A sex offender was sentenced this month in one of the more frightening criminal plans. Patrick James Fredericksen, 31, pleaded no contest to charges that he stole a school bus in Emery County, Utah and tried to pick up children.
Fredericksen pleaded guilty to attempted child kidnapping, reduced to a second-degree felony, as well as three counts of theft, including two second-degree felonies and one third-degree felony. In exchange for the plea, the prosecutor recommended concurrent sentencing and Seventh District Judge Douglas Thomas sentenced him to one to 15 years in prison, with two identical terms and a term of zero to five years to be served concurrently.
Fredericksen was paroled from the Utah State Prison in August 2013 following convictions for unlawful sexual activity with a minor, impersonating a police officer, forgery, theft, possession of an altered prescription, and criminal mischief.
On this occasion, people reported in April 2015 that a slow-moving, suspicious school bus driving through Emery County. Police had received reports of a suspicious man in the area matching the same description.
What is particularly chilling is that, when he stole the bus, Fredericksen found a list of names and directions for students who rode the bus and tried to pick one child up at her home. He also asked for directions to a second child’s home. The thought of a sex offender seeking your child by name and address is nothing short of a nightmare for any parent. Given the possibility (while remote) of as little as one year in jail and the strong evidence, it is somewhat surprising to see the plea. However, such offenses normally run concurrently and the prosecutors secured pleas on all major crimes (some of which might not have been secured in a final verdict). They appear to have traded away just a misdemeanor charge. As unnerving as it may be to even contemplate such a recidivist being released in a year, the assumption is that no rational board would support such a release.
I have previously discussed with parents the strange fact that we protect our children so aggressively from various dangers but stand by as perfect strangers drive away with them every morning. Fredericksen seems to have seen the same disconnect.
Olly and Bam,
So happy you two have found each other! Please carry on your imaginary conversation about me while I get on with life. Neither of you has an sense of, well, let’s just leave it that neither of you has any sense. Your deliberate attempts to misconstrue, misrepresent and misdirect are pitiful.
I was hoping to have a serious discussion about the subject matter but you both seem intent on making insults and middle-school jokes. LOL. HaHa. So funny I forgot to laugh. Bye now.
That must be the case Bam; phillyT seems to think it’s okay to have consensual sex with minors as long as the age gap is within tolerance. And HE thinks I”M advocating for pedophilia. That’s some twisted logic.
I’m thinking pedophillyT hasn’t quite grasped the concept that lawlessness will flourish when the people are allowed to interpret the law, just like Dear Leader does.
Olly
Don’t feed the pedophiles. It only encourages them and gives them the attention that they so desperately crave.
Olly,
You seem to be having trouble reading my post. Or maybe you think there is no difference between two teens, close in age having sex and a pedophile who preys on pre-pubescent children. Maybe it’s all the same to YOU, but to me they are not even close. And no, of course the law is not the law, otherwise we could have robots and not judges handling our courts. When John Roberts said he thought a justice’s job was to call balls and strikes at his hearing, I am still astonished that no one called him on it. A slo-mo camera does a much better job calling balls and strikes.
If you’re an advocate for pedophilia, you should just go ahead and say that, but don’t try to twist my posts around to make it seem like I support your view in any way because I don’t.
phillyT,
What’s the difference between a 19 year old have consensual sex with a 17 year old and a 36 year old having consensual sex with a 14 year old? TWENTY YEARS! Both adults made a conscious decision to have sex with someone the law and society have concluded do not have the maturity to make that rational decision. Yes, “some” juveniles are “mature” beyond their years and “some” adults are “immature” in their critical-thinking capability, but either the law IS the law or it is not. Geez!
racer x,
Feeding the trolls only encourages them. I know it’s tempting to respond, but it only gives them the attention they came for in the first place.
Back to the topic. There has to be some way to distinguish among sex offenders. A 19 year old who has consensual sex with a 17 year old is not even remotely similar to a predatory pedophile. Until we find a cure, if there is such a thing, guys like this should not be out and about, even if they have served their whole sentence.
One of the Channel Islands off the southern California coast is used by the Navy for target practice. I would recommend this be the home for all convicted pedophiles. Give them supplies to make a shelter, grow food and maintain a desalination plant. No need to lock them up. Just let them sort everything out on their own.
He may only serve a year?
This story made me nauseous. What a close call.
It mentioned he had been convicted previously of impersonating a police officer. Did he use that as a ploy to try to kidnap children, too? How long did he serve for his first conviction? Maybe, just maybe, they shouldn’t be so lenient with him.
Some people should just not be on the street. Lock up pedophiles in a mental hospital or jail, I don’t care which, as long as they never see the light of day again. These people are just not made right. Some even kill their victims to hide their crimes. Don’t chance recidivism; just don’t let them out.
What Olly wrote.
Gotta agree with issacbasonkavichi. Predatory sex offenders may very well require lifelong incapacitation. If not incarceration, then at least something else. GPS chip implants, a remote taser-collar,…
Do the Koch brothers have a massive behemoth of a wife, too?
That’s it, bam-bam, stay classy. What would younsay to the Koch Bros. who are calling for the same sentencing reforms.
“the assumption is that no rational board would support such a release.”
I have absolutely zero confidence the parole board and this prosecutor will be on the same page.
Paroled in August, 2013? Can’t help but wonder how many years he actually served for the litany of previous convictions? Please, Uncle Bernie, please lecture us some more about how unjust, unfair, inhumane and cruel we are, as a society, to lock up so many criminals. Please, Uncle Bernie, please? I have an idea. How about giving this guy the bus and directions to your home in Vermont? Having seen your rotund wife, it looks as if she could easily take this guy. No problem.
Will be interesting to hear of his experiences “enjoyed” at the USP hotel as a recidivist child molester who, this time, actually went on a hunt, Shouldn’t have a problem with constipation.
When someone is that broken, he should never get out. This is where the law fails.
after he serves time makes restitution deport him
What we need here is castration with representation. I am convinced that every perp needs to be castrated and, in addition, their other unit cut off and stuffed in the right ear. Oh, this sounds wishy washy and a bit beyond the pale but it may just change his dangerous behavior. And it may just show other perps what is in store for them. Death penalty would not be going too far. But castrate him first.
Bad, Paul, very bad.
You have to admit, he thinks big.