KS- Probation sends bad message

9-21-2009 Kansas:

Placing Jennifer Dawn Liskey on probation for crimes tied to an illegal sexual affair with a boy who was 13 when it started sent a poor message to adolescent victims of sex abuse, says a Topeka psychologist specializing in treating children.

"The message is, 'Don't tell,' " said Susan Voorhees, a doctor of clinical psychology who has treated sex abuse victims for almost 30 years. "The message is, 'You can get away with this.' "

Earlier this month, Shawnee County District Judge Jan Leuenberger placed Liskey, 39, on intensive supervised probation for three years after she pleaded no contest Jan. 23 to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties and one count of aggravated criminal sodomy. As part of the probation, she is to undergo therapy.

In placing Liskey on probation, the judge said she had an emotional disorder, lacked maturity to end the relationship, dressed and acted like an adolescent, lacked control over the victim, and couldn't say "no" to him. Evaluations of Liskey found she has issues centering on personality disorder dependent/immature and with schizoid features, the judge said.

"When (children) hear judges say you get probation (and) when they see the judges don't punish the perpetrators, it gives a very bad message for kids," Voorhees said. "It really concerns me."

Boys who are victims and their families will ask what is the point of pursuing a case against a sexual offender? Voorhees said.

Voorhees contends Liskey should have gone to prison based on Kansas sentencing guidelines. As part of a plea agreement between Liskey and the Shawnee County District Attorney's Office, she could have faced three concurrent prison terms of 55 to 61 months.

"I am very concerned about the impact of the Liskey sentencing on not only her victim but the other victims out in our community who will be reluctant to come forward, will be reluctant to admit they have participated, and may be reluctant to admit it has hurt them," Voorhees wrote in a letter to Chief Judge Nancy Parrish complaining about the sentence.

The father of the victim, who is now 17, confirmed this past week that Voorhees briefly was a therapist for his son.

Incarceration wasn't the answer for Liskey, psychologist William Albott said. Albott is one of two psychologists who testified on behalf of Liskey, urging Leuenberger to place her on probation rather than imprisoning her.

"I don't know what purpose would be served by sending her to prison," Albott said. "I can't think of anything positive to come out of her going to prison other than to satisfy a need on the part of society to punish."

Liskey's sentence is "equitable," Albott said. "She's being punished, but she's not being punished unduly."

He also thinks Liskey's punishment is fair to the victim.

Liskey faces consequences, Albott said. She was placed on intensive supervised probation, which won't be easy; the court-ordered therapy will be painful; and she faces noncourt consequences, he said.

That includes the onus of being tarred as a sex offender, humiliation in the eyes of her family, one year in jail as her case wound through the court, and loss of chances to achieve her goals to become an officer in the Kansas Army National Guard and a teacher.

Albott, who doesn't think she will repeat as a sex offender, said Liskey isn't a "predator."

"My best guess is there is a low likelihood of recidivism," Albott said. "With treatment, it would be even lower."

Meanwhile, sexual abuse of youths appears to be up.

In the first six months of this year, the Prairie Advocacy Center, of Topeka, talked to 213 children who were victims of sexual or physical abuse, up 79 youths from the first six months of 2008, said Topeka police Detective Heather Stultz-Lindsay, who investigates sexual assaults.

"We are substantially up this year," Stultz-Lindsay said.

In August of this year, police interviewed 17 girls and eight boys, all of whom were victims of sexual abuse, Stultz-Lindsay said. She said she thinks there are actually more victims who are boys.

"It's just so much harder for a male victim to come forward," she said, because the victims, most of whom are attacked by other males, fear they they will be viewed as gay.

Voorhees said she is "certainly hearing" more about sexual abuse on boys by older women. Perhaps more boys are coming forward to tell about it, society is more sensitive in telling kids it is OK to come forward, and perhaps more women are perpetrating, Voorhees said.

In Shawnee County besides the Liskey case:

n A woman named Linjong Tillman was sentenced in 2008 to 59 months in prison for three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a boy who was 14 to 16 years old.

n Tiana Christine Sanders, 32, pleaded no contest on Sept. 11 to unlawful sexual relations with a male juvenile inmate while she was a corrections officer.

n Jennifer Jerauld, 30, a former corrections officer, is charged with two counts of unlawful sexual relations with a minor and one count of trafficking in contraband in a correctional facility. The Jerauld case is pending. ..Source.. by Steve Fry