VT- Special Report: Peering Into Minds Of Sex Offenders

11-25-2008 Vermont:

Watch Exclusive Interviews With Convicted Abusers

In the summer of 2008, sex crimes against children were thrust into the forefront of North Country residents' minds when a 12-year-old Braintree, Vt., girl went missing, only to be found days later in a shallow grave -- the apparent victim of a violent sexually motivated murder committed by a family member, according to federal prosecutors.

Brooke Bennett, a basketball and lacrosse player who had just finished seventh grade, disappeared June 25 after being seen with her uncle at a local convenience store. She was found dead a week later, buried not far from the home of her uncle, Michael Jacques, who police say drugged, sexually assaulted and killed Bennett by putting a plastic bag over her head.

Police have said Jacques was part of an online sex ring that involved Bennett's former stepfather and a young relative Jacques had been sexually abusing.

Jacques had a history of sex crimes against minors and had already spent time in jail for kidnapping and sexual assaulting a teenager in 1992. Court papers also tell of a female relative Jacques began sexually abusing when the girl was just 8 years old, which culminated in his arrest in 1985.

The documents, including a 1985 affidavit from an Orange County court, outline seven years of alleged sexual abuse that included oral sex and vaginal intercourse, which eventually resulted in the then-15 year-old girl being impregnated by Jacques.

Despite his past, Judge Amy Davenport allowed Jacques to be removed from probation seven years early in 2006, according to court documents. This came after a state Department of Corrections parole officer recommended it in 2004.

When Jacques' past came to light, it drew outrage from parents, politicians and others who were puzzled at how a man with such a history could be released.

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas asked the corrections commissioner to review all of its policies related to this case -- how it monitors offenders, whether treatment is effective and how it deals with violent sex crimes.

A legislative panel met several times in the summer and fall to weigh proposals for cracking down on sex crimes against children.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin announced a series of special committee meetings and public hearings to discuss the matter.

Still others called for the death penalty and mandatory sentencing laws, sometimes referred to as Jessica's Law. Douglas even called for a one-day special legislative session for lawmakers to vote on a civil confinement law, an expanded sex offender registry and mandatory minimum sentencing law.

Many Vermonters rallied for tougher child sex laws and thrust their support into a Jessica's Law mandatory minimum sentence.

But there is one key player in the debate that has yet to be heard from -- the sex offenders themselves.

In order to gain some insight into the mind of a sex offender, particularly one that would abuse a child, NewsChannel 5's Stephanie Gorin sat down with two convicted sex offenders for in-depth interviews, but agreed not to divulge the names of the men she spoke with.

In exclusive interviews with NewsChannel 5, the convicted offenders' voices have been disguised to protect their identities. The men interviewed have no connection to the Bennett case and their victims were not killed.

"Fred" is a convicted sex offender from the Champlain Valley. He admits he sexually molested a young girl and said he knew it was wrong while it was happening.

The Champlain Valley man said he "felt guilty immediately afterward, but at the time I really couldn't control it. Arousal is a very powerful thing."

Watch Full Interview With "Fred"

He turned himself in and was eventually sent to jail. When he was released, he went to counseling. There he says he learned why he manipulated, controlled and abused the 9-year-old girl.

Fred underwent group therapy, individual therapy and polygraphs routinely to make sure he wasn't reoffending. In regards to therapy, Fred had this to say: "It's not easy. But it shouldn't be. What we have done is extremely devastating to our victims."

Fred explained that he started having negative thoughts about children when he was very young, but didn't act on them until he became addicted to Internet pornography. He said he groomed his victim and told her it was their "little secret." When he realized the abuse was escalating, he turned himself in.

Fred said there is no cure for sex offenders; there are only tools that they can use to control and manage their thoughts. Fred believes he was once a danger to society, but not anymore. He said counseling turned his life around.

"For the first time I started learning how to control things and what to look for. And for the first time I felt there was hope that I could change."

"Joe," a convicted sex offender from the Champlain Valley who had sex with a young teenager, has a similar story. He too served time in jail, and has completed counseling.

Some days "all I can do is wish I never caused the pain in the first place," Joe said. "If I never put her in this spot, she wouldn't have to deal with it. That's the bottom line."

But Joe knows "the people out there could care less the pain that I'm in."

Joe's not sure if there's a cure for sex offenders, but he is sure that some can be rehabilitated. He said he's living proof.

Joe spent 2 1/2 years in counseling. "I wanted to get better. I want to know why I hurt this person. I want to be a good person. I was a good person before and to this day believe I'm still a good person, with a bad mark now," Joe said.

Through group and individual therapy, Joe said he learned how to control urges and how to extinguish any negative thoughts quickly. He said he couldn't graduate without a safety plan that he carries with him every hour of every day. It contains the people to call and places to go if he feels himself going down the wrong path.

"I can't change what I did. It is what it is. What I can change is understanding it and controlling it."

In early November, Vermont lawmakers called for new sex crime legislation allowing prosecutors to bring a new charge against sex offenders. The new law would allow an aggravated sexual assault charge on a child younger than 16 years old to carry a mandatory 25-year minimum sentence.

Just days prior to that announcement, Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers filed paperwork in court arguing over whether prosecutors should have a deadline as they decide if Jacques will face the death penalty in the Bennett case. ..News Source.. by WPTZ.com