mdoneil writes “A 25 year old man was seen by librarians entering a bathroom with a 14 year old runaway. Librarians then observed the child and the adult male with their clothing down their ankles, still in the bathroom of the public library. Librarians told them to stop.
Librarians conferred and asked them to leave the library. Yep, the asked them to leave the library. Did they call the cops, nope. The libraians never bothered to help the child that they saw being sexually abused. The libraians failed to do the least required of any adult who witnesses a child being abused by an adult, the least required of an adult who finds a man with his pants around his ankles in a ladies room accompanied by a partially nude child
They conferred and told them to leave. They ordered a sexual offender, a pervert they witnessed harm a child, to go away. Not only did they just fail to protect the child they forced the child to leave a library — a place that should be known as a safe place for a child — with a dangerous pervert.
The library staff are as disgusting, if not more disgusting, as the criminal. They were able to follow them into the ladies room, they were able to order the child molester to stop his abhorent behavior, they were able to order them from the library, yet they couldn’t pick up the phone and call 911.
WHAT!?
Who doesn’t hit that guy? What sort of person doesn’t hit an actual child molester molesting a child in front of you?
Or wait until he left the bathroom, if you’re squeamish about hitting a naked guy.
Child molesters are cowards. It’s not like he’d hit you back or have a weapon. It’d be like playing tee ball.
Not even 911. Awful.
Re:WHAT!?
As disturbing as this sounds, it’s not a slam-dunk issue. I’m 31, and still get carded for drinks. This guy is 25. And the girl’s age may or may not have been too clear. Do you call the police on (who you think are) two teens having sex in the bathroom? Maybe. Maybe you just kick them out.
Re:WHAT!?
That is called lewd conduct in a public place, and yes, you do call the police. It’s a crime.
Re:WHAT!?
yes, I would call the police on ANYONE having sex in a public restroom.
Re:WHAT!?
Yes it was the ladies room. The one with the penis is breaking the law by being in the ladies room.
Re:WHAT!?
What law? And what’s the statute of limitations on that? I’ve been in a couple of women’s restrooms in my life, and would like to know how long I have to stay on the run.
Re:WHAT!?
If you tell me what state you were in the incorrect bathroom I will cite that statute that I believe you violated.
In Florida it can be prosecuted under 800.03 ( it is a crime to be naked in public except in any place provided or set apart for that purpose) and a man in a ladies room with his pants down certainly fits that bill.
Also 810.08 regarding trespass, and most frequently 877.03 relating to disorderly conduct.
The New York Penal Code sections 140.05 relating to trespass, 240.20 relating to disorderly conduct, 245.00 regarding public lewdness, and 245.01 regarding public exposure are appropriate laws under which the defendant might be chared had he committed the offense in New York.
While I may not be as familiar with the laws of your state I’ll happily provide my personal opinion of your state’s law.
Don’t bother telling me you were a small child when you did that, the defense of infacny is certainly understood.
Practicing What the ALA Preaches?
The American Library Association recommends and even awards “authentic literature” containing such scenes as the best books of the year for children as young as 12. A 14 year old was involved in this? As the librarians illustrated by doing nothing other then asking the people to leave, this rates a big shrug from the ALA, I’ll bet. The people were only doing what’s in the books the ALA awards for children as young as 12. Hey, it’s authentic! Just get out of the library first so people won’t notice.
What an awfully sad story.
Re:WHAT!?
“If you tell me what state you were in the incorrect bathroom I will cite that statute that I believe you violated.”
Ha, good job. No, I was not an infant. Just a criminal with a full bladder.
This story, as told by these articles, has too much Nancy Grace/National Inquirer/mob-and-pitch-fork sensationalism, and not enough details. I stand by the librarians who made the original decision. I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming that they made the best call they could at the time, and that maybe they would have acted differently if they had all of the info we have (after-the-fact).
Re:WHAT!?
I am amazed that someone could possibly feel it is not imperative that the police be called when a child is molested in the library.
You give the librarians the benefit of the doubt after the conferred and decided not to call the cops.
There are so many things wrong with the people having sex in the ladies room it screams for police intervention – the age of the child, that it was in public, that it was in the ladies room, that there was a man who could be seen performing a lewd act in the ladies room.
They discussed it and not one of them had the sense to insist that the police sort any of those things out.
You are one of the people who give the public the impression that librarians are out of touch with reality. Thanks for demeaning the profession along with the spineless librarians in St. Johns County.
Re:Practicing What the ALA Preaches?
I think a grown man not understanding the difference between a story and reality is the real trouble.
Try and keep up, sir. We may just be librarians but we play all nine innings at this level.