creep.

I wonder if he prosecuted these type of cases?

Just curious. Is he wearing a bullet-proof vest?

OMG. I don't even get how a person could do that. OMG. What a terrible story. Worse than fiction.

NICE WORK BOSS.

Yeah- unless he's getting a head x-ray.

Execute him with all deliberate speed.

Fry him:

A pity he's not here in Texas. We do what we can.

And from the link to the news story, he also said, "Just gotta go slow and very easy. I've done it plenty," according to detectives. No joke.

Bend him over and shove a doll the size of a five year old up his ass, I say.

bet he never actually did anything like that - he was trying to get his first time with a kid by boasting that he had done it before.

still, EW EW EW EW.

what the fuck is wrong with people?

If he would of came to AA, I would've torn him a new cornhole (he probably would like that though, sick bastard).

i think its entrapment since I don't think this EVER happens except when its a cop posing as a mother/little kid. still the guy is a dirtbag and moron to fall for it.

I usually don't get that bent out of shape over sick f***s like this - you grudgingly accept that there are twisted people out there and hope that the authorities can track down as many as possible - but this dude is a special kind of nasty. The details just kick you in the gut. A guy like this will get shanked within 24 hours of going into the pen.

I bet we hear the "I was conducting my own sting operation" argument coming out of this one. Ick. I mean, child molestation is bad, whatever the age, but 5 years old is just the most horrible of horribles. Louisiana would take care of him too--death penalty for that crap is completely appropriate. I'm sure his new cellmates will make him comfortable, though--former prosecutor AND child molestor? I imagine some of the comments so far are not too far off as to what will actually happen to this piece of shite.

oh, and don't forget he's a federal prosecutor, too. 24 hours might be conservative.

4:41, isn't it a necessary condition for arrest that it's a cop posing as a mother/little kid? When men hook up with actual kids, we call that rape.

beat me to the punch, 4:44

he'll be locked away in protective segregation with the snitches and pedophiles, so unless/until there is a full fledged riot not much will likely happen to him.

too bad.

All this talk of his gleefully getting murdered and raped is, in my opinion, a little overboard. Obviously, he should go to prison for a long time - this is outrageous, seriously deficient conduct, particularly for an AUSA. That said, he didn't kill anyone, and even if he had, I don't know that people would be making such comments. Some proportionality is in order.

Those tv shows that bust a pedohile that drives over to a supposed 15 year old's house is bad, but this creep flys across the country to see a 5 year old? And I was shocked hearing about tapping one's foot (or wide stance) in the men's room!

"Why don't you have a seat right over there."

"But I was just going to talk to her."

"I'm Chris Hanson with Dateline NBC."

Hey, 4:56--you really think that molesting a 5-year old is not in the same camp as murder? Do you know how traumatic that is to such a young kid, and what a kid that goes through that will have to live with their whole life? Your sense of proportionality is way off, my friend. In Louisiana it is the law that rape of a child under 12 can be punished with the death penalty. I don't see that as unfair.

4:56: I think a big reason for the outrage is that this guy's an AUSA and probably showed zero mercy.

What freaks me out the most is that he found it feasible that a parent would offer his or her child up for sex. Jesus.

Ewwwwwwwwwwwww

That quote is going to make me ill for weeks.

he'll be killed within a week in prison, someone will find a way ... hell, AUSA and child molestor??

I'm with 5:04. Actually going through with this would be worse than many murders. For example, in many murders, the victim, heartless as it may sound, shares some degree of fault for putting themselves at risk. But talk of executing him for this is overboard. There was an actual crime here but no actual victim -- although from his statements I will not be surprised if some real victims of this creep are found.

give me a break.

a very young rape victim would at least have the chance to recover from his or her trauma, move past such a horroble incident, and still enjoy a lifetime of potentially great experiences. by contrast, a murder victim is dead and will enjoy nothing more. ever.

it's stupid to compare the the two.

THE DEATH PENALTY SHOULD BE BANNED NOW AND FOREVER.

That is all.

5:07 - Unfortunately it's plenty feasible. There was a woman tried and convicted in Colorado last year for offering up her kids - I recall following the story in the coloradoan.com

Someone here can surely locate it. I think she and the guy are behind bars for life.

I don't think its so far fetched to compare the murder vs sexual abuse. MANY young children who are molested at such a young age in turn end up molesting other people when they are children or adults-- for example, have you heard of kids who end up molesting their younger brothers and sisters after their experience because of the way they process what happened to them? It is well-documented that this occurs and these kids don't really understand what they are doing. To introduce sex to a child, especially when they are not equipped to understand it is incredibly damaging not just to the child but to society. It seriously has a huge ripple effect-- also, don't molestors have worst rehab record than murderers? Anyway, I agree it's overboard to talk about what this guy deserves and I'm not with death penalty for anyone, but definitely understandable.
I have also heard disgusting stories of parents offering up their children-- it's completely nuts--unthinkable

i dunno you guys - his pic is kind of cute.

4:41 -

"i think its entrapment..."

I think you're full of fucking shit. Go back to law school (if you were ever there) and re-learn the definition of entrapment. Where's the trap? The guy was an active and willing participant.

"...since I don't think this EVER happens except when its a cop posing as a mother/little kid."

If you think mothers never offer their kids up for sexual favors, you're dead fucking wrong. Go talk to some prosecutors who specialize in these crimes; you're in for a rude awakening.

"still the guy is a dirtbag and moron to fall for it."

At least we agree on something. O_o

5:19 - What's stupid is you pretending to know anything about rape and what a rape victim goes through. A murder victim is dead and won't enjoy anything anymore, but he won't suffer either.

There is no such thing as "recovering" from trauma, or "moving past" the incident. You never recover or move past someone sticking something in your body without your permission and against your will, with absolutely no regard for your pain, disgust, and humiliation. Instead, you just learn to live with it. You might learn to live again, and learn to enjoy things in life again, but it never leaves you. And there are plenty of people who aren't able to do that, and they choose to escape through addiction, self-destructive behaviors, or suicide.

I'm not saying one is worse than the other. But looking solely at the victim, not at the victim's family or friends, murder steals a person's life. Rape steals a person's sense of safety and self-worth. It leaves them in fear, fear that they can't control what other people do to their own body. In most cases, it takes away their sense of security and belief in the justice system. (By the way, if you hate someone badly enough to kill them, you might want to rape them instead. You'll have a heck of a lot easier a time getting away with it.) That was sarcasm, if you weren't sure.

"But Officer, she said she was 8"

5:19 - What's stupid is you pretending to know anything about rape and what a rape victim goes through. A murder victim is dead and won't enjoy anything anymore, but he won't suffer either.

There is no such thing as "recovering" from trauma, or "moving past" the incident. You never recover or move past someone sticking something in your body without your permission and against your will, with absolutely no regard for your pain, disgust, and humiliation. Instead, you just learn to live with it. You might learn to live again, and learn to enjoy things in life again, but it never leaves you. And there are plenty of people who aren't able to do that, and they choose to escape through addiction, self-destructive behaviors, or suicide.

I'm not saying one is worse than the other. But looking solely at the victim, not at the victim's family or friends, murder steals a person's life. Rape steals a person's sense of safety and self-worth. It leaves them in fear, fear that they can't control what other people do to their own body. In most cases, it takes away their sense of security and belief in the justice system. (By the way, if you hate someone badly enough to kill them, you might want to rape them instead. You'll have a heck of a lot easier a time getting away with it.) That was sarcasm, if you weren't sure.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 17, 2007 05:47 PM
===================

blah, blah, blah...

your feckless arguments notwithstanding, i repeat: murdered people are dead and cannot enjoy (or even experience) life; rape victims certainly suffer, but may still experience and -- as you noted -- may even enjoy life.

rape is not tantamount to murder. period.

now, get back to your candle in the night demonstