school board member arested for soliciting a 15 year old online

[ouachiski]

Ouachita Parish School Board member Phillip Odom is out of jail following his arrest Tuesday on charges he had sexually explicit online conversations with a law enforcement officer he believed was an underage girl.Odom, 49, posted a $20,184 bond and was released from the Caddo Correctional Center in Shreveport shortly before midnight.
He was arrested at his Monroe home by the Northwest Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force as part of a sting operation that had already netted 15 people in the Shreveport area.

Odom is accused of indecent behavior with a juvenile for chatting with Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Det. Robert Greer, who posed as a 15-year-old.

Among the topics of their conversations were the purported victim’s sexual history, lesbian relationships and masturbation.

Odom, the District G board member, represents parts of eastern Ouachita Parish.

This man was my basketball coach when I was a kid and I graduated from high school with his son.

 

[GraceAbounds]

:smiley24: Sick and sad.

Do you still keep in touch with his son?

 

[ouachiski]

I still talk to him when I see him. He is a coach at the HS I graduated from now. So when I go back to watch a football game I usually talk to him.

 

[GraceAbounds]

I imagine he will need support from his friends at a time like this. He is probably feeling embarrassed over what his father has done. People are probably looking at him and imagining that he may do the same thing. Like father, like son. That is how the world thinks.

 

[BreakfastSurreal]

yuck! I was born near there...
and yeah, my FAVORITE teacher/coach in HS was arrested a few years after I graduated for molesting his 5 year old neice...its really WEIRD to find out people you actually liked/respected have done such disgusting things...gives me a really icky feeling.

 

[memento_mori]

sorry to hear about that.

 

[SilentEyz]

This man was my basketball coach when I was a kid and I graduated from high school with his son.

Whoa.. Thats Wierd, We just had the Athletics Director, Coach, of one of our Local High Schools Just get released from his position for the same reason..

I cought the bulliton on this and was like WTH..

 

[NicAuf]

Let's beat the shit out of him

 

[EmperorKupcake]

Man, thats a level of sick and twisted that I can't even comprehend. I mean, you've know this guy for a while, and then all of a sudden you find out he's an alleged pedophile. Thats unfortunate.

 

[moonshot]

I'm as cynical and jaded as one can be on this topic. There's no one I would be shocked about doing this...except maybe my immediate family. I worked with molested children so I can't be shocked.

The average sexual abuser has about 100 victims in his/her life time.

 

[GraceAbounds]

What is there profile Moonshot or is it impossible to know. I know that they will not ALL fit a profile, but is there some general definition. I have 3 kids and am always wondering about this.

 

[BreakfastSurreal]

Grace, watch out for what they call "trekkies" especially the ones who are 30 and still living in their parent's basement...

 

[BreakfastSurreal]

guys like this

 

[moonshot]

What is there profile Moonshot or is it impossible to know. I know that they will not ALL fit a profile, but is there some general definition. I have 3 kids and am always wondering about this.

There isn't a real profile for sex offenders. They can be male or female, come from any racial background, any social background and any economic background. They range in age from 10-90. This site pretty much demonstrates that: Perverted-Justice.com - The largest and best anti-predator organization online (great site and personal friends of mine)


10 Frequently Asked Questions About Child Sexual Abuse

 

[GraceAbounds]

That is what I have read and pretty much what I figure. I just couldn't help but be curious if you knew anything different since you worked up close and personal in this field.

I appreciate your response. The links you provided are excellent. I am printing them out. Really great information for families to read together and discuss.

 

[moonshot]

What is there profile Moonshot or is it impossible to know. I know that they will not ALL fit a profile, but is there some general definition. I have 3 kids and am always wondering about this.

What ages are your kids?

You can check the National Sex Offender Registry: Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry and find out who is a sex offender in your area.

Of course, most offenders have not been caught yet so you can't just go by that.
Teach your kids that no adult has full authority over them...except you and make sure they know that they can come to you and tell you anything. This includes their minister/Rabi or priest, uncle, grandfather, cousin, teacher etc.

I personally knew a seemingly awesome guy who was a teacher at a middle school in rural Indiana. He was divorced and had custody of his 3 year old daughter and was dating a friend of mine at the time. He was "grooming" one of his 13 year old student's to become his victim. She came to his home one evening on the premise of babysitting his toddler...the girl's mother became suspicious and drove by his house only to notice his car was still there. She banged on his front door while he had her on his bed...his hands in her pants while he was kissing her. He was arrested, posted bail and was charged with "sexual misconduct with a minor"(a Class D felony) and his teaching license was revoked.
All he got was probation and he was a registered sex offender for only 5 years. He's now living in another state...not registered as a sex offender anymore and works for the CDC.(he was a brilliant math teacher) I noticed yesterday he has a myspace page and all his friends are young females.

 

[memento_mori]

crazy sex offenders

 

[Tegan]

Also be careful of the sex offender registries. I understand their purpose, but in many states you can be put on them for doing ANYTHING to a child, sexual or not. For instance, here in Texas there is a bug uproar about an 18 year old who was attacked by a 15 year old and after defending himself was charged with assault. Once convicted, they put him on the sex offender list for life, even though he did nothing sexual to the minor.

They can be witch hunts as useful as they are.

 

[memento_mori]

absolutely. ive heard people getting on sex offender lists for peeing in public too.

 

[Tegan]

absolutely. ive heard people getting on sex offender lists for peeing in public too.

EDIT: I take that back, appearently they do list the crime now.