Convicted pedophile working in supermarket aibu?

[youmeatseven]

I worked in a supermarket (big chain, green logo) a few years ago and one of my colleagues at the time was arrested and charged with various sexual offences against children (under 10) and animals. He admitted what he done (the worst of the worst) and was placed on the sex offenders register, given a community payback order and a fine. Imagine my shock today to go into the store for the first time in over 2 years to find him stacking shelves, still employed by the supermarket.

I left my trolley, got the name of the store manager and left the shop feeling sick to my stomach.

AIBU to complain about this and ask the store managers if they are aware of his history (he's probably still doing it) or should I just leave it? I can't believe he still has a job let alone in a very busy supermarket

There isn't much you can do. Apart from avoid the supermarket; tell everyone you know to avoid the supermarket; share on here which supermarket it is so we can all avoid it to. My daughter goes to supermarkets on her own now. I'd quite like to know which supermarket to avoid.

Men like him have a right to work I suppose; but parents have a right to know where men like him are in public life.

@NameChanger22, are you going to avoid every supermarket? Male and female sex offenders can be anywhere, especially the ones that have not been discovered and/ or convicted.

My daughter goes to supermarkets on her own now. I'd quite like to know which supermarket to avoid.

Errr well that'd have to be all of them then

So there are sex offenders in every single supermarket are there? What about our local Coop? I've only seen women working there, so very unlikely. I'm not going to avoid every branch of Asda, just the one where a known sex offender is.

What about all the other offenders - sex crimes & others - who you don't know about. Should every employer announce they employ a person with a criminal record.

With the number of Asdas there are in the country the chances of your daughter shopping in the one the OP highlighted are minimal. However who knows who your local supermarket employs.

I've only seen women working there, so very unlikely

Women don't commit sexual offences?

I'm not going to avoid every branch of Asda, just the one where a known sex offender is.

You're all good with non convicted offenders?

There's no logic to your viewpoint.

Very few women commit sexual offences. Just check the stats.

There is nothing I can do about non-convicted offenders. There is something I can do about convicted offenders - avoid them. How is that harming anyone?

It is perfectly logical to avoid convicted sex offenders. Are you for real?

NameChanger22

I hope this wasn't your local Co-Op

www.uknip.co.uk/2017/08/co-op-remove-staff-member-after-being-found-to-be-convicted-sex-offender/

Probably best to avoid your local Co-Op op just in case

Very few women are convicted of sex offences. That doesn't mean they don't do it.

The risk of being attacked by a convicted sex offender who is monitored and their managers are aware of their history, is far lower than an discovered sex offender who is free to roam as they wish. That's why your reasoning is illogical. If you're going to limit your movements because there might be a sex offender there, you're going to need to cover places where non convicted offenders are too.

• undiscovered, not discovered

He has been sentenced and is now working in a job where he does not have close access to children. Witch hunts make people disappear from view where they are more dangerous. You need to keep your nose out. Getting him fired from his job will not make him less dangerous or less of a risk. It could in fact increase the risk.

He's working in an environment which is closely monitored and is hardly likely to grab a child while cctv is on him, also he's working is not a drain on the state has paid his fine and wasn't imprisoned. His employers will know his background so not a lot of point in reporting him, also will point out that more than one supermarket has a green logo

Yeah I just don’t buy that someone charged with “the worst of the worst” sexual offences with children and animals would only get a fine and community service, even on a guilty plea.

Assuming it’s true, I think you’re being unreasonable. It’s a supermarket, not a school. He’s entitled to be rehabilitated after serving his sentence.

I would be OK with someone with his convictions stacking shelves at a time when the store is closed, but share the OPs concerns during opening hours. Aside from the potential dangers of re-offending, if the OP knows, who is to say others don't, and take the law into their own hands in or near the supermarket.

I also would not want a judge who was so lenient to ever be on the bench again, though that is unlikely to happen.

parents have a right to know where men like him are in public life.

No they don't.

I would rather he was working than have time to be in parks and playgrounds alone with children whilst yes children go into supermarkets mine are never left alone in a supermarket, short of locking him up for ever what else csn we do ?

I think I get where the OP is coming from, after all, you tell your children that if they get lost in a shop to go a member of staff.

Perhaps it would be better if people with such convictions were not in any kind of public facing role, but I do agree it is much better for them to be in work than unemployed and claiming benefits.

""parents have a right to know where men like him are in public life.""
""No they don't.""

Yes they do, which is why we have the registers that we do.

OP, I can understand your feelings.

I would imagine that he is just a shelf stacker, rather than a full assistant, who would have access to changing rooms and is watched on the shop floor etc.

They do need to work and to be prevented from re-offending. Personally I would want it to be Warehouses etc so they aren't around children.

That’s exactly the kind of job he should be working. Lots of people. Not caring for anyone in a vulnerable state. No access to people’s homes. Well-lit. Probably security cameras everywhere.

This. It's actually a very appropriate, low risk job for an offender of this nature. Where would you like him to work, OP? If his presence makes you uncomfortable just shop somewhere else.

I work with children who have experienced sexual abuse. I have absolutely zero sympathy for paedophiles as I witness the damage caused by their disgusting crimes on a daily basis. But even I have to accept that once they've served their sentence they can't be banned from undertaking paid employment or going out in public for the rest of their lives.

As for people needing to know the name of this particular supermarket so they can avoid it to "safeguard" their children from abuse, you massively underestimate the scale of child sexual abuse in society I'm afraid. Statistically speaking your child is much more likely to be sexually abused by a member of your family or one of your own friends than by a stranger stacking shelves in a supermarket.

I also would not want a judge who was so lenient to ever be on the bench again, though that is unlikely to happen

We don't even know what offences were committed!

I doubt he is the worse of the worse

Unfortunately historical cases are very difficult to prosecute and he may have been charged with lesser offenses or that is all he has been charged with

A convicted paedophile should not be in any role where he is contact with the public and potentially vulnerable children or adults (vulnerable adults can be manipulated to get to children)

There are plenty of other roles and quite frankly I would prefer they didn’t work at all than work in any area where other are put even at the slightest risk - it certainly limits the options but more important limits risk

"parents have a right to know where men like him are in public life.""
""No they don't.""

Yes they do, which is why we have the registers that we do

@Birdsgottafly No they don't.

www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q607.htm

The images won't be the worst of the worst if he got a non-custodial sentence, but he might've had some pretty obscene photos of children and it still fall under Category C (A is the worst). And frankly the moral distinction between having these images and physically abusing a child is not a very substantive one. People who consume and distribute them are fuelling demand. People who pay for them are having children abused and degraded for money.

However, while many of us would feel the custodial sentences should be longer, evidently this one wasn't. With that in mind, actually a supermarket seems one of the more sensible places for him to work. It's all public and on camera, which I think makes it more suitable than warehouse work. None of us are going to benefit from him being unemployable, claiming benefits and spending more time on his computer are we?

I do sympathise with the people working with him as it would make me feel uncomfortable. But in all honesty, paedophilia is common enough that probably most of us have worked or will work with one at some point, just without knowing.

OP I work in the justice sector, not to minimise any kind of abuse but the worst of the worst would not get a community order with community payback. If he's registered the police would have to risk assess any employment, which they are a lot more experienced at than you are, if he's on licence (of his cringes were worse he would've been given a custodial sentence) his probation officer would also do this, Abby employment whilst under supervision or sex offender registration must be approved, he can't just work where he likes. Sorry to burst your bubble but there are sex offenders everywhere, he's just one you know about, and don't bank on knowing what actually took place.