A mentally-challenged Norwalk sex offender with impulse control issues will be heading to prison for violating his felony probation -- after he finishes serving local time for groping three local girls.
Andrew M. Clark, 23, of 308 Rae Court, Willard, is serving a seven-month jail sentence for three misdemeanor counts of sexual imposition. Classified as a Tier I sex offender, the defendant will be getting out of the Huron County Jail in late February.
But right after that, Clark will be shipped off to prison for violating his probation through Huron County Common Pleas Court. He will be behind bars for about another 11 months.
The sex-related convictions through Norwalk Municipal Court were the basis of Clark's probation violation. In late August, Clark was convicted of two groping incidents in Willard on Aug. 9 and 24 and one in Norwalk. The defendant was sentenced Oct. 9 to seven months in jail.
In the Norwalk case, Clark pursued a 16-year-old girl on a bicycle from the Oak Street area before he grabbed the girl's buttocks on the St. Paul High School property Aug. 21. The girl was securing her bike at the courtyard west of Milan Avenue.
During the investigation, Norwalk Police Detective Sgt. Jim Fulton said he received information from Willard police officers about Clark "touching teenage girls" in the city. Clark was arrested Aug. 28.
"He admitted he followed the girls with the intention of touching them, saying he felt they were good looking. He also admits he has trouble controlling his sexual urges," Fulton said.
"The crimes he committed are impulse crimes," said Huron County Public Defender David Longo during Tuesday's hearing in common pleas court.
"He has the impulse control of a prepubescent boy -- but in the body of an adult," Longo said.
The public defender also addressed Clark's limited mental capabilities.
Clark is on the borderline of being "mentally retarded" and doesn't have the normal emotional and intellectual functions of a normal person, Longo said. He also wouldn't consider his client particularly malicious or violent.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry. ... I'll stay out of trouble this time," said Clark, who mentioned he has an adult girlfriend.
In September, Clark served a 30-day sentence for another series of probation violations through common pleas court.
Originally, Clark was convicted of burglary for a Dec. 27, 2008 incident. He also was on probation for attempted burglary and theft convictions for a June 6, 2008 offense.
Huron County Assistant Prosecutor Daivia Kasper recommended Clark be sentenced to 30 months in prison for the burglary case and serve 17 months for the other case at the same time.
"I think the state's recommendation is reasonable, as far as sentencing (goes)," Judge Jim Conway said.
With the amount of time Clark has served, he will be in prison for about 11 months for the probation violation. The judge also ordered the defendant undergo sex offender treatment while he's imprisoned.
Once Clark is released, he will need to register as a sex offender once a year for 15 years.
Comments
How on earth does a person be on probation, then violate that probation, only to get More probation?! OMG! We are sooo doomed!
He didn't get more probation through HC Common Pleas Court. The prison term is his punishment for violating the probation he already was on. After Clark's prison term is over, his probation in both cases will be revoked. I hope that helps.
The system doing the criminal a favor... Whats new..
sex offender mental challenged or not lock him up for good.
If he really "doesn't know any better", maybe prison is too harsh. Put him in some kind of education program, maybe?
Sorry to tell you but prison is not going help him. He needs to go to TDC in Tiffin. They house people like him and can not get out of this place to harm anyone. I guess no one in norwalk knows of this place.
eww andrew !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He just needs a haircut and a fleshlight
Our system fails every day, thanks to all the liberals that feel it would violate his rights to castrate him now before he rapes one of those young lady’s.
Jail time will not cure this type of behavior. It sounds like sex offender status with constant supervision is required. Of course, if he touches the wrong person some day that may also be the cure...
send him to italy wear he can pinch all the buts he want
Its a heartbreaking story .Look at his face .Try to imagine the soul within .Its sad that this young man was born with such struggles to bear .
please do not be fooled by his "innocent looks " and his promise to "stay out of trouble this time" he knows exactly what he is doing... if you would ever talk to him, he is proud of the fact that he can manipulate the "system" into letting him off easy.. he has a long criminal actions list, and every time he is caught, he does the same thing.. looks sad, speaks quietly and says he "didn't know better" and he "won't do it again" B>>>>S>>>T he has been on more probation than probably any other person his age...the system keeps slapping his hand and hoping he will do better... HE DOESN"T !!! not only that.. he laughs at the stupid Judge and Prosecutor, for allowing him to do more bad things, in fact he will even blame them for some of his bad actions, saying that "they" allowed him to do it... think he is retarded?? think he is "slow" go look at his Facebook page, but don't let your kids go there with all of the profanity and porn...I know him pretty well, and trust me, you are only seeing the side of him that he wants you to see, because like any good manipulator, he knows he will keep being allowed to do as he wants, by acting so sad and shy and slow....he might have you fooled, and if he does , I hope you do NOT have any daughters or nieces .. because he will readily admit, when he is being honest, that he can not control his sexual urges, and he does not see what is wrong with that...