I don't see why people are taking sympathy on this guy he's a repeat offender who was distributing child porn at the age of 40. This wasn't some high school kid sending out pics of the girl he hooked up with the other night. He knew full well what he was doing was wrong and just because he was released from prison doesn't mean he was rehabilitated. America suffers from major over crowding in their prisons so a lot of people that can BS their way through a parole meeting can get out early. Also the people saying he hasn't displayed any inappropriate conduct in the time they've known him, that is something people like that are very good at...John Wayne Gacey anyone?

I don't see why people are taking sympathy on this guy he's a repeat offender who was distributing child porn at the age of 40. This wasn't some high school kid sending out pics of the girl he hooked up with the other night. He knew full well what he was doing was wrong and just because he was released from prison doesn't mean he was rehabilitated. America suffers from major over crowding in their prisons so a lot of people that can BS their way through a parole meeting can get out early. Also the people saying he hasn't displayed any inappropriate conduct in the time they've known him, that is something people like that are very good at...John Wayne Gacey anyone?

He said that his parole officer was trying to deny him parole. So overcrowding of prisons isn't the reason why he got out.

 

He is a guy who transmitted child porn both by electronic means and by postal mail (ref: http://www.tbi.state...x?htid=00411395) POSTAL MAIL. This is not some bad accident or "being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

 

Do you people actually accidentally print off porn and somehow unintentionally slip it into an envelope and mail it? Do you find that sort of excuse to be credible?

 

At this point in the discussion, I seriously wonder if some of you are playing devil’s advocate, simply trolling or just so damned groomed yourselves that you can't see straight.

 

I am well aware of the reasoning presented here. However, a part of being fair is considering all aspects of the situation. No matter how guilty he may have been, or may still be (that we aren't aware of), it is only fair that we consider things from his perspective as well. Yes, I'll be frank. I wouldn't be comfortable knowing a registered sex offender was running a website for children. Some may have cited the counterstrike fiasco there in which an individual was blatantly trying to recruit younger children into a clan for ... I don't know what reason. The situation, while not exactly the same, can strike dangerously close to the aforementioned case. I want to reiterate that again, I see where the moms and the whistle-blowers may be coming from.

 

However, I wouldn't go out of my way to point fingers. Though he's in a pretty poor spot at the moment - it takes only one person to destroy a reputation, after all.

Only one person can destroy your reputation, and that is yourself.

I don't see why people are taking sympathy on this guy he's a repeat offender who was distributing child porn at the age of 40. This wasn't some high school kid sending out pics of the girl he hooked up with the other night. He knew full well what he was doing was wrong and just because he was released from prison doesn't mean he was rehabilitated. America suffers from major over crowding in their prisons so a lot of people that can BS their way through a parole meeting can get out early. Also the people saying he hasn't displayed any inappropriate conduct in the time they've known him, that is something people like that are very good at...John Wayne Gacey anyone?

He said that his parole officer was trying to deny him parole. So overcrowding of prisons isn't the reason why he got out.

 

Ever stop to think why his parole officer was trying to deny him parole?

One should assume that the parole officer was doing his/her job - and I seriously doubt that the officer had a problem with Thomas whatshisname on a personal level.

Also taking the overcrowding of american prisons in measure, one can only assume that the officer's motives were legit, seeing as he, according to Thomas whatshisface, was attempting to deny parole.

I personally would take a trained officers opinion more serious, as opposed to a repeated offender who's first known crime was in 1984. I emphasize the word known, since the following crimes come across as slip-ups, rather than isolated events.

 

I'm also just second-guessing like most people, but I share no agreement with the folks who feel sorry for this dude. A grown man should know better.

 

I felt glad that he himself admits to his mistakes in his lengthy letter of resignation, than saddened by the 2-pages that followed which struck me as an attempt to excuse himself.

 

As for Jagex going public with this issue. One could argue that it is tasteless, however I'm sure that 99%, including many of the people claiming the lack of moral fibre on Jagex' behalf, are happy for this piece of information in one way or the other.

