Andrew's Story
In January 2010, five police officers came to our house. They made my mom stay upstairs and came down to my room in the basement. They started asking me questions about my computer. One of them had his gun out. I didn't know what was happening but they asked me if I jacked off to my computer. They asked me where I got my computer. Then they took my computer and left. I was scared and didn't know what to do. The police told my mom they wanted to look at my hard drive. They probably wouldn't be back.
A couple years later they came and arrested me at school. They put me in handcuffs and took me to jail. Kids by the school school saw them take me away. They said I had child pornography. I didn't even know what that was.
I got finger printed and they took pictures of me. The police were mean and I was scared. It was loud and there was lot's of stuff going on. I kept hearing my name a lot. I was in there forever. I still didn't know what the heck I did. I spent a bunch of hours in a cell before my mom and grandpa got me out. I never want to go there again. I did my best not to cry but I think I did. The judge said it cost 50,000 dollars to get me out.
My uncle Tom called a lawyer, Mr. Kuenzel. We went to talk to him. My mom and my grandpa and grandma went with me. He talked a long time and I couldn't figure out what he was saying. The only thing I remember was he said it's not if you'll go to jail it's how long you'll go for. He was mean and grumpy and made me feel like I did something wrong.
My mom said that the judge said I couldn't be around any kids younger than me. My sister was mad at me for a long time because she couldn't have her friends over anymore. Mom got to thinking that I might not be able to go to school. She called the lawyer and he said sure, send him to school. My aunt Kathy found something on the internet that said I would be in violation of bond if I went to school. I didn't know what that meant except that I couldn't go back. I might not get to graduate.
Mom called the lawyer and asked if he could do something to get me back in school. I guess he called the judge and set up an appointment to go see him. The judge was going to say ok and let me go. We were waiting when the lawyer got there. He took us in to a room and threw a letter at my mom from across the table. It was from the school and they said I couldn't go back. I wasn't a student there anymore. Mr. Parks, the prosecuting attorney called the school the night before and told them I was charged with a felony concerning child pornography. They wouldn't let me go back and told me to get a GED. Then we went in to see the judge and he said I could go back. My lawyer didn't tell him what the school just did. He was real mean to my mom after that.
We called my aunt Kat and uncle Scott then. They're in Alaska. Uncle Scott's like me. I guess they started calling people because the next thing was I got a new lawyer. Mr. Applebaum. I liked him. He was a lot nicer. My aunt Kat came to Missouri and got the old guy fired. My grandpa didn't like it. My uncle Tom told him the prosecuting attorney had to call the school even though he didn't tell the judge. My aunt Kat told him that was wrong and the new lawyer said she was right. I don't think he liked that very much. I liked Mr. Applebaum. I told him I trusted him. He said he couldn't believe what was happening to me.
My aunt got my mom to take me to St. Louis to take some tests. The lady said I was autistic and had a bunch of learning disabilities. It scared me but made me feel better to know. At least now I knew why I didn't understand like everybody else. Why didn't the school ever tell me this?
This is what I did to start all this stuff. I was looking on limewire for a song that I heard before. I found the song and it had a picture with it. I didn't know why the picture was there so I deleted it. I tried it again later and she was still on it. Turns out the FBI put them on there to get people to look at them so they could arrest them. That's what happened to me. I guess they do this a lot. They called it Flicker. I guess they got a bunch of kids my age all over the country. I just wanted the song I was looking for.
Now, because I did that the prosecutor wants to make me a sex offender. He wants to call me that for the rest of my life. He said I have to be on probation for five years. I'm a virgin. I've never had sex so how can I be an offender. He said that if I did that I wouldn't have to go to court. It would be over. When my mom, my aunt and the new lawyer said I didn't deserve that he got really mad. He said he would have to send it to federal court then. I think he was mad because we fired Mr. Kuenzel, the other lawyer. He said they were good friends. He didn't do anything to help me but he sure charged my grandpa an awful lot.
Like I said, I like my new lawyer. He's working really hard to try and help me. But every time we go to court they say it's going to take longer. My lawyer said he wanted to go to trial. The prosecutor just keeps pushing that back. All I want to do is get out of this town and go to Alaska with my aunt Kat and uncle Scott. I can't do anything and can't even hang out with my friends anymore unless they come to my house. I can't really go anywhere or do anything. And I missed my graduation. I didn't get my diploma. I miss going to math. They took my graduation picture out of the newspaper but wrote that I graduated but wasn't pictured. It's just not fair.
My sister lost a lot of friends because they couldn't come over anymore. They couldn't be around me. My mom had to get divorced because her husband's girls couldn't come to the house either. They couldn't come around me. Everybody's been mad for a year now and I didn't do anything.
Everybody tells me that I'm innocent until proven guilty. I think I know what it means but it don't seem to work that way.
A couple years later they came and arrested me at school. They put me in handcuffs and took me to jail. Kids by the school school saw them take me away. They said I had child pornography. I didn't even know what that was.
I got finger printed and they took pictures of me. The police were mean and I was scared. It was loud and there was lot's of stuff going on. I kept hearing my name a lot. I was in there forever. I still didn't know what the heck I did. I spent a bunch of hours in a cell before my mom and grandpa got me out. I never want to go there again. I did my best not to cry but I think I did. The judge said it cost 50,000 dollars to get me out.
My uncle Tom called a lawyer, Mr. Kuenzel. We went to talk to him. My mom and my grandpa and grandma went with me. He talked a long time and I couldn't figure out what he was saying. The only thing I remember was he said it's not if you'll go to jail it's how long you'll go for. He was mean and grumpy and made me feel like I did something wrong.
My mom said that the judge said I couldn't be around any kids younger than me. My sister was mad at me for a long time because she couldn't have her friends over anymore. Mom got to thinking that I might not be able to go to school. She called the lawyer and he said sure, send him to school. My aunt Kathy found something on the internet that said I would be in violation of bond if I went to school. I didn't know what that meant except that I couldn't go back. I might not get to graduate.
Mom called the lawyer and asked if he could do something to get me back in school. I guess he called the judge and set up an appointment to go see him. The judge was going to say ok and let me go. We were waiting when the lawyer got there. He took us in to a room and threw a letter at my mom from across the table. It was from the school and they said I couldn't go back. I wasn't a student there anymore. Mr. Parks, the prosecuting attorney called the school the night before and told them I was charged with a felony concerning child pornography. They wouldn't let me go back and told me to get a GED. Then we went in to see the judge and he said I could go back. My lawyer didn't tell him what the school just did. He was real mean to my mom after that.
We called my aunt Kat and uncle Scott then. They're in Alaska. Uncle Scott's like me. I guess they started calling people because the next thing was I got a new lawyer. Mr. Applebaum. I liked him. He was a lot nicer. My aunt Kat came to Missouri and got the old guy fired. My grandpa didn't like it. My uncle Tom told him the prosecuting attorney had to call the school even though he didn't tell the judge. My aunt Kat told him that was wrong and the new lawyer said she was right. I don't think he liked that very much. I liked Mr. Applebaum. I told him I trusted him. He said he couldn't believe what was happening to me.
My aunt got my mom to take me to St. Louis to take some tests. The lady said I was autistic and had a bunch of learning disabilities. It scared me but made me feel better to know. At least now I knew why I didn't understand like everybody else. Why didn't the school ever tell me this?
This is what I did to start all this stuff. I was looking on limewire for a song that I heard before. I found the song and it had a picture with it. I didn't know why the picture was there so I deleted it. I tried it again later and she was still on it. Turns out the FBI put them on there to get people to look at them so they could arrest them. That's what happened to me. I guess they do this a lot. They called it Flicker. I guess they got a bunch of kids my age all over the country. I just wanted the song I was looking for.
Now, because I did that the prosecutor wants to make me a sex offender. He wants to call me that for the rest of my life. He said I have to be on probation for five years. I'm a virgin. I've never had sex so how can I be an offender. He said that if I did that I wouldn't have to go to court. It would be over. When my mom, my aunt and the new lawyer said I didn't deserve that he got really mad. He said he would have to send it to federal court then. I think he was mad because we fired Mr. Kuenzel, the other lawyer. He said they were good friends. He didn't do anything to help me but he sure charged my grandpa an awful lot.
Like I said, I like my new lawyer. He's working really hard to try and help me. But every time we go to court they say it's going to take longer. My lawyer said he wanted to go to trial. The prosecutor just keeps pushing that back. All I want to do is get out of this town and go to Alaska with my aunt Kat and uncle Scott. I can't do anything and can't even hang out with my friends anymore unless they come to my house. I can't really go anywhere or do anything. And I missed my graduation. I didn't get my diploma. I miss going to math. They took my graduation picture out of the newspaper but wrote that I graduated but wasn't pictured. It's just not fair.
My sister lost a lot of friends because they couldn't come over anymore. They couldn't be around me. My mom had to get divorced because her husband's girls couldn't come to the house either. They couldn't come around me. Everybody's been mad for a year now and I didn't do anything.
Everybody tells me that I'm innocent until proven guilty. I think I know what it means but it don't seem to work that way.