I don't think I can speak for everyone, but given the fervor of this town and how much anger was rightly generated over Richie Thompson's conviction on charges of sexual misconduct with a 12 year old, I find it personally appalling that the admited fully sexual acts performed on a 15 year old boy by Todd Nienhueser led to a MISDEMEANOR conviction on two counts and not the felonies they should have been.
The laws we have are meant to protect the innocent. Nienhueser's assertion that the boy claimed to be 19 seem easy enough to disprove on the face of it. A teacher by training with years of experience, he should have understood both the appearance and demeanor of his victim would at least make him want to see a driver's license before... dinner.
If Nienhueser met the boy over the internet, When was the issue of sex first discussed, how did age come into the coversation. Was the victim coached or otherwise led by his pursuer to say he was 19 because that would somehow make it.. ok.
The police and prosecutors have all kinds of tools at their disposal. Every message exchanged between the two should have been analyzed to see if their was a pattern to direct or otherwise control the victim. According to reports, Nienhueser said the boy told him he was 19 and that was good enough for him.
The lack of sufficient jail time for sexually related crimes is disturbing in this locality. One has to wonder also at the outrage over Richie Thompson who was poor and could not really provide for his own defense and contrast that to Nienhueser, whose family name and connections might have swayed justice to a better outcome.
One also now wonder how a person who had sex with a minor will not have to register as a sex offender. Regardless of where Nienhueser goes, the people in that town will not ever know that he took advantage of someone's son, brother or grandson. He could explain it away as... I made a foolish mistake and bought a kid some beer.
It is also now a question of what happens to Nienhueser once his sentence ends. Will he be able to move to Colorado or another state and get another teaching job? Do you really want a person of Nienhueser's character anywhere near your children? The sad truth is he will be able to work around children again. Maybe you can rest easy here in town because it won't happen you your own, but it will probably happen again.
I hope that whatever higher power each of us believes in will find the correct justice for Mr. Nienhueser in his next life. I also hope that somehow the nature of his crime follows him in a way I know will never happen.
The sad tragedy is that some people can buy the outcome of justice that serves themselves. In this case, Nienhueser was able to circumvent justice with a slap on the wrist.
This is a very sad story. But all the facts are not here.. If you dig deeper to find the whole story. What was done is wrong. that is black and white. What you fail to mention is that the family of the minor child had moved to this town to leave behind the fact that this minor was in the same situation in their previous town. Of which all court documents have been sealed. Lets learn the facts before we jump to conclusions. There are external reasons that a plea was made and agreed to.
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