 

P.S The dude has evil eyes and his pic creeps me out, lol.

 

P.P.S It struck me as quite odd, that he writes about obtaining/possesing child and/or underaged pornography as a normal thing.

 

At the time, child porn had fairly recently been made illegal-- previously it had always been legal, and you could even buy it in adult bookstores. This led me to think that even though it was illegal now, it was sort of like running a stop sign, not the big deal it turned out to be.

.

Well, I support JaGeX on cutting their strings with RV, but I think they should consider retaking them, now that their previous owner resigned.

 

I just don't think that he should own the site, maybe he is really regretful about what he did, maybe he's not, truth is that we'll never know for sure. The safest best is to go with the opinion of 'He had an unhealthy attraction to children, and was found guilty of having pictures of naked teenagers, at mature age of 30s-40s, therefor it's simply not appropriate for him to run a site where TONS of kids can be found in their high school years' Maybe I'm being too tough on the guy, but with today's level of deception found in people, people can really seem to be something that they aren't, and this was just the safest choice on JaGeX's behalf. Besides they wouldn't want their investors and such to know that the company supports the site of a sex offender, do they?

Child molestation, child porn, child anything-sex-related-that-involves-an-adult is [bleep]ing awful. IMO, people like him shouldn't even be walking the streets, let alone running a fansite for a childrens' game.

I don't see why people are taking sympathy on this guy he's a repeat offender who was distributing child porn at the age of 40. This wasn't some high school kid sending out pics of the girl he hooked up with the other night. He knew full well what he was doing was wrong and just because he was released from prison doesn't mean he was rehabilitated. America suffers from major over crowding in their prisons so a lot of people that can BS their way through a parole meeting can get out early. Also the people saying he hasn't displayed any inappropriate conduct in the time they've known him, that is something people like that are very good at...John Wayne Gacey anyone?

He said that his parole officer was trying to deny him parole. So overcrowding of prisons isn't the reason why he got out.

 

Because everything people say is true right?

I don't see why people are taking sympathy on this guy he's a repeat offender who was distributing child porn at the age of 40. This wasn't some high school kid sending out pics of the girl he hooked up with the other night. He knew full well what he was doing was wrong and just because he was released from prison doesn't mean he was rehabilitated. America suffers from major over crowding in their prisons so a lot of people that can BS their way through a parole meeting can get out early. Also the people saying he hasn't displayed any inappropriate conduct in the time they've known him, that is something people like that are very good at...John Wayne Gacey anyone?

He said that his parole officer was trying to deny him parole. So overcrowding of prisons isn't the reason why he got out.

 

Because everything people say is true right?

 

Dude yes.

Now let me upgrade your rune armour.

Only one person can destroy your reputation, and that is yourself.

 

Don't be so naive.

 

The media, especially in western culture; has unrivalled power in being able to ruin a persons life and reputation.

 

I don't know where you live, but In England there is almost always a publicised case of a member of the public winning damages and compensation from tabloid newspapers which print slanderous filth which has absolutely no credible source whatsoever.

 

Numerous times, public figures have been accused of rape and had their professional and personal lives torn to shreds only to be later found innocent of all charges. Not that it matters as by that time said person has already been branded as scum and no amount of compensatory money will ever fix that.

Numerous times, public figures have been accused of rape and had their professional and personal lives torn to shreds only to be later found innocent of all charges. Not that it matters as by that time said person has already been branded as scum and no amount of compensatory money will ever fix that.

Read: New York v. Strauss-Kahn. A week in jail, placed under house arrest, political life all but totally destroyed--no conviction.

Only one person can destroy your reputation, and that is yourself.

 

Rather prefer this wording: only one person can destroy your honour, and that is yourself. There is a difference between reputation and honour. The first is what people know about you. The second is what you know about yourself.

 

The media, especially in western culture; has unrivalled power in being able to ruin a persons life and reputation.

