Story Created:
Sep 5, 2006 at 8:39 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Sep 5, 2006 at 8:39 PM CDT
WICHITA, Kansas -- A website dedicated to finding missing girls has a disturbing secret. It’s creator is an admitted pedophile.
Little Jaquilla Scales has been missing for several years now. Although you can find her information, along with hundreds of others, on several legitimate missing children websites she is on one site whose creator openly calls himself a lover of little girls.
It has been four years now since Jaquilla Scales was snatched from her northeast Wichita home. While you may think one website is a legitimate source for helping with her search it’s not.
"It almost sounds like a collection for him, like a scrapbook but on the internet or something," said Janeen Benbenek.
Elsewhere on the internet, YWCA development director Janeen Benbenek and KSN News found the creator of the website, 37-year-old Linsay Ashford, who admits he is a pedophile.
"Sometimes sex offenders, and especially ones that are drawn towards children, will come right out and tell you who they are but then make all the excuses about their behavior to the point where they get pitied and sympathy from us and get in that way," said Benbenek.
But according to experts, sites like his are not against the law. The reason is because Ashford’s website does not contain child pornography or written words of children being sexually assaulted.
Ashford is so sure he won’t get busted for his actions, he provides a link on his website where you can report him to police.
"The internet is just not as regulated as all the other areas. It’s open game and open territory. I think it’s good for us as a society because it forces us to be aware of issues and stay on top of them but it’s not the safest place," said Benbenek.
GPS for sex offenders
In a related story, a grass-roots push to enact a "Jessica’s Law" in Kansas may be working. The legislation, named after nine-year-old Jessica Lunsford, would put GPS tracking systems on convicted sex offenders.
Attorney General Phill Kline strongly supports the bill and already has a task force studying the issue.
"We are working very hard to build broad-based support. Quite honestly, we shouldn’t give those who rape and abuse children second third and fourth opportunities to do so," said Kline.
Kline plans to meet in Wichita next month for a hearing where law enforcement will present the pro’s and con’s of using GPS technology on offenders.