Throughout my life, I have borne the scars of an unimaginable violation that I endured as a child—an experience that no child should ever have to endure.

My name is Jack and I endured horrific sexual abuse at the hands of multiple adults, a series of crimes that inflicted deep psychological and emotional scars, forever altering the course of my life. The first incident I remember occurred in the supposed safety of foster care, where I was entrusted to a ‘mother and father’ who were meant to protect me after being torn from my biological mother’s care, because the state labeled her home as “unsafe.” Instead of safeguarding my well-being, the system betrayed me in the most unimaginable way. 

The second incident unfolded in the Boy Scouts—not at the hands of a leader, but by a friend’s parent who had volunteered to look after us on a five day, four night camping trip in Palm Springs. This predatory father orchestrated a sinister scheme, stealing the poles from my tent to force me into a confined space with him, in his own tent with him and my friend. My natural shyness made me an easy target for those who prey on vulnerability. The abuse lasted the entirety of the trip, all four nights. The trauma of these experiences has left a lasting imprint on my life, shaping my reality in profoundly distressing ways. I did not even come out of my shell until I was in my late thirties.

This is not just my story; it's the story of countless children who are preyed upon by adults, stripped of their innocence, and left to grapple with the devastating aftermath. Men more than women fear admitting these things, so I’m telling my story. Even as I do so, I feel a sense of shame for the experiences I’ve had that still impact my life today. 

The current legal framework does not adequately protect our children from sexual predators. Statistics on sexual abuse highlight a daunting reality: around 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the United States experience sexual abuse at some point in childhood, according to the CDC. And with boys the number is expected to be vastly under reported due to the stigma of being a victim.  And men grown up are even further removed from being able to discuss their experiences with this kind of abuse.  It has taken me over 40 years to share my story like this here for the first time ever.  This frightening prevalence underscores an urgent need for a change in our legal system to impose stricter penalties on offenders and deter future crimes. A fear of life imprisonment would not prevent all these crimes but it could surely prevent a lot of them. 

I propose that we require mandatory life sentences for all acts committed against children of a sexual nature by adults over 18 years old. It is crucial that exceptions be made only in cases falling within the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ clause, where an age difference of no more than 20 months applies. This approach serves not only to punish but also to protect countless vulnerable children from enduring lifelong trauma, while not punishing persons whom are daring in high school, so close in age they can’t possibly be seen as predators. 

By implementing mandatory life sentences, we send a strong and clear message that our society has zero-tolerance for such heinous acts. We value our children's safety and will take all necessary measures to ensure their protection. This punishment will serve as a deterrent, fundamentally altering how these crimes are perceived and prosecuted.

The implementation of this measure requires legislative action—laws must be changed to reflect our unwavering commitment to safeguarding children. Public support is crucial, and by signing this petition, you join me in urging lawmakers to take action and make our communities safer for children. Let us stand together and fight for justice for all victims.

Please sign this petition to advocate for the protection of our children and to hold those who commit such horrific acts accountable. Together, we can foster a safer and more compassionate society for future generations.

 EVIDENCE NEEDED TO ISSUE LIFE SENTENCE:

(One of the following criteria alongside digital evidence)

 1. Computer evidence alone.

2. More than a single witness to the event and/or more than one victim. 

3. Child was under the supervision or care of the person and was groomed by them, such as a guardian, or teacher. 

4. Intending to meet up with a minor, for the purpose of a sexual encounter, with chat logs or emails to prove the extent of the intent, even if context was unsuccessful with that child. 

EXAMPLE OF SYSTEM FAILURE: Google the name“KENNETH DUNFORD” where you’ll find a man who travels from one state to the next and reoffends almost systematically. Going into libraries and stores where your child has wondered off alone and he pulls out his junk and exposes it to them while pleasuring himself. He’s been convicted about 11 times and the most recent one was just last year. Yet he’s still out on out streets, reoffending and creating new victims. When he finally escalates only then will the community be ‘up in arms’ demanding to know why the system failed another child. Why should we wait for the extreme to occur to remove these people from our communities? He started in Michigan then to California, in the town of escondido. Then it was Arizona and now the most recent was Iowa. The failure here is disgustingly ignored by everyone. 11-15 victims left in his wake and that’s only the reported ones. THIS IS A TOTAL FAILURE OF OUR CHILDREN and all past and future victims. And now he’s registered as “homeless” in Wisconsin. Unable to be tracked outside his annual registration update.