Sex offender among Ohio inmates credited on kids' CD

[The Straight Story]

Sex offender among Ohio inmates credited on kids' CD

By JoANNE VIVIANO
Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- An official involved in making a compact disc of children's songs and parenting tips said Wednesday she is disappointed that the state prison system allowed the participation a man convicted of child rape.

"To find out that someone who had committed a crime like that participated in this initiative in any way is a huge disappointment," said Bonnie Hedrick, director of the Ohio Resource Network for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities. "It was a huge oversight and one I regret happened."

Among those credited on the "Wings of Hope" CD is Raymond Towler, 49, who was sentenced to 12 years to life in 1981 in the kidnapping of two children younger than 13, the felonious assault of a boy younger than 13 and the rape of a girl younger than 13.

Others credited on the CD include inmates convicted of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping.

Prisons spokeswoman JoEllen Lyons said criteria were established for any inmate who volunteered to perform on the CD, including that they have no history of sex offenses or crimes against children.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OH_PRISON_CD_OHOL-?SITE=WBNSTV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Redstone]

1. Somebody fucked up BIG TIME. Weren't they paying attention?

Redstone

[The Straight Story]

3. And the two songs he was credited with:

The CD jacket credits "music by Raymond Towler" on two songs: "Hanging Out with Humpty" and "Lil' Bird."

Let's hope they don't let him out on tour :)

[Redstone]

5. Jesus God, "let him out on tour?" Yes, let's hope not.

Redstone

[mike_c]

2. what on earth does that have to do with their performance on a CD...?

Are we so paranoid now that we actually believe that "evil spirits" will jump out of some kid's CD player's butt? I mean come on-- do you think any kid is going to be harmed by listening to some guy in prison sing on a CD?

[Redstone]

6. Excuse me. Fucking child molesters should NOT profit from a CD

that has children as its target market.

That's kind of what you'd call your moral imperative, right there.

Redstone

[ContraBass Black]

11. Were they paid? This looks like a volunteer production.

[Redstone]

14. Not to profit by fame, nor notoriety, forgetting any monetary recompense.

Child molesters deserve NO pleasure.

Redstone

[mike_c]

13. why not?-- please describe to me what the potential for harm is....

I don't think there is any, so the only justification I can see for getting upset about this is pure knee-jerk reaction. He's not molesting children, he's singing songs-- and there is ZERO potential for harm to anyone.

[The Straight Story]

7. I think their thinking is:

If you rape a kid we don't want you doing anything to help kids...

Now the two sides of that are:
1. Why can't you let someone do something positive for kids after they did something negative
and
2. Why let some child rapist have anything to do with kids, he must have some sick fantasy alterior motive.

How we view the criminal sometimes says a lot about us.

And on the murderer getting the ok - I would assume that the reason is because most people who kill don't go around doing it and needing to do it, whereas molesters tend to have more consistent urges to perform the same crime over and over again.

At any rate, a fucked up story.

[Redstone]

12. Damn good qestions you ask. And I agree with the answer you posited

in your second-to-last sentence.

Your answer may be "right" or "wrong" in absolute moralitic terms (and whose terms weould be absolute in this case), but I beleive you stated the way 99% of us feel about murderers vs child molestors...good thinking, and good writing.

Redstone

[LeftCoast]

4. Were the kids going to be injured or something?

I don't really get what the problem is here.

:shrug:

[Redstone]

8. This is the problem right here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1620570&mesg_id=1620625

Redstone

[LeftCoast]

10. According to the article they were volunteers

Prisons spokeswoman JoEllen Lyons said criteria were established for any inmate who volunteered to perform on the CD, including that they have no history of sex offenses or crimes against children.

Edited to add: Yes, I realize that prision protocols were not followed, but I also don't think this is anything to really get worked up about.

[ChazII]

9. Well said, LeftCoast.

I don't see the problem either. Thw inmate had no contact with children so who is hurt? Thank you for being one voice of reason here,

[Lars39]

15. He found a way to get close to kids.

Even if from a distance. Probably real pleased with himself.
Sick bastard.

[mike_c]

16. the responses in this thread boggle my mind....

"He found a way to get close to kids.... Sick bastard."

So what? It's the same way I can get close to kids and you can get close to kids-- a way that does no harm and has no potential for harm. What is wrong with that?

Are we so obscessed with revenge that we can't be glad that this guy is doing something that will be positive for kids without having any potential for doing harm to anyone? Unless of course some kid plays the CD backwards at 33 rpm and hears the voice of Charley Manson beguiling him....

[Lars39]

17. He wasn't doing this for some altruistic reason.

He was doing this for his pleasure.

[mike_c]

18. I ask again: so what., and what was the potential for harm...?

I don't really care whether he got off on it or not-- in fact, since it seems to me that entertaining children is BETTER than hurting them, I hope he did get considerable pleasure from it.