Aude you have a PM. :)
exJW Elder and Felon in Jail
by Haupi33 29 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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the girl next door
By ANGEL PACHECO NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Michael Norris COURTESY PHOTO February 28, 2014 6:48 AM
A man who after living in Costa Rica for about six years surrendered himself to U.S. authorities in connection with molesting a child relative in Carpinteria, was sentenced to three years in state prison Thursday.
Michael Norris, 69, last month admitted to child molestation in a plea deal with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office. He was initially facing as many as 16 years behind bars.
Authorities say Mr. Norris molested the girl from 2003 to 2006 while he was living in Carpinteria. The victim is now 15.
Having been in custody since he surrendered at Los Angeles International Airport Feb. 14, 2013, Mr. Norris came before Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge James Voysey for the brief hearing.
Sheriff's deputies escorted Mr. Norris, whose neck was wrapped in a brace, into the courtroom Thursday and seated him next to his attorney Robert Landheer before soon sending him on his way to begin the sentence.
There were no speakers who addressed the court.
In addition to the prison time, Mr. Norris will have a strike on his record and must register as a sex offender for life.
Mr. Landheer told the News-Press that Mr. Norris has been suffering from disabilities in jail, where he has had trouble getting medical treatment. For the sake of all of the parties, they agreed this was the best resolution, said Mr. Landheer.
As part of the plea deal, Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Ladinig dismissed allegations of continuos sexual abuse of a child, exhibiting pornographic materials to a child and attempted aggravated sexual assault. The prosecutor said the last allegation had some "issues of proof."
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Mr. Ladinig admitted the outcome wasn't perfect, but it's suitable, as Mr. Norris could have gotten off with just probation. Probation officials would have taken into account that Mr. Norris has no criminal history, is in poor health and his age, said Mr. Ladinig.
Mr. Norris also voluntarily surrendered himself rather than making authorities go through the extradition process.
"We do take that into account," Mr. Ladinig said.
Probation contacted with the victim's mom and dad, who wanted a more significant punishment for Mr. Norris, said Mr. Ladinig. Although he acknowledged the parents' wishes were reasonable, Mr. Ladinig said given the totality of the circumstances, he thought the settlement was appropriate.
A trial would also have been disruptive to the victim's life, said Mr. Ladinig.
In an email to the News-Press, the girl's father said, "We absolutely abhor the light sentence."
"My daughter was subjected to many years of his sexual abuse and will forever carry the scars of that abuse," he wrote in a letter to the court. "She has only recently shown signs of healing knowing that her abuser has been in jail while awaiting trial. My fear is that she will have a major setback knowing Mr. Norris could be set free in only a matter of months."
The girl has already suffered a recent breakdown after being reminded about Mr. Norris, he said. The girl's father is planning on filing a civil lawsuit against Mr. Norris.
The victim reported the crimes six years after they happened, and detectives began investigating in February 2012 and obtained an arrest by the end of that year.
Mr. Norris moved to the farm town of Quepos, Costa Rica, in 2006, and Mr. Landheer negotiated with authorities for his surrender. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department worked with U.S. officials in Costa Rica, who monitored Mr. Norris and ensured that he boarded a direct flight to the U.S.
email: [email protected]
http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=LOCAL&ID=566941434838646838
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the girl next door
CA- Jehovah's Witness sentenced for child sex crimes; SNAP responds
http://www.snapnetwork.org/ca_jehovah_s_witness_sentenced_for_child_sex_crimes_snap_responds POSTED BY BARBARA DORRIS ON MARCH 03, 2014 · FLAG
For immediate release: Monday, March 3, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
We are grateful that a Jehovah's Witness elder will spend time in prison and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. Now, JW officials and congregants must aggressively seek out others who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes.
http://www.independent.com/news/2014/feb/28/carpinteria-man-sentenced-three-years-molesting-gr/
On Feb. 28, Michael Norris pleaded guilty to molesting his granddaughter in Carpinteria, CA. He also spent time in Costa Rica. We worry that there may be other kids who were assaulted by him – in both countries – who are suffering in shame, silence, confusion and self-blame. Jehovah's Witness officials and members should work very hard to find and help these victims, and beg them to call police.
Anyone who may have seen or suspected Norris' crimes should also contact police. It's possible that current or former JW officials or members could be prosecuted for concealing Norris' crimes.
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Magwitch
On the Silentlambs website it states that the victim was actually Norris' granddaughter. I cannot seem to find that anywhere else. Does anyone know?
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the girl next door
Yes that is accurate, the maternal Grandfather, and it is referenced in the press release from the Santa Barbara Independant Press linked above.
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Magwitch
Thank you Girl next door!
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the girl next door
The Convicted Sex Offender, Michael Johnson Norris, will be paroled in only a matter of months if he survives his prison stay.
While he will be registered as a sex offender it should be noted that he is married to a Costa Rican National and he also owns property in Costa Rica. Under the terms of his parole he may be allowed to return to Costa Rica and only if Costa Rican officials allow him to. Co sta Rica will not be protected under the umbrella of Meghan's Law or Norris' GPS tracking device.
Whether Norris stays in the United States or makes his way back to Costa Rica one thing is absolutely certain: Norris will try to reintegrate with the Jehovah's Witnesses where his sex offender "status" will not be made known to congregants.
Norris was a high profile Elder in the Carpinteria Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses while he was perpetrating his sex abuse crimes. Norris will also be allowed to go door to door as JWs do. Norris' guilt still is not established within the religion because there was not a "second witness" to the abuse he perpetrated. These are internal policies held by Jehovah's Witnesses and they will not see Norris as a "convicted sex offender" because he accepted a plea bargain.
Jehovah's Witnesses and Communities beware. This is a pedophile that will use his knowledge and the avenue of the Jehovah's Witness religion with their egregious policies to act out again.
If anyone has suffered abuse by this offender, now is the time to come forward.
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the girl next door
http://www.amcostarica.com/morenews.htm
Former Quepos resident
sentenced in child caseBy the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A former elder in the Jehovah's Witnesses denomination has been sentenced for committing a lewd act upon a child. The man, Michael Norris, lived in Quepos from 2006 until he recently flew back to California to face a warrant for his arrest in Santa Barbara.
According to the criminal division of the Santa Barbara Superior Court, Norris was sentenced to three years in Wasco State Prison in California last week. Through a plea agreement in which he must register as a sex offender, the 69-year-old man was charged by the district attorney with just one count.
The criminal trial received a great deal of attention from concerned advocacy groups. Advocates for Awareness of Watchtower Abuses deals specifically with giving basic rights and monitoring common transgressions among members of the Jehovah's Witnesses community.
President Lee Marsh said that the legally incorporated organization will be keeping close tabs on Norris, even if he possibly returns to Costa Rica upon his release.
“We will not forget about him, and as soon as Norris is out we will do what we can to limit his preaching activities where ever he chooses to reside,” Ms. Marsh said via email correspondence. “What we know is that the Jehovah's Witness elders are under orders not to disclose to anyone that a person in the congregation is a convicted and registered sex offender.”
Messages left for Ben Ladinig, the deputy district attorney that was involved with the case, were not returned by Thursday night. A representative from Santa Barbara court's criminal division said Norris must serve the full term of three years. -
truthseekeriam
Very happy this creep will be closely monitored by AAWA after his release. Hopefully this will at least deter him from hurting another child. Of course I would have preferred a long prison sentence that would guarantee no access to children...but we can't always get what we want.
I hope the family and the brave young victim are doing well after such an emotional time.