This NJ sex offender should never have been let out of jail

I’m sure we can all have a good, creepy laugh at the headlines about a guy authorities say got a little too friendly with a horse. But we’re doing a disservice to every child in the state by just laughing this creep off.

His name is Mitchell B. Richtman, 31 years old. According to the New Jersey State Police sex offender registry he was convicted of endangering the welfare of a child back in 2005. NJ.com reports prosecutors say he had another sex offense conviction in 2011.

In 2015 and 2017 he was arrested for masturbating in public libraries. Then there was another conviction in 2017 for endangering the welfare of a child. Records show he was In prison from April 13, 2018 until Sept. 1, 2020.

Then, with this atrocious track record, he was released on lifetime parole.

Recently, after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office says they caught Richtman with videos of child porn on electronic devices in his East Windsor home. Along with that authorities say they found a video of him performing sex acts on a horse.

Last week he was charged with fourth-degree animal cruelty and possession of child pornography.

So we can laugh all we want, but this guy has already done so much damage and he’s only 31 years old. Do we really think this broken justice system of ours is going to keep someone like this locked up forever this time? It won’t. Monsters like this get out all the time and they shouldn’t. Jesse Timmendequas was a sex offender. He got out. Megan Kanka died because of that.

The twisted compulsion that drives sex offenders is incurable. And during the Kanka case I interviewed therapists at New Jersey’s sex offender prison, the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel. They admitted to me they never have any idea who is going to leave the prison walls and re-offend. Keep in mind for every one sex offense a predator commits there are 19 other victims.

This being unlike any other crime, sex offenders really should be put to death. We made the mistake years ago of getting rid of our death penalty. If we cannot do the right thing and execute criminals like these then the next best thing is life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Figuratively speaking it’s the same sentence they gave their victims.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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NJ teachers and educators caught in sex crime busts

Over the past few years, state lawmakers have taken on the challenge of dealing with accused child predators among the ranks of teachers and educators.

In 2018, the so-called “pass the trash” law went into effect, requiring stricter New Jersey school background checks related to child abuse and sexual misconduct.

The follow individuals were arrested over the past several years. Some have been convicted and sentenced to prison, while others have accepted plea deals for probation.

Others cases are still pending, including some court delays amid the COVID-19 pandemic.