Diligent police work, or a horrifying witch hunt?

[DwayneEMTP]

http://www.wyff4.com/news/18153973/detail.html

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Police say that a girl told them she was molested by a Spartanburg man nine years ago, and now they are looking for other possible victims.

Officers arrested 36-year-old Shawn Daily on Wednesday. He is charged with committing or attempting a lewd act on a child under 16.

Daily has been a paramedic with Spartanburg Emergency Medical for at least 12 years, but investigators said that the alleged molestation had nothing to do with his position.

Investigators said that Daily fondled the 6-year-old child between Sept. 1, 1999 and Sept. 1, 2000. Deputies said that Daily was an acquaintance of the girl's family.

The alleged incident was reported about four years ago, and the investigation as continued since.c Deputies said it took years for the child to be able to report the abuse due to her emotional state.

Master Deputy Tony Ivey said, "Because of the young age of the victim and the trauma that happened at the time, they've been going through some counseling and therapy. Through that, some more of the specifics of the incidents have been able to come to light and we've been able to get those and take those before a judge and able to get a warrant."

Investigators said that they are asking for the public's help to learn if there could be other victims.

Daily is not working as a paramedic pending the outcome of the charges. He is not suspended and is considered to be an employee, but he is not being paid.

Spartanburg EMS said they have never received any complaints about Daily.

Anyone with information is asked to call Nicki Cantrell at 864-503-4604

For me? A bunch of crap! We should have investigated the chargers when she was a child, but to investigate him after not only the passage of nine years, but the passage of those years under the care of a counselor who have shown in the past to often be motivated to create victims? Outragous. How can he possibly man a defense against such charges?

And their call for addl victims? Pretty fair huh? How many of the hoards of victims that are likely to come forward to you think will have actually met him at some time as opposed to simply be using this to jump on the lawsuit bandwagon.

Though I would submit that it makes no difference is he's guilty or not any more. They have branded him a sexual deviant so life as he has previously known it has ceased to exist.

Craziness.....

Dwayne

[sirduke]

Sounds like a witch hunt to me, could be wrong, but to take this long? Smells of Bull Sheite to me. Had an in-law get caught up in the same thing, cost him his teaching certs, a ton of money, and endless embarrassment, and in the end, proved to be a complete fabrication by his nieces who were prompted by an adult.

It could be real, but me thinks not.

[Just Plain Ruff]

If this is indeed true then charge him and hang him high.

If this is indeed not true then leave him be but unfortunately the damage is done.

[DwayneEMTP]

If this is indeed true then charge him and hang him high.

If this is indeed not true then leave him be but unfortunately the damage is done.

Kind of a Don answer Ruff, as of course this is everyone's feeling. But the whole point of the thread is, how do you decide guilt or innocence at this stage?

And also, shouldn't the Statute of Limitations have run out long ago even if he is guilty? There is a reason we have such statutes, the main being, in my limited understanding, that evidence degrades, both mental and physical. Though a child can make up unlimited accusations with the help of adults at this point, there is no way that I can see for him to defend himself.

Dwayne.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Kind of a Don answer Ruff, as of course this is everyone's feeling. But the whole point of the thread is, how do you decide guilt or innocence at this stage?

And also, shouldn't the Statute of Limitations have run out long ago even if he is guilty? There is a reason we have such statutes, the main being, in my limited understanding, that evidence degrades, both mental and physical. Though a child can make up unlimited accusations with the help of adults at this point, there is no way that I can see for him to defend himself.

Dwayne.

so true but I think the statute of limitations is negotiable when it comes to childhood abuse. IF the child is not able to voice their accusation and it's proven that if the child is unable to assist in their own defense and it is determined that the case could go to trial then I think the statute of limitations needs some leeway.

If this guy really did the deed and the child has been unable to assist in the investigation until now then by all means the guy should be charged even if the statute of limitations are past.

unfortunately we have too many whiners out there who think the criminals rights are more important than the victims rights and that's WRONG.

I think that for child abuse and molestation there should be a longer statute of limitations. It's a good thing that civil cases don't have a limit. (I don't think they do but I could be wrong) If he can't be charged then by all means, go after his sorry ass in civil court, the money she gets in the settlement would help with the psych treatment.

[p3medic]

Somemedic sends....

[DwayneEMTP]

...unfortunately we have too many whiners out there who think the criminals rights are more important than the victims rights and that's WRONG.

Well then, list me amongst the whiners. First of all, we have no idea if this man is a criminal, and at this point, barring an act of God, we never will. He's being accused of a crime that he has no possible way to defend himself against honestly, by people that have nothing to lose and everything to gain by seeing him found guilty, whether he is or not.

My initial questions still stand should you choose to answer them.

Dwayne

[DwayneEMTP]

I think that for child abuse and molestation there should be a longer statute of limitations.

Even given my possibly flawed reason for their existance? How long do you think? I'm 45. Should I know be able to convict my grandfather, who bathed me as a child, of molestation as, now that I think of it he really seemed to wash me for longer than seemed necessary? And how does he defend himself agains such a charge?

It's a good thing that civil cases don't have a limit. (I don't think they do but I could be wrong) If he can't be charged then by all means, go after his sorry ass in civil court, the money she gets in the settlement would help with the psych treatment.

And what evidence have you used to decide that he does in fact have a "sorry ass?" Your responses of late belong more in the "how we confuse our feelings with knowledge" thread than in a logical debate.

I'm calling to you here buddy...Time to suck it up, step away from the foo foo feel good threads and get back on your analytical horse. I know you can, I've seen you do it often...

Dwayne

[Eydawn]

Here's some hypotheticals for you. This unidentified woman watches the same man kill her younger sister. She is severely traumatized and it takes years for her brain development to catch up to what happened. She finally comes to a place where she feels like she is old enough/strong enough/people will believe her and she comes forward to confront her accuser. Since there is no statute of limitation on murder, do we just dismiss the case because "any evidence" that "could have existed" is now probably gone? Or do we try our damndest to figure out what really happened?

Back to the original topic. First of all, child molesters seldom act once and cease to molest. They have aberrant, conniving patterns that they nurse and hide for YEARS, often with many different potential victims in various states of "grooming." While the potential definitely exists for someone to be falsely accused and I agree that suggested memories are the bane of the counseling profession, I also maintain that someone who's accused needs to be thoroughly investigated (but not necessarily displayed on the news until proven guilty!) If they are a molester, a good investigator will find evidence of it and other victims without having to put out a broadcast for "if this guy touched you as a child, call this number." I think that finding evidence of other victims without a broadcast would pretty much cinch the deal... find more victims, vindicate the original victim. How many of you guys saw the news article about the guy from E-Harmony or something similar who posed as a doctor and raped *dozens* of women, many of whom came forward with evidence, but wiggled out of it? Finally, with one about to be pinned on him, the other women are finding closure even though their cases were dismissed....

As far as this case goes, it seems that the incidents were reported four years ago, which would be 5 years after the original incidents occurred... so how does that fit into the nice little box of statute of limitations? I shudder to think that anyone would advocate that simply because "it's been a long time" that someone be allowed to escape investigation for harm that they have done to a child.

Putting his name in the paper has ruined his life to a much further degree if he is innocent than any other action involved with this case. I think these sort of things should be investigated quietly, with no mention of anyone's name, until they are proven guilty. Guilty? All over the front page. Innocent? Don't even mention that someone falsely accused!

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Michael]

finding evidence of other victims without a broadcast would pretty much cinch the deal

Enforceable maybe in Brave New Italy.