Judge Rules Accused Child Molester Can Go To Disney World

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Frank D. Atherton appeared in court last month on child molestation charges.
What's he going to do now?

He's going to Disney World.

Atherton, accused in Boone County outside Rockford of sexually assaulting three children under the age of 13, was given approval by a judge Feb. 26 to travel to Florida for a two-week vacation.

Then Tuesday, when Atherton provided the court clerk with an itinerary, Associate Judge R. Craig Sahlstrom was called and authorized the 46-year-old felon's plans to spend three days of his trip at Walt Disney World.

Atherton's vacation was scheduled to begin Tuesday, court records show.

Lise Lombardo, the assistant state's attorney prosecuting Atherton, said she objected last month when Atherton asked the judge to go to Florida.

"I said he has three Class X felonies pending," said Lombardo. "Basically, the judge granted it over our objection."

Lombardo said her office was not consulted on Atherton's desire to go to Disney World, which court records mistakenly listed as Disneyland, which is in southern California.

"We would have objected further had we known that was where he was going," Lombardo said. "Certainly, Disney World is a place known to be frequented by children."

Atherton's attorney, Michael Haughan, defended the trip, saying, "He is going with his family , and he is presumed innocent."

Atherton is free because he paid 10 percent of his $100,000 in bail. One of the conditions of bail was that he not have contact with "any minor children," Lombardo said.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/288706,CST-NWS-disney08.article

I'm just beyond words.

:shrug:

Although the stipulations of his bail seem at odds with the judge's approval. I guess this one might boil down to what the definition of "contact" is.

I'm going through that myself (drug related felonies).

does it really fucking matter? Aren't both visited by tons of children? I effing don't get this shit. Up here, some fucker just got four years for assaulting an 18 month old boy with a screwdriver. Yes, an effing screwdriver and only four years...WTF :mad: :puke:

What is wrong with these judges?

:wtf: :rant:

Jebus. That's..... disturbing.

Cameras all over the place and guards with Uzis under their Mickey Mouse costumes.

I tried to find an out-of-the-way spot to have a smoke there...
couldn't find one. There's not a square foot of that place that
is hidden from view.

And that's just the LAYOUT. Add a few thousand cameras to that landscape,
and NO ONE does anything there without being seen.