Burlington, NC Newspaper Sends Registered Sex Offender Peter Schumacher to Schools to Photograph Students
If you read much of this blog, you'll know that I have lost a lot of respect for my home town newspaper, The Burlington Times-News. They consistently show bias in their reporting. They are very much in favor of letting the illegal immigrants have run of Alamance County and try every chance they get to make Sheriff Terry Johnson or his organization look bad. They are in cahoots with other liberal people and organizations to make the Sheriff back down on his top-notch enforcement of the 287(g) program.
On Friday, April 24th, 2009, The Burlington Times-News Chief Photographer, Peter Schumacher, was arrested for being at Western Middle School. Why would the Sheriff's department arrest him? Because a very astute and vigilante teacher recognized him from the Registered Sexual Offenders web site. You see, Peter Bruce Schumacher IS a registered Sexual Offender. He was arrested in 2002, tried and convicted in 2003 for (if I have my facts correct) six counts of indecent liberties with a child under the age of 16. Mr. Schumacher is 46. His probation was finished in 2007 and he was required to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 10 years.
The Burlington Times-News has employed Mr. Schumacher since 2001.
Now let me say this. If Sheriff Terry Johnson had sent a Deputy or any member of his organization to a school, and IF this person happened to be a Registered Sex Offender, the Times-News would have had multiple front page stories about it. They would have dogged the person and the Sheriff until they jumped off a cliff. So what did they do with their own Chief Photographer? The story was buried on Saturday's (April 25th, 2009) paper in the "C" or "Region" section with a small article in the Obituary section. Here's the article:
Man charged after being on middle school campus
Times-News
A Gibsonville man was charged Friday by the Alamance County Sheriff's Department with being unlawfully on the premises of a school as a sex offender. Peter Schumacher, 46, of East Main Street, is a Times-News photographer. He was charged after being at Western Middle School on Thursday. State law says people who are registered sex offenders are not supposed to come within 300 feet of "any place intended primarily for the use, care or supervision of minors," including schools.
He was released from the Alamance County jail after posting a $2,500 bond. His first appearance in court is scheduled for Monday.
It's also worth noting that at some point a Judge has given Mr. Schumacher some special privileges to go places a registered sex offender is not allowed to go. It's not known if this was the case at Western Middle School. If it was, I would assume he would have told the Deputies and a phone call could have cleared it up.
But. That's not the point.
Why would a Judge grant a convicted sex offender special privileges anyway?
And, why in God's name would a newspaper either not do a background check or simply not care that they're sending a registered, convicted sex offender to schools? It is not an isolated incident either. I simply went to Google and typed in "Peter Schumacher Burlington, NC" and clicked "images" - I found several images of children taken at schools and other events credited to Mr. Schumacher.
I don't know Mr. Schumacher. He may be caught up in a big mistake, but to me, a mistake would maybe get you one count of indecent liberties, not SIX.
By either not knowing or not caring, The Burlington Times-News reveals their lack of concern for right or wrong. Ethics and integrity have long since parted from a lot of newspapers, including this one, but even I was surprised by this event!
Here's his page in the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry:
http://ncfindoffender.com/details.aspx?SRN=008942S2
Until next time,
Fred
P.S. Update 4-28-2009
Mr. Schumacher had his first appearance in court yesterday (4/27/2009). He did not appear himself but was represented by his attorney Rick Champion. Mr. Champion explained that Mr. Schumacher thought he was in the clear because in 2006 Superior Court Judge Henry Frye Jr. approved a motion to modify his probation allowing him to go on school premises in order to do his job as a photographer.
I'd like to know if Judge Frye Jr. has any children or grandchildren and if he would want a registered sex offender at their school.
In December 2008, more stringent state laws were put in effect barring registered sex offenders from getting within 300 feet of any location intended primarily for the use, care or supervision of minors. Alamance County Sheriff's Department Investigator Bobby Baldwin told Judge David LaBarre on Monday that Guildford County authorities (Peter Schumacher lives in Gibsonville in Guildford Country) had presented Schumacher with a document he signed indicating he was aware of the changes. "He was not permitted to go anywhere school children are" Baldwin said.
A Big Double Barreled Salute to Judge LaBarre who said: "Regardless of what his employer wants, I don't want him near children".
The Times-News, again covered this story with less publicity than if it had occurred to someone other than their own chief of photography. The report on his first court appearance was on the first pager of the "B" or "Region" section. His name was not in the headline or in the first paragraph.
The article quoted Schumacher's attorney Champion quite extensively. For example: "They make it sound like he was taking pictures with some lewd and lascivious purpose".
Most sane people don't think a newspaper should send a registered sex offender to a school. Period, to take photos, or mop the floor, or teach. Period. Any questions Mr. Champion.
According to the article in the paper, Schumacher is on paid administrative leave.
The Times-News is taking very low-key approach to this whole incident. If it had been any other institution other than their own, especially someone in the Sheriff's Department, or one of us "conservatives", they would have torn this man to shreds.
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Posted by Fred (aka Recoil) on April 27, 2009
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