When individuals are convicted for sex crimes, the punishments can be severe. Individuals may need to spend time in jail, and they may be prohibited from living or working near young children.

However, one Pennsylvania man was recently sent back to prison shortly after being released. His offense? He went home.

When the man, Rodney, was released from prison following charges for the solicitation of a minor, the terms of his probation prohibited him from having contact with any minors. Because Rodney's daughter is a minor, returning home was considered a probation violation.

Rodney's defense attorney claims that preventing Rodney from returning to his home is a violation of his constitutional rights.

During the time that Rodney was going to be at home, his wife would have been there to supervise the time Rodney spent with his daughter. The district attorney stated that his wife could not offer proper supervisions because "she doesn't know the full facts."

Rodney was convicted for the corruption of minors last November. According to the allegations against him, he was involved in a sexual conversation with a 13-year-old girl on Facebook. Court records show that Rodney also sent sexual text messages to the girl's mother.

Since then, the girl stated that she needed counseling and has had trouble sleeping. The girl's mother is concerned that the girl will develop unhealthy trust concerns.

Rodney's lawyer may pursue an appeal of Rodney's terms of probation. However, she is waiting until his other options are exhausted. When an individual is arrested for chat room crimes, a psychological evaluation may be appropriate if the individual was sexually or physically abused as a child.

Source: lehighvalleylive.com, "Ex-Hellertown firefighter who had Facebook sex talk with minor headed back to prison," Collin McEvoy, 8 April 2011