Sex offender runs for mayor in Texas town (UPDATE)

Are the internet gods trying to mess with me today? No, serious.  Scroll down for update.

WILMER, Texas – A registered sex offender running for mayor of his small town said he hopes voters can overlook his 2004 arrest in which he was caught in a police sting trying to arrange sex with a 15-year-old girl on the Internet.

Brian Sliter said late Friday he accepts responsibility for his arrest and has received counseling that has helped “turn my life around.”

“I don’t expect anybody in the public to condone what I did and I don’t expect anybody to forgive what I did,” said Sliter, 42. “What I do hope is people look at my current character … . People can rehabilitate and make themselves a better person.”

Sliter was arrested after arranging a meeting with whom he thought was a teenager, according to state records. He was charged with attempting to commit sexual assault of a child and placed on 10 years probation, records show.

Sliter is eligible to run for office in Wilmer, a town of about 3,400 just south of Dallas, because he was never convicted. He received deferred adjudication, which means he will not be convicted if he successfully completes probation.

“Someone told me, ‘Make something positive come from this,’” Sliter said. “I feel really bad about it, really embarrassed about it, really awful about it. I am really glad there is no direct victim. I thank God for that every day.”

Sliter, an accountant, has been open about his arrest, even mentioning it in a campaign flyer.

I would love to see what this flier looks like. “Vote for Brian Sliter, Sex Offender!”

His opponent, incumbent Mayor Don Hudson, has said having a registered sex offender as mayor would embarrass the city.

The election is scheduled for May 10. [source]

How is this guy eligible to run for anything? Sure, he was caught in a sting and not with an actual girl. But that’s what he was caught doing. Who knows if whether or not he has actually done something, before that. I do not think he just got on the computer one day and said, “Gee, I think I will see if I can find an underage girl.” There was something that motivated him to look for an underage girl. If he hadn’t been caught in the sting, he would have found an actual girl. If he hadn’t been caught, he would have continued doing this. This isn’t about whether or not he was convicted. It’s about what’s in his mind. Look, mayors go to parades and other town events where children will be. I hope no one is stupid to vote for him.

After I posted this I found this article about a mayor, in Collins, Missouri who is also a pastor was charged with soliciting underage sex online.  This article doesn’t say if he has any past charges or not.  Just because someone is charged or arrested one time doesn’t always mean it is their first time.  Read the article here.