This is the solution that has been so evasive. Now we have it clutched tightly in our fists and the time of grasping for straws is in the past. We have captured the beastWe saw Jan Kruska and Michael Gregg take up the cause and start spreading it around.....sometimes in other people's names. But what about poor Johnny? Did anyone wonder what he might think?
Back in 1993 Johnny was a young husband, father, Sunday School teacher and youth director.When he was charged with 15 counts of child sexual assault, he pleaded guilty to two of the lesser charges in exchange for the dismissal of 13 counts and 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years probation and lifetime registration as a sex offender. Yes, Johnny got off easy considering what he had done.
Upon his release from prison Johnny returned to his native North Carolina and began the slow process of rebuilding his life. It wasn't easy. Having to pay for registration in 2 states was a sticking point. Child support payments cut into his cash flow. His computer based braille service job was slow to pay and eventually closed altogether. His home was burglarized and his sister was dying of AIDS. But Johnny tried to make the best of things.
He joined a church and started a prison ministry focusing on penpals for other boyrapers. He created alternate identities and became known as Nate, NCHomeBoy, JFlea86 and BillieJosDad. He opened a MySpace account, a Yahoo 360 and a LiveSpace which he quickly began to fill with images of pretty young boys. (Matt was his favorite by far -- "You're # 1, Matt!!!")
Johnny said he was diagnosed with pedophilia and wasn't quite sure how that really worked since he was involved with a woman at the time and is now involved with his niece's boyfriend (above 18 even!). Yet his "age of attraction" is 11-14 years old. Johnny said when he tried chemical castration it didn't work and declares physical castration to be pointless -- after all, one of his friends tried it and it didn't stop him. No, Johnny said, you'd have to also "cut off their hands and cut out their tongues"
But, "Johnny's a good person with no intention of reoffending", said his good friend Betty Price of ROAR4Freedom. In fact Johnny became an activist for sex offenders, going out into the land of blogs and forums and telling people how ignorant they were. Seems like he fit right in.He became the moderator of the GayOffenders Yahoo group, A group that "promotes the restoration of civil rights to individuals who have been convicted or accused of a sex offense and since then have paid their debt to society". Johnny also became the moderator/director of the North Carolina AND Wisconsin branch of SOSEN Yahoo groups. Johnny was so good at what he did that he quickly moved up through the ranks topping out as Media Director for SOSEN and Public Relations Director at ROAR4Freedom.
Yes, things were really starting to look up for Johnny. He got a job as a cook at Ruby Tuesday's, he received a regular paycheck and only rarely did he have to wonder out from the kitchen where he may be tempted by young boys.
What happened next was just a devastating blow for sex offenders everywhere. Betty Price believes it was only because he wanted to go on Montel Williams and "they" knew he only had a few more months to go on parole before starting his probation. But, perhaps it was merely the Nature of the Beast?
Personally, I have no idea how all that child pornography got on Johnny Ray Lee's computer, but he's sitting in the Franklin County Jail right now and he sure would love a pen pal. Money, cards and letters are always welcomed.
Graphics Courtesy: Jacey
