Shelby Grad
reports on LATimes.com that an American man accused of being a "sex tourist" in Cambodia is heading to trial.
Michael James Dodd, 59, was brought from Cambodia to Los Angeles in February. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in federal prison.
While I want to see child abusers imprisoned, what other crimes do people get tried for here in the states if they commit them elsewhere? I know if two Americans are abroad and one kills the other (or one disappears), the FBI will get involved. And leaders of foreign nations have been convicted in American courts for crimes they directed from their home country. But if someone were to, say, go to Brazil and rob a bank there, and then come back to the states, would the authorities here try that person here? The crimes in cases like this often have to do with travelling abroad to commit these crimes. Does intent have to be shown? I mean, does he get off the hook if he really did go there for business and then, once there, decided to indulge in his perverse desires?
Dodd taught English in Cambodia, had sex with a 14-year-old girl and was seen with her on several occasions in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, according to an affidavit for arrest filed in federal court.
Gross. He should have learned to make movies and gone to live in France.
In 2002, Dodd pleaded guilty in Saipan to five counts of sexual abuse of a child after he was accused of inappropriately touching 13 female students at an elementary school where he taught, an FBI agent said in the affidavit. Dodd served time in prison and was placed on probation for 15 years.
It's only 2010, so he didn't spend much time in prison, did he? Elementary school girls. Ick. Fourteen year-olds are attracted to each other. Elementary school kids get crushes on 14-year-olds. But the only people attracted to elementary school kids are pedophiles.
He also faces criminal charges in Cambodia.
Yeah, but if they don't want to lock him up for very long, let's keep him locked up for a long time here.
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