"I know I Made a Mistake," Local Sex Offender Speaks Out, "Before You Judge Them, Talk To Them"

8-7-15 North Dakota:

Years after pleading guilty to having sex with a minor, a local man wants to share the struggles of being labeled as sex offender in the community. "I know I made a mistake and I own up to that,” says Robert Feyh, a level three sex offender, “But, the state of North Dakota is very hard on sex offenders."

We often report on valley news live when sex offenders move into a new neighborhood. They are required to register with police where they are living. A move authorities say is to keep the community safe, but we don't often hear from sex offenders themselves.

Valley News Team's Crime and Safety Reporter Nicole Johnson spoke with Feyh, a 26-year old level three sex offender. "It makes you think you're the worst of the worst,” he says.

What landed a Feyh on the sex offender list he says began as a high school relationship, "Started to become friends, and then it got stronger."

Feyh says his family turned him in when he was 18 for having sex with a 14 year old. "Back in the day 4 years apart was nothing, there was all kind of people dating back then,” says Feyh, “And now 4 years apart is like, oh hey he's a pedophile, he's a creepo."

Feyh did time for corruption of a minor, and now is labeled as a level 3 sex offender. "Not every single sex offender here in Fargo is a bad person, they have had their struggles, and before you judge them, talk to them." Says Feyh , explaining his struggles, "I've already been to jail a few times because I have had a failure to register for being homeless because I can't find anywhere."

Now 26, Feyh says the label has created a vicious cycle, "You see a level three and you automatically think they are all dangerous." He's only found 3 apartments in the city that will allow him to live there. A problem he says many on the list face, some end up homeless.

"If they have a housing for us, just something more accepting, or more understanding," says Feyh, hoping for change in the future. While he admits he should pay for his mistake, he's hoping the community won't look at all sex offenders the same or assume they are dangerous.

After Moorhead police notified the public about Feyh's change of address, several of his friends reached out to us on Facebook. Saying he faces a lot of ridicule, asking us to get the full story out there. ..Source.. by Nicole Johnson