I'm in situation, that I tried to avoid. I have now PP who is in prison for possession of child pornography. I tried to look crimes for those who I wrote to, but I didn't understand what I read. I thought that possession & receipt ment possession of drugs.

I wrote him nice letter and got nice letter back. When I was replying him, I googled him, and I was so suprised to find out his actual crime. I had to think few days, how to deal the situation. I wrote the letter that I had already started, and sent it.

But I'm troubled, and I want to hear your opinions, how to deal this. On the other hand, I don't want to refuse him, after all, it was me who started to write to him. All the facts would have been there to look, if I only had seek them.

I don't think he is a risk to me or my family, since we live in Finland. He was very respectful in his letter.

So I'm asking, are there other people here, who have wrote to sex offenders, and what it was like?

Sunflow,

I am a mother with 2 children...I could never write a person like that. You did'nt know his crime was p.child pornography. If you feel guilty send him a card that you did mistaken his crime. And just write what you think really...but dont be rude. Just write how you feel...

Sunflow, I think if you are uncomfortable with his crime, then you shouldn't write him simply out of guilt. I personally wouldn't be able to continue writing him after I learned that, simply because I can't accept that kind of crime. If you think you might be able to look past that, and can be comfortable writing him, then go for it. Otherwise I would do as the person above stated and write him a letter expressing why I wouldn't write him any longer. I think even if you do choose to write him, you should still be honest and tell him how you are feeling.

In my opinion, I don't know if I would stop writing him. His letter was nice, but I will be honest and tell him I found out more about his crime on internet and I feel uncomfortable about it. Maybe he will say then ok stop writing each other or maybe he can still be nice in his letters. I don't know, I'm curious and would continue to write to him unless he tells me bad things or want to stop. mhhh

My first reaction is knee-jerk & I thought about how I'd never be able to keep writing to someone like that. Then I thought about how really crazy the sex offender laws are & how it might not be what it seems.

Of course, when I see the words "child pornography" I want to immediately castrate the SOB. But then I start thinking about these "new" laws.

Did you know that, in some states, an 18-year-old boy that has a naked picture of his 17-year-old girlfriend can be charged with child pornography? Did you know that he would also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life?

It's up to you at the end of the day, but maybe getting his side of the story would be the best thing to do. Like someone else said - don't just write to him out of guilt. That won't benefit either of you.

I will tell him, that I know his crime, when I write him next time. I would never consider to write a sex offender, but now I have made it by mistake. I'm just trying to find out, which makes me more uncomfortable, writing or stop writing. If he had been convicted for act that has "living victim" I would never even think to write again. Sorry my bad, bad english... I mean, if he had done something where there was kid involved, not only pictures. I know, that there has been kid involved when picture is taken and it is anyway abuse! I just wonder, is there a turning point for him, possibility to live normal life anymore? If there is even a small chance for him living without abusing kids anyway, even by those pictures, I want to write to him (unless he writes something disturbing) because it could be the thing that gives him more reasons to recuperate. Maybe. I don't have that "I want to cure every broken men"-syndrome though!
Some how I yet think, that maybe there is a reason, why I wrote to him...

Life can be so baffling sometimes. Maybe I go by one letter at the time...

Double....

Sunflo, I think it depends on why you are writing prisoners. If we are into judging inmates, then perhaps we should write to some one in the Military or a pen pal club. If you are looking for love and a possible relationship, then I can understand your reluctance to keep on writing, but if it is for support, why be concerned about the crime. Yes, I know the knee-jerk response is disgust, but most violent crimes are disgusting too. To write to an inmate doesn't indicate approval, it is an act of kindness. Regardless of who they are, they are still human with human feelings. You don't know all the circumstances that led to his arrest, so why assume that he is a monster before knowing what happened. In this case he obviously didn't do anything physical to a child. It is your decision, you decide.

I absolutely DO judge an inmate especially if Im not comfortable with his crime. I am concerned about the crime because I am a mother and if someone did things to my kid even a photo then id want him to be strung up ad it would piss me off if there he was writing to someone..just my opinion...also my opinion is that I have been told that they start off with porn then they move on up so im glad he was caught to stop this from happening. In this case he didnt do anything physical to a child but hey the next time a child might not have been so lucky.
What we think are innocent pictures of kids playing in swimming pools is a whole different thing to these guys so why not be concerned about the crime?

double