this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2026
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[–] lechekaflan@lemmy.world 10 points 8 hours ago

Ah, the Christian Republic of Texas as usual.

[–] 6stringringer@lemmy.zip 1 points 4 hours ago
[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 5 hours ago

who better to teach about sex offenders, non-consensual sex than a sex offender in TEXAS.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 33 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

If I got a waiver like that, it wouldn't end with me refusing to sign that waiver. I'll be making an appointment to speak with the principal, and you'll be hearing from me at the next school board meeting.

[–] SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 31 points 9 hours ago (6 children)

Yeah exactly.

I came here thinking 'maybe he's on the registry because at 19yo he fucked his 17yo GF and her parents found out'... nope. It's every bit as bad as you'd think.

"Eventually I found myself in chat rooms late into the night while my wife and innocent infant daughter slept. I was engaging in inappropriate conversations that led to adultery. One of these online conversations ended up being with a minor…but it was never a minor…it was a police officer. The sting went down exactly like you would imagine on T.V. It was no question the worst day AND the best day of my life."

Here's the thing with those 'stings'- they are not entrapment. The agent makes it clear they are a minor. There's no confusion, no 'I thought she was 18'. That would kill the prosecution and give the defense ammunition. No, the agent 'minor' gives themselves an age that's below 18.

This is no innocent guy trapped in a big net. This is a guy who made plans with a minor to meet up and have sex, KNOWING they weren't 18.

If that were my kid I'd be demanding the heads of everyone who signed off on his hiring and that waiver as they are obviously unfit to be in charge of education. Doesn't matter if it's the principal of the school, pick someone random off the street and they'd do a better job not hiring would-be child rapists to supervise children.

[–] Pieisawesome@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 6 hours ago

John Oliver just did something on this. “Police stings” is th episode…

It’s not as clear cut as you say. The answer depends on the police or sheriff depts conducting it.

There is also a culture of making these things happen to juice their numbers.

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[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 5 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Might run into more problems at the school board meeting (this one is from Tennessee)

God, You Are Hot': US School Board Member To Teen Girl Student During Public Meeting

[–] NannerBanner@literature.cafe 1 points 5 hours ago

Ugh, I remember that one. Despicable doesn't even begin to describe the person or the people that enable the behavior.

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 7 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Yep. Not into the oul' school board meetings myself but a waiver like that is definitely going to push me across the line into rabbid activism, complete with pitchfork.

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[–] Janx@piefed.social 66 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (2 children)

Stay classy, Texas. I believe in redemption. But I also believe a convicted sex offender can't continue coaching kids and needs to find another line of work...

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 5 hours ago

texas always have to one up florida, eventhough florida has the sunshine laws.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 51 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

I mean,

"Convicted sex offender" can mean anyone from a serial rapist to someone who peed outside. But the byline says:

The former Houston Astros prospect holds previous charges of online solicitation of a minor and domestic violence.

So he shouldn't be in a school.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 16 points 13 hours ago (12 children)

Are there really a lot of people who peed outside in the ranks of sex offenders? Kinda find that hard to believe.

[–] Delphia@lemmy.world 10 points 12 hours ago

It really depends on how granular the laws get in certain areas.

But for example indecent exposure may not be a mandatory register on the sex offenders registry, but within 200m of a school or playground is mandatory. (even if it was 2am on a sunday in the middle of the school holidays during the dead of winter.) Like the whole getting booked for drunk driving for being drunk and going to your car to get a jacket.

There are people who are on the register who shouldnt be and people who absolutely should be who arent.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 12 points 13 hours ago

Probably happens a lot more to black people, at least in the U.S.

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[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 0 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

public urination isnt a sex offense, its likely misdeameanor for public indency. more than likely its FLASHING young girls with your penis, or whatever. there are some sites that allow you to see sex offendors in your area, and some of them to give you what they were caught with, alot of them tends toward showing your junk.

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 1 points 3 hours ago

It depends on where you live. I was just pointing out the edge case and people seem to want to put words in my mouth.

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 74 points 15 hours ago (8 children)

Coach Tommy can speak first-hand about the dark shadows of sports, especially professionally. He, himself a talented athlete, spent many years praising himself and feeding his flesh. The Lord so graciously refused to let the world have him and rescued him from his sin in a tremendously dramatic, yet necessary way. Tommy now spends his time pouring into young men around him, helping them navigate this tricky culture with Christ.

FUCKING YIKES!

A school sent that out? What the fuck?

[–] fushuan@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Tommy now spends his time pouring into young men around him

Huh.

[–] kometes@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Pouring what exactly?

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 22 points 14 hours ago

That would be: Texas

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[–] CptHacke@piefed.social 77 points 15 hours ago (8 children)

How are registered child sex offenders not legally barred from working with or around children in every US state? How is this not a law that already exists?!?!?

[–] Fmstrat@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

Uhm.. From the article:

According to the law offices of Ned Barnett, Texas law prevents registered sex offenders from working in places frequented by children, including schools, daycare centers and playgrounds or attending school events like sports games.

[–] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 5 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

It very much is against the law. Read to the end. Here's the last paragraph of the article:

According to the law offices of Ned Barnett, Texas law prevents registered sex offenders from working in places frequented by children, including schools, daycare centers and playgrounds or attending school events like sports games. Some can interact with children at family gatherings or public events, supervised when interacting with children according to court orders and the nature of the offense.

This isn't a problem with the law as much as it is a specific group of people trying to wallpaper a sort of compliance with the law while ignoring the substance of it altogether. First paragraph of the article, emphasis mine:

The Texas Home Educators Sports Association (THESA) thought it could get away with allowing a registered sex offender to coach minors by sending parents a waiver to sign, with the coach's testimony attached, according to Amy Smith at watchkeep.org.

Note also from somewhere in the middle of the article:

The waiver mentioned nothing about his offender status.

And if you're wondering wtf, you're not wrong: all this careful arrangement of fact seems like a very creative effort on the part of the author and editor to actively distance point A from point B. It's possible they're just trying very hard not to piss anyone off in what is already a lost cause.

Or to put it another way, in a state with a very high year-round accumulation of snowflakes, this article involves three very special groups of special snowflakes all at once: a sex offender and his personal fans, the homeschoolers, and the evangelical Christians, and how they are faking compliance with state law by making sure the parents sign a waiver -- one that hides the relevant information about a sex offender with a history of minors -- before giving him free access to their children in direct contradiction to the law, a law they knew enough about to deliberately circumvent.

[–] shyguyblue@lemmy.world 63 points 15 hours ago (1 children)
[–] SuiXi3D@fedia.io 22 points 14 hours ago (5 children)

Correction: Texas is run by the oil companies.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 5 hours ago

the energy company, texas is said to closely resemble russia than other states.

[–] Rivermoonwolf@lemmy.world 12 points 12 hours ago

Correction : Texas is run by probable paedophiles

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[–] webp@mander.xyz 28 points 15 hours ago

Just look at the leadership.

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[–] remon@ani.social 90 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

Tommy now spends his time pouring into young men around him

Excellent choice of words!

Are we really not doing “phrasing” anymore?

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[–] Tronn4@lemmy.world 9 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

So like the president? 😅

[–] Rooster326@programming.dev 4 points 9 hours ago

No the waiver respects consent. If you don't sign...

[–] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 14 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

WHY are you STUPID Libtards surprised that the Party of PROTECTING EPSTEIN is OK with Sex Offenders being around Children?

[–] Hakuso@scribe.disroot.org 3 points 9 hours ago

Because a good christian male just made a mistake, he's sorry, it won't happen again.

Meanwhile the girl who just wants to pee in peace is a predator and must be dealt with to the fullest extent of new laws that make Iran look progressive by comparison.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 15 points 12 hours ago (5 children)

I'm surprised Texas has a sex offender registry.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 5 hours ago

they do, but its a HIRING list, and a resume.

[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I mean, Texas created the AMBER Alert system. Many republican voters do seem to genuinely care about protecting kids… They just have a really fucking warped idea of what that entails.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

that was before texas become full red/gop takeover, plus with republicans moving to places like texas and florida during covid, makes it more harder to remove an entrenched gop.

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 10 hours ago

Something something telephone book

[–] NABDad@lemmy.world 8 points 12 hours ago

It makes it easier for them to identify future candidates for public office.

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[–] etherphon@piefed.world 51 points 16 hours ago

Way back when we just assumed that our physical education teachers were sex offenders.

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