Hello Everyone, I took a vacation and had to do some work for Christmas and New Year's Eve. Although we have New Year, we have several illegal alien problems from last year. Here is another story about the effects of illegal immigration in Arkansas. Is illegal immigration worth exposing Arkansas citizens to this?Immigration officials detain family of boy who confessed to rape
BY SHARON C. FITZGERALD ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTEROGERS
- Immigration officials have detained the family of a 12-year-old Rogers boy who confessed earlier this year to raping a female relative, Rogers police and a Benton County prosecutor said. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began investigating the family last week after a Rogers school official told him about the case, said Rep. John Boozman, RArk. We try to use the power of the office for the good, Boozman said Friday. The congressman from Rogers said his office called immigration officials in Northwest Arkansas and asked them to check on the family's legal status.
Rogers school officials became concerned when they learned the boy was adjudicated on a rape charge and they had not been notified, Rogers Mayor Steve Womack said Friday. Parents of juveniles facing adjudication are supposed to notify school officials as part of a court-ordered safety plan made early in a juvenile case, he said. The school wasn't notified about the safety plan in this case, Womack said. What motivation did the parents have to notify the school?
A lot of issues would have been melted away had the school been notified. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Rogers police went to the family's apartment Thursday and took two adults and four children into custody, Womack said. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Fort Smith could not be reached for comment Friday. The 12-year-old was taken into juvenile custody in August after Rogers police received information that he had raped an 8-year-old female family member, said Van Stone, Benton County chief deputy prosecuting attorney. On Nov. 27, Benton County Circuit Judge Jay Finch ordered that the boy receive two years probation and outpatient individual and family counseling after he confessed to the rape, Stone said. The boy, who was 11 at the time of the crime, was released to his parents and allowed to return to school, Stone said. The overriding goal of juvenile court is rehabilitation, Stone said. Every juvenile who comes through the court is assessed by a trained professional and a recommendation is made to the court.
Rogers School Superintendent Janie Darr told Boozman about the boys case when the congressman visited with her last week, Boozman said. Darr said Friday she never mentioned the child by name, but that the case came up during a conversation with the congressman. I didn"t ask [Boozman] to look into anything, Darr said. I did not give him the name or any confidential information about the student. Darr said she could not comment on the child's case and didn't know how many students in Rogers public schools have been adjudicated in juvenile court. No statistics are kept on how many adjudicated delinquents are in the public school system, said Petie Cobb, chief juvenile probation officer for Benton County.
This story was published Sunday, December 31, 2006
__________
AND__ The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Immigration Deports Juvenile Rapist, FamilyBy
Robin Mero The Morning News
BENTONVILLE -- Immigration officials deported a 12-year-old convicted rapist from Rogers and his family Thursday after school officials expressed concern about the boy being in school to 3rd District Rep John Boozman, R-Rogers.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Rogers police raided a Rogers apartment early Thursday, taking into custody the boy, his three siblings and two parents. Three family members were hiding in the attic, Rogers Mayor Steve Womack said.
"This was an egregious crime committed by an undocumented person and has involved the resources of many agencies. It's very sobering when these issues are manifested in juveniles," Womack said.
The boy pleaded guilty in November before Benton County Circuit Judge Jay Finch to raping an 8-year-old relative at the family's home in August. The boy was age 11 when the rape occurred.
The Morning News' policy is not to print the names of children convicted of crimes, and immigration officials did not release the name of the boy or his family.
School offices were closed for the holiday, and Rogers Superintendent Janie Darr couldn't be reached for comment. Boozman said Thursday he visited the district last week and Darr told him about a student convicted of rape, but not on school grounds, so officials were concerned about expelling him. She also mentioned the student appeared to be an illegal immigrant, Boozman said.
Boozman, who served seven years on the Rogers School Board, said he immediately looked into the situation and asked immigration officials about the family's status.
"My way of thinking is, you always err with the safety of the children," Boozman said. "I asked Immigration what was going on, and they got involved. That's what my office is here for, to help you -- whether you're a superintendent or a man on the street."
Immigration has been a heated topic in Rogers since Womack requested last month six city police officers be trained and certified through Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The program grants state and local law enforcement authority to identify and detain illegal immigrants.
Womack has said illegal immigrants are responsible for nearly half of "the worst of the worst" drug crimes in Rogers. Some immigrant advocates have submitted letters opposing the proposal, while others, including Boozman, have written letters in support.
Van Stone, chief deputy prosecutor, said Finch sentenced the boy to two years of probation and ordered him to undergo psychosexual screening, risk assessment and outpatient treatment. A boy that age could not be charged as an adult, even under Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction laws, Stone said.
Finch said Thursday he can't address specific cases but children who are illegal immigrants aren't eligible for Medicaid and often can't afford inpatient treatment programs for sex offenders. While cases are pending, juveniles are released under strict conditions, Finch said.
"In many ways, the conditions are more stringent than what we impose on adults," Finch said.
Prosecutors recommend a safety plan requiring parents to inform other adults of a child's charge. Sexual assault cases involving family members require parents control the child's exposure to others in the home.
Juvenile Probation is authorized to notify a school after a conviction, said Petie Cobb, supervisor of the Benton County Juvenile Probation Office. However, with an allegation involving child maltreatment, the Department of Health and Human Services must determine the validity of the claim and, if it's substantiated, inform a school counselor of names and relationships. This investigation is done immediately -- separate from any court action -- and must be reported to the school within 10 business days.
The Arkansas Crimes Against Children division of the Arkansas State Police contracts with the department to investigate the allegations, said Bill Sadler, state police spokesman. Either the department or the state police send a form to the school, but that form is part of a sealed file. He wouldn't confirm whether a notice was sent in the case of the 12-year-old boy.
Julie Thompson, media representative of the Arkansas Department of Education, provided documents Thursday showing a student can be refused enrollment if he or she has been convicted of a felony and the district has implemented a related policy.
However, the laws governing expulsion are limited to acts committed on school grounds or during school hours.
By the Numbers
Juvenile delinquency petitions, Benton County
2004 586
2005 755
2006 802*
* Number to date
Source: Administrative Office of the Courts
The Mexican "government", Tyson Foods, the ACLU, and other groups have plenty of money to spend lobbying and staging protest. Do you think they would compensate a victim of illegal alien crime?
