Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => Straight, Inc. and Derivatives => Topic started by: sammiegirl on July 22, 2005, 10:31:00 PM
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Samantha,
I have reviewed your email and researched the information you provided.
It appears that these cases were investigated, in the early 1980s by the State Attorney's Office. They took whatever actions they deemed appropriate at that time based on their investigation. Fortunately, the Sarasota State Attorney's Office was the first to successfully force the closure of one of these businesses. The Sheriff's Office would not re-investigate a case that the State Attorney's Office has already completed. The obstacles that are presented in attempting to investigate events from 20-25 years ago are insurmountable. Physical evidence and witness statements sufficient to sustain a criminal prosecution would not be possible. In addition, after consulting our State Attorney's Office, our statutes would prevent us from bringing a criminal prosecution in these cases because the statute of limitations has expired.
As I am sure you have already found in some of the websites that have content dedicated to Straight, Inc, several civil actions have been brought against them. In your particular case, that may be the only recourse available to you at this time, if it is not barred by similar statutes of limitations.
Charles Forbis, Captain
Commander, District 1
Sarasota Sheriff's Office
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what did you write to him?
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Did you know that there are no statutes of limitations on felony crimes in the Commonwealth of Virginia?
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§ 18.2-371.1. Abuse and neglect of children; penalty; abandoned infant.
A. Any parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the care of a child under the age of 18 who by willful act or omission or refusal to provide any necessary care for the child's health causes or permits serious injury to the life or health of such child shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony. For purposes of this subsection, "serious injury" shall include but not be limited to (i) disfigurement, (ii) a fracture, (iii) a severe burn or laceration, (iv) mutilation, (v) maiming, (vi) forced ingestion of dangerous substances, or (vii) life-threatening internal injuries.
B. 1. Any parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the care of a child under the age of 18 whose willful act or omission in the care of such child was so gross, wanton and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.
2. If a prosecution under this subsection is based solely on the accused parent having left the child at a hospital or rescue squad, it shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution of a parent under this subsection that such parent safely delivered the child to a hospital that provides 24-hour emergency services or to an attended rescue squad that employs emergency medical technicians, within the first 14 days of the child's life.
C. Any parent, guardian or other person having care, custody, or control of a minor child who in good faith is under treatment solely by spiritual means through prayer in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination shall not, for that reason alone, be considered in violation of this section.
(1981, c. 568; 1988, c. 228; 1990, c. 638; 1993, c. 628; 2003, cc. 816, 822.)
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§ 18.2-370.1. Taking indecent liberties with child by person in custodial or supervisory relationship; penalties.
A. Any person 18 years of age or older who, except as provided in § 18.2-370, maintains a custodial or supervisory relationship over a child under the age of 18 and is not legally married to such child and such child is not emancipated who, with lascivious intent, knowingly and intentionally (i) proposes that any such child feel or fondle the sexual or genital parts of such person or that such person feel or handle the sexual or genital parts of the child; or (ii) proposes to such child the performance of an act of sexual intercourse or any act constituting an offense under § 18.2-361; or (iii) exposes his or her sexual or genital parts to such child; or (iv) proposes that any such child expose his or her sexual or genital parts to such person; or (v) proposes to the child that the child engage in sexual intercourse, sodomy or fondling of sexual or genital parts with another person; or (vi) sexually abuses the child as defined in § 18.2-67.10 (6), shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.
B. Any person who is convicted of a second or subsequent violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class 5 felony; provided that (i) the offenses were not part of a common act, transaction or scheme; (ii) the accused was at liberty as defined in § 53.1-151 between each conviction; and (iii) it is admitted, or found by the jury or judge before whom the person is tried, that the accused was previously convicted of a violation of this section.
(1982, c. 521; 1986, c. 503; 1991, c. 517; 2001, c. 840; 2005, c. 185.)
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Survivors of Sarasota--- hang tight...
A lawsuit concerning that investigation of 25 years ago is coming.
Guess Who
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I can't even begin to imagine. Where you there? I guess I probably know you then.
To go to Journal of Applied Polymer Science go to http://www3.interscience.wiley.com (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com) and then journal search and put the journal number and year
-- Journal of Applied Polymer Science Vol. 47, 1984