There are many crimes in our society, some of them, the ones that are perpetrated against children, are so unforgivable that even the most desensitized among us feels some pang of discomfort when discussing them.
Take for instance the tale of the elderly man whose actions landed him in fairly hot water a few years back…
Unthinkable Crime
67-year-old Thomas Williams was suffering from dementia but also from proclivities that we ought not to name at this juncture. What we can say, is that Williams’ mental dysfunctions were severe enough that he believed that he could ask two young girls he knew, aged 4 and 7, to engage in intercourse with him.
Call the Cops
The father of these two girls, Kenneth Faulkner, wasn’t aware what had actually happened till some time later, when his girls seemed nervous around Williams. They also seemed to be suffering from nightmares. When he’d found out what Williams had said to his little girls, he immediately called the cops…
The Culprit
Kenneth couldn’t believe what he’d heard, up until then, Williams had always been perfectly fine with the girls. He was related to them distantly by marriage. Still, even family couldn’t be allowed to say those types of things to little girls. Cops took Williams into custody and booked him on a $2,000 bond.
Solicitation
A Maury County Grand Jury indicted Thomas Williams on two counts of solicitation of a minor. This would be defined as someone above the age of 18 intentionally commanding, requesting, hiring, persuading, inviting or attempting to induce a person to engage in sexual intercourse. But when the verdict came, some people were not pleased…
A Piddling Sentence
The 67-year-old sex offender was sentenced to just three years of supervised probation. He would also be placed on the sex offenders registry. But not serving any jail time meant he was allowed to be out on the street, able to solicit other children if the mood struck him. Faulkner was furious, and so were many others.
No Justice, No Peace
Faulkner and indeed several family members protested the decision to give Williams probation. Nearly 30 people showed up outside the court building chanting, “no justice, no peace” and “our kids’ lives matter.” Despite all this, Williams sauntered out of the courtroom as if he’d done nothing wrong. He even had a message for Faulkener…
The Catalyst
Kenneth Faulkner didn’t run into him that day, but met Thomas Williams on the street a few days later. “I met him on the street and he winked at me and smiled at me,” said Faulkner of the awkward interaction. It was at that moment that the angry father decided to take matters into his own hands.
Gone to See Him
Faulkner bided his time before going to see Williams at his own house. Thomas Williams had no idea what might happen when he opened that door, but he did it anyway. Faulkner asked him “Why did you do it to my children?” but Williams didn’t have an answer, all he could say was that “he didn’t know…”
Beat em’ Up
The furious father then proceeded to beat the erstwhile pedofile within an inch of his life. He punched him in the face, and slung him down the front steps. When he had gotten him to the ground, Faulkner began punching him about the face and indeed, all over his body. Over and over again until he felt he’d done enough.
Medical Help
The police were called by a neighbor and in no time at all, Williams’ home was surrounded by ambulances and patrol cars. Williams himself was taken to a local hospital where he would be treated for his wounds. As for Ken Faulkner, he had another thing coming to him…
Higher Bond
Faulkner was placed under arrest for aggravated assault and taken to the very same jail where they had taken Thomas Williams. He was held under a $6,000 bond: nearly triple what Williams was held on. He was eventually released, but spent more time behind bars than the man who sexually abused his children.
Charges
The 30-year-old father of two was charged with aggravated assault. Soon, Kenneth’s supporters took to the internet to express their outrage at the incongruity of the situation. To many of them, Kenneth Faulkner was just a man trying to protect his kids from a monster. The problem was, the judge didn’t really see Thomas Williams as the same breed of monster…
Judge Weighs In
Circuit Court Judge Robert Jones wasn’t exactly in Williams’ corner or anything, but he didn’t believe that the penalty of probation was too light for the solicitation charges. Williams had no physical contact with the children and therefore could not legally be prosecuted for child abuse of any kind.
Many Supporters
While the judge was spouting his own justifications for Williams’ piddling punishment, Faulkner’s Facebook was blowing up with words of support and nearly 200 new friends. Regardless of what the courts said, he knew that by taking the fight to Williams himself, he had ensured that the man would never again go near his children…
The Right Thing
“I did it for my daughters,” explained Faulkner. “Would I go to jail for my daughters? You’re damn right I would. It’s not right. This guy abuses my daughters, and he gets probation? These people don’t have to listen to my daughter, waking up in the middle of the night, screaming, ‘Stop!’”
Parental Justice
Kenneth Faulkner isn’t the only parent in recent years who took justice into his own hands. Though in contrast to the the acts perpetrated by these other vengeful parents, Thomas Williams got off easy with a beating. Take for instance the story of Barry Leprell and his girlfriend Lupe Mercado…
Bad Boys, Bad Boys
In 2012, Barry Laprell Gilton, former Boys & Girls Club coach, and his longtime girlfriend, Lupe Mercado had a problem with their 17-year-old daughter. It wasn’t like the one Kenneth Faulkner was facing, it was a bit more severe and had the potential for disaster. Their daughter had taken up with a new boyfriend, one who was not only much older, but also dangerous.
Break Up
Try as they might to persuade their daughter to leave 22-year-old Calvin Sneed, it all fell on the deaf ears of a teenager in love. What’s worse, Sneed’s influence was beginning to affect their daughter’s attitude towards them, her grades, and basically all authority in general. As far as they were concerned, there was one thing they could do…
Revenge Killing
The angry parents knew the only way to get Calvin Sneed out of the picture and keep their daughter safe was to kill him. Their first attempt failed and the pimp only suffered minor injuries because of it. Their second attempt a month or so later, however, did the job. Calvin Sneed was gunned down in his car outside of Candlestick Park on June 4, 2012 and died on the scene
Do Anything
The parents were eventually punished for their part in Sneed’s murder, as was right. Yet, I’m certain the parents out there will feel some sort of commiseration for these vengeful parents. After all, what parent wouldn’t do anything in their power to protect their child?