 

This is true no matter where you go, it only seems especially this way in the west because of how much emphasis we put in our media.

I don't see why people are taking sympathy on this guy he's a repeat offender who was distributing child porn at the age of 40. This wasn't some high school kid sending out pics of the girl he hooked up with the other night. He knew full well what he was doing was wrong and just because he was released from prison doesn't mean he was rehabilitated. America suffers from major over crowding in their prisons so a lot of people that can BS their way through a parole meeting can get out early. Also the people saying he hasn't displayed any inappropriate conduct in the time they've known him, that is something people like that are very good at...John Wayne Gacey anyone?

He said that his parole officer was trying to deny him parole. So overcrowding of prisons isn't the reason why he got out.

 

Ever stop to think why his parole officer was trying to deny him parole?

One should assume that the parole officer was doing his/her job - and I seriously doubt that the officer had a problem with Thomas whatshisname on a personal level.

Also taking the overcrowding of american prisons in measure, one can only assume that the officer's motives were legit, seeing as he, according to Thomas whatshisface, was attempting to deny parole.

I personally would take a trained officers opinion more serious, as opposed to a repeated offender who's first known crime was in 1984. I emphasize the word known, since the following crimes come across as slip-ups, rather than isolated events.

 

I'm also just second-guessing like most people, but I share no agreement with the folks who feel sorry for this dude. A grown man should know better.

 

I felt glad that he himself admits to his mistakes in his lengthy letter of resignation, than saddened by the 2-pages that followed which struck me as an attempt to excuse himself.

 

As for Jagex going public with this issue. One could argue that it is tasteless, however I'm sure that 99%, including many of the people claiming the lack of moral fibre on Jagex' behalf, are happy for this piece of information in one way or the other.

 

P.S The dude has evil eyes and his pic creeps me out, lol.

 

P.P.S It struck me as quite odd, that he writes about obtaining/possesing child and/or underaged pornography as a normal thing.

 

At the time, child porn had fairly recently been made illegal-- previously it had always been legal, and you could even buy it in adult bookstores. This led me to think that even though it was illegal now, it was sort of like running a stop sign, not the big deal it turned out to be.

.

Sorry was trying to post.

I have seen guys go to jail because it was a witch hunt.To me,just because the law says he did something doesn't mean he actually did.

Im not saying he didn't but its not for me to judge him in that manner.And anyone with a felony cant rent legally and is shunned in society.

 

Ive done crazy stoof as a kid,luckily i was underage,and went to juvy,mailbox baseball..But i learned my lesson and have been working hard my whole life,and stayed out of trouble.

My brother just had some of my other brothers stuff at his house and he never did anything,yet cops came looking for the bad brother and poped my youngest for multiple felony.All he did was help another out by givin him a storage shed to put his stoof,hes got 3 kidz and now cant provide for being the nice guy.

 

Sometimes,just being there or knowing someone,will ruin your life.

And mostly if your government says we did something,doesn't mean they did,but is the scape goat cause someone has to pay.

 

Agian im not defending him,but im always Leary when the legal system says people have done things.

Sorry was trying to post.

I have seen guys go to jail because it was a witch hunt.To me,just because the law says he did something doesn't mean he actually did.

Im not saying he didn't but its not for me to judge him in that manner.And anyone with a felony cant rent legally and is shunned in society.

 

Ive done crazy stoof as a kid,luckily i was underage,and went to juvy,mailbox baseball..But i learned my lesson and have been working hard my whole life,and stayed out of trouble.

My brother just had some of my other brothers stuff at his house and he never did anything,yet cops came looking for the bad brother and poped my youngest for multiple felony.All he did was help another out by givin him a storage shed to put his stoof,hes got 3 kidz and now cant provide for being the nice guy.

 

Sometimes,just being there or knowing someone,will ruin your life.

And mostly if your government says we did something,doesn't mean they did,but is the scape goat cause someone has to pay.

 

Agian im not defending him,but im always Leary when the legal system says people have done things.

 

The person in question admits to all the crimes he is convicted for.

If not aware of that, I advise you to read the first post in this thread, where a long quote by the said person is implemented :)

Hi everyone. I'm Magicana, a Clan Chat moderator from Runevillage. I got linked to this topic by Matt258, and just thought I'd add my thoughts to the whole thing.

 

"I do feel bad for the forums though. Especially Henner. She's worked her butt off for years over there."

 

He has certainly worked very hard :).

Sorry, when I checked the place out he had a female avatar of some type. My mistake. :oops:

The problem with sex offender registries is that everyone from rapists to the guy who had sex with his 17 year old girlfriend can end up on them. That said, this guy surely must have been aware of the restrictions, fair or otherwise, placed upon people in such a position and should have known better than to start up a fan site for an online game at a point when the majority of it's player base was underage. I'll agree that sometimes people make mistakes, and sometimes they go to prison simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and once you've done your time you deserve a second chance but this is one of those crimes that follows you for the rest of your days.

Could you explain to me in the legislation at hand, where it says he cannot run a fan site for a game which may have or may not have kids involved? I'm not in the US so I don't know the law there like I do here.

Generally, people who are convicted of crimes that would require registration as a sex offender come with restrictions relative to their crimes. The most common of which are things like being prevented from working around children (like in a school), volunteering for groups that work with children (Boy Scouts/Girl Guides, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, etc...), not living within a certain distance of school or playground...that kind of thing. Considering one of the things he was convicted of was distribution of pornographic pictures of minors, I'm sure he has similar restrictions placed upon him.

 

While starting up a fansite for a game aimed at minors might not be technically violating any of his restrictions, I'm sure it easily falls into a grey area that a man of his age should have known well enough to avoid. Especially if he is simply trying to put such things behind him and move on with his life as a law abiding citizen (a commendable course that we should all be supportive of).

 

Edit: I just realized he may have restrictions against him forbidding him from initiating contact with minors, or communicating with minors who are not family over the internet (not unreasonable considering he distributed the offensive pictures via email). If so, then starting up the fansite would easily fall under the list of things he shouldn't be doing.

 

Keep in mind while I write this, that we'll never be in full possession of the facts concerning this case, as per Hiker's words. I only comment with absolute certainty on what I know to be true. I speculate on the basis of what I know to be valid assumptions.

 

The Facts:

 

Hiker started RuneVillage in 2002. He was convicted on obscenity charges concerning the distribution of child pornography in 1995; at this time, Georgia's pornography distribution laws did not require registration of the offender because they were classified as obscenity offenses rather than sexual offenses. He moved to Tennessee in 2000, and in 2003 at the latest, TN changed its pornography distribution laws to constitute a sexual offense, requiring him to register as a sex offender. He was arrested on a warrant in 2005 for 'failing to register' as an offender although he was not legally required to register at the time he left; nor did he know that the laws concerning this had changed. Because of this, the charges were initially dropped.

 

 

I'm only chiming in to comment on this. If TN changed it's laws, the Constitution clearly states that there should be no retroactive punishment by virtue of the fact no governing body is allowed to pass ex post facto laws. So why did they force him to register, when it's clearly unconstitutional? I'm referring to how it was an obscenity charge, and they changed it retroactively.

The problem with sex offender registries is that everyone from rapists to the guy who had sex with his 17 year old girlfriend can end up on them. That said, this guy surely must have been aware of the restrictions, fair or otherwise, placed upon people in such a position and should have known better than to start up a fan site for an online game at a point when the majority of it's player base was underage. I'll agree that sometimes people make mistakes, and sometimes they go to prison simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and once you've done your time you deserve a second chance but this is one of those crimes that follows you for the rest of your days.

Could you explain to me in the legislation at hand, where it says he cannot run a fan site for a game which may have or may not have kids involved? I'm not in the US so I don't know the law there like I do here.

Generally, people who are convicted of crimes that would require registration as a sex offender come with restrictions relative to their crimes. The most common of which are things like being prevented from working around children (like in a school), volunteering for groups that work with children (Boy Scouts/Girl Guides, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, etc...), not living within a certain distance of school or playground...that kind of thing. Considering one of the things he was convicted of was distribution of pornographic pictures of minors, I'm sure he has similar restrictions placed upon him.

 

While starting up a fansite for a game aimed at minors might not be technically violating any of his restrictions, I'm sure it easily falls into a grey area that a man of his age should have known well enough to avoid. Especially if he is simply trying to put such things behind him and move on with his life as a law abiding citizen (a commendable course that we should all be supportive of).

 

Edit: I just realized he may have restrictions against him forbidding him from initiating contact with minors, or communicating with minors who are not family over the internet (not unreasonable considering he distributed the offensive pictures via email). If so, then starting up the fansite would easily fall under the list of things he shouldn't be doing.

 

Keep in mind while I write this, that we'll never be in full possession of the facts concerning this case, as per Hiker's words. I only comment with absolute certainty on what I know to be true. I speculate on the basis of what I know to be valid assumptions.

 

The Facts:

 

Hiker started RuneVillage in 2002. He was convicted on obscenity charges concerning the distribution of child pornography in 1995; at this time, Georgia's pornography distribution laws did not require registration of the offender because they were classified as obscenity offenses rather than sexual offenses. He moved to Tennessee in 2000, and in 2003 at the latest, TN changed its pornography distribution laws to constitute a sexual offense, requiring him to register as a sex offender. He was arrested on a warrant in 2005 for 'failing to register' as an offender although he was not legally required to register at the time he left; nor did he know that the laws concerning this had changed. Because of this, the charges were initially dropped.

 

 

I'm only chiming in to comment on this. If TN changed it's laws, the Constitution clearly states that there should be no retroactive punishment by virtue of the fact no governing body is allowed to pass ex post facto laws. So why did they force him to register, when it's clearly unconstitutional? I'm referring to how it was an obscenity charge, and they changed it retroactively.

 

In this case, I could see where he shouldn't have been arrested, but could still have been put in the list. I can also see why he should've been grandfathered in. Again though, don't feel bad about it since he's clearly a creep.

Recently Jagex was made aware that the owner of the RuneScape fansite RuneVillage.com is registered on the sexual-offenders list in Tennessee

 

sexual-offenders list in Tennessee

 

Tennessee

 

yep

 

no surprise there

Again though, don't feel bad about it since he's clearly a creep.

This is the exact sentence why I hate it when the public gets informed:

 

They form opinions of people and won't listen to reasoning ever. Once the media has tagged someone he is for life.

Again though, don't feel bad about it since he's clearly a creep.

This is the exact sentence why I hate it when the public gets informed:

 

They form opinions of people and won't listen to reasoning ever. Once the media has tagged someone he is for life.

 

Repeat offender...looking at and distributing child porn at the age of 40. There is obviously something wrong there.

The problem with sex offender registries is that everyone from rapists to the guy who had sex with his 17 year old girlfriend can end up on them. That said, this guy surely must have been aware of the restrictions, fair or otherwise, placed upon people in such a position and should have known better than to start up a fan site for an online game at a point when the majority of it's player base was underage. I'll agree that sometimes people make mistakes, and sometimes they go to prison simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and once you've done your time you deserve a second chance but this is one of those crimes that follows you for the rest of your days.

Could you explain to me in the legislation at hand, where it says he cannot run a fan site for a game which may have or may not have kids involved? I'm not in the US so I don't know the law there like I do here.

Generally, people who are convicted of crimes that would require registration as a sex offender come with restrictions relative to their crimes. The most common of which are things like being prevented from working around children (like in a school), volunteering for groups that work with children (Boy Scouts/Girl Guides, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, etc...), not living within a certain distance of school or playground...that kind of thing. Considering one of the things he was convicted of was distribution of pornographic pictures of minors, I'm sure he has similar restrictions placed upon him.

 

While starting up a fansite for a game aimed at minors might not be technically violating any of his restrictions, I'm sure it easily falls into a grey area that a man of his age should have known well enough to avoid. Especially if he is simply trying to put such things behind him and move on with his life as a law abiding citizen (a commendable course that we should all be supportive of).

 

Edit: I just realized he may have restrictions against him forbidding him from initiating contact with minors, or communicating with minors who are not family over the internet (not unreasonable considering he distributed the offensive pictures via email). If so, then starting up the fansite would easily fall under the list of things he shouldn't be doing.

 

Keep in mind while I write this, that we'll never be in full possession of the facts concerning this case, as per Hiker's words. I only comment with absolute certainty on what I know to be true. I speculate on the basis of what I know to be valid assumptions.

 

The Facts:

 

Hiker started RuneVillage in 2002. He was convicted on obscenity charges concerning the distribution of child pornography in 1995; at this time, Georgia's pornography distribution laws did not require registration of the offender because they were classified as obscenity offenses rather than sexual offenses. He moved to Tennessee in 2000, and in 2003 at the latest, TN changed its pornography distribution laws to constitute a sexual offense, requiring him to register as a sex offender. He was arrested on a warrant in 2005 for 'failing to register' as an offender although he was not legally required to register at the time he left; nor did he know that the laws concerning this had changed. Because of this, the charges were initially dropped.

 

 

I'm only chiming in to comment on this. If TN changed it's laws, the Constitution clearly states that there should be no retroactive punishment by virtue of the fact no governing body is allowed to pass ex post facto laws. So why did they force him to register, when it's clearly unconstitutional? I'm referring to how it was an obscenity charge, and they changed it retroactively.

 

Good question. Neither the articles, nor his resignation letter mention that his charge was 'grandfathered' in or that ex post facto was involved in the 2005 charges. If sounds like an important detail (especially since I think an attorney could've used this to show he didn't have to register) so I don't see why it wasn't mentioned 'till now. Perhaps TN is able to override this limitation in certain circumstances? I dunno.

Again though, don't feel bad about it since he's clearly a creep.

This is the exact sentence why I hate it when the public gets informed:

 

They form opinions of people and won't listen to reasoning ever. Once the media has tagged someone he is for life.

 

Reasoning? The man was charged with sex crimes in two separate decades how do you expect us to react?

Again though, don't feel bad about it since he's clearly a creep.

This is the exact sentence why I hate it when the public gets informed:

 

They form opinions of people and won't listen to reasoning ever. Once the media has tagged someone he is for life.

 

Reasoning? The man was charged with sex crimes in two separate decades how do you expect us to react?

 

Although I agree with your sentiment pulli, it would seem that all the people that hate him due to knee-jerk reaction have either had that pointed out and thought it through again, or just disappeared. Most likely the second option. Although it is actually possible that he hasn't done anything wrong, the likelyhood of it happening twice, especially once when he was in his 40s involving (allegedly) something sexual with a minor would imply that something there is his fault.

So?

 

That doesn't allows anyone to form an opinion of a person.

 

NEVER EVER form an opinion (or at least don't voice that opinion) untill you have seen that person, spoken to him and first said that opinion to him. Don't talk about others when they can't defend themself - especially not in a negative manner. Furthermore I simply can't understand how much of a "taboo" this is: it seems like you're all back in the middle ages, when also homosexuallity was a taboo. And now we look down at that time and say to ourselves: could you believe how stupid, and unequal time was back then? I'm not saying what he did is correct, but what I am saying is that judging him should be done by professionals, who know him NOT by the public.

 

 

On top of that, I really dislike religions, I strongly believe "god" is just a metaphor thought by humans to hide their weakness. However there are good things one can still learn off it seems: "forgive us our crimes like we forgive each other". One of the standard prayers of christianity, and it is one of those topics which comes back in some form in each religion. It is THAT important to let people live on.