE iKTZK. cHlfJlE UT!(3( CZTACXT OF KEM.TH JfCgTI ;; RESOURCE LI& PGR A FK3E Another account tells of a woman who noticed that her granddaughter was being shy at a yard sale, avoiding the stares of a man at the sale. "This alert grandmother noticed the girl's reactions and asked if the man was bothering her. She found out the man's name and through the Utah Internet Sex Predators web site found out the man was a predator." The story doesn't include an ending, end-ing, but hopefully the woman's prompt action saved the granddaughter grand-daughter from being abused. ' Nationwide, convicted sex offenders have to be registered in the location they live - unless the 'offender is a minor. Utah Code Sex Offender Registration, "requires the Utah Department of Corrections to develop, operate, oper-ate, and maintain a registry of persons who have been convicted con-victed of certain sex offenses" which are listed in a subsection of the statute. The list seems to be fairly inclusive. However, a waiver is contained con-tained on the web site: "By placing registry information on the Internet, the Department makes no representation, students how to prune a fruit tree. till l0tWHi SfjiMOufcit to iem6rge; tne bf those ; signs is the beginning 6f the Master Gardener program which will start on Jan. 24. ' ' " Why take' the Master Gardener class? One former student explains, "I love plants Ik EHSSwIE AT tl CtH.H HQ Vernal either implied or expressed, that all information is accurate. Though much of the information informa-tion is of record, some is gathered gath-ered from the offenders themselves, them-selves, who are required to list their addresses whenever they move as well as annually. The information contained on this site does not imply listed individuals indi-viduals will commit a specific type of crime in the future, nor does it imply that if a future crime is committed by a listed individual what the nature of that crime may be and the Department makes no representation repre-sentation as to any offender's likelihood of re-offending." Addresses are included if readers "believe that information informa-tion on the web site is incorrect... incor-rect... Members of the public are not allowed to publicize the information or use it to harass or threaten sex offenders or members of their families; and harassment, stalking, or threats against sex offenders or their families are prohibited and doing so may violate Utah criminal laws." To enter the search, the reader, read-er, must agree, "I acknowledge and gardening learning. I love to help other learn too." The course includes classroom class-room instruction and hands-on hands-on experience in a variety of horticultural topics including: includ-ing: soils, fertilizers, irrigation, irriga-tion, turf grass, annuals and perennials, shrubs and trees, fruits and vegetables. Master Gardener students are asked to share what they learn with others in the community. The classes are taught by a combination com-bination of local and regional experts in each field. The county coun-ty Extension office coordinates the program. The course will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. each Wednesday beginning Jan. 24 through March 28. Tuition will be $50. After giving 20 hours of community com-munity service, participants receive a $40 tuition refund. A "Master Gardener" certificate is presented to those participants partici-pants who complete 40 hours of instruction, pass ,a, take-home exam and contribute 40 hours ;of community service. Three college credits are also available. avail-able. To find out more contact the Uintah County office of USU Extension at 781-5452. ID about cancr Express on-going effort that I have read these conditions condi-tions and agree to comply with them." Several other private sites exist; most of them require registration, reg-istration, and many require a fee. It could not easily be determined deter-mined how up-to-date or accurate accu-rate the free site maps were. So how safe from sexual abuse are children in the Uintah Basin today? An incident was reported to the Vernal Express in which a child was molested by a trusted relative in the summer. The alleged offender plead guilty in the late fall to second degree felony, sexual abuse of a child. Sentencing will not take place until February. A search on the Utah Sex Offender site did not result in a match on the name of the convicted felon. Parents relate that the child is very fearful of being in public places where the offender might be encountered, and ask why the process is so slow to safeguard youth from convicted felons. Uintah County Deputy Attorney Ed - Peterson, explained that "Appellate rights begin after sentencing; sentenc-ing; the convicted party has 30 days to appeal. The state does not have the ability to place an individual on a register until the process is complete. It is an important part of our nation's history that an individual is innocent until proven guilty, so it is necessary to go through the entire process of preliminary prelimi-nary hearings, pre-trials, etc., in order to be convinced that the person who is accused did commit the crime. The legal system affords substantial protection pro-tection to those accused of serious seri-ous crimes to ensure that their rights are maintained. To proceed pro-ceed from disclosure to conviction convic-tion and sentencing within six months of an offense is actually fast." Victims are also guaranteed guaran-teed rights under the Utah Constitution. No-contact orders can be put in place to ensure that an accused is not allowed to be in contact with the victim; vic-tim; in the period from arrest prior to sentencing, the alleged offender may be required to agree to. terms of release. If circumstances warrant, conditions con-ditions may be attached that 'Sophomore SeiGik Sn n n u Earn up to $27,000 with an EnergySolutions Foundation Scholarship The EnergySolutions Foundation scholarship program provides money for students to math, science, and engineering at a college or university of thir rhnirp rhn1ar:hin; are awarrlpd tn 10th (rrad stu dents attending hieh school throughout Utah. o o o Each high school's winning student will receive a $2,000 scholarship. Winners will also be enrolled in a grand prize $5,000, or $2,500 scholarship. For full information, application and scholarship requirements, visit www.energysolutionsfoundation.org The EntrgySoAjftont FoundMoA Scholarship proorsni is funded by tho EnsfgySoAtMOflf Foundation, pnviti foundtbon dodfcttod to tnnchmg tfto fivos of iht conwnunitiM in which ErwryySotoaftf Optra. Tht foundttion twordt grant! to detrHjp. piMorva and onhanca tfta anwonroanl as waff at offarmg acholarthtpt m nwth. acianca or anjaiaanng to high achoot studants wwtrwn tftaaa commu the person can not be involved with children under the age of 18. What can parents do? "The government alone cannot furnish adequate protection. Parents need to know where their kids are, who they are around, and go to the effort to ensure that a child is not around someone who will molest them. Every case of child abuse is different but for the majority of cases it involves people we know: friends, family, fami-ly, people who are held in trust Persons abused by a stranger are not as common as those who are abused by someone a ROUSTABOUT JENSEN, UT. no Electronic Components Fuses Relays Custom-Built Cables eft - apply toward a bachelor's degree program in contest for an additional $25,000, 4 Wednesday, January 3, 2007 A3 they are familiar with," said Ed Peterson. Every child needs to know that inappropriate contact is reprehensible and not to be tolerated. Sometimes families take sides and add to the stress on the victim. Today's children are provided pro-vided with more opportunities to be aware and to report incidents. inci-dents. Sexual molestation is not necessarily a new or growing grow-ing problem, but one, that has become more visible because of awareness and education. Efforts in this regard need to be continued, encouraged and enhanced. 5785 South 9500 East P.O. Box 19 Jensen, Utah 84035 Office: 435-789-0633 Jason Gross Cell: 435-790-5772 Brandon Gross Cell: 435-828-7308 Truck: 435-828-7307 Low Prices on Cat5e Patch Cables Electrical Tools RF Connectors Regulators Switches 11 iPfi-j EnergySolutions POUMDATIO j - v , r UTAH QEPAftTMENT;QFcHEALTH V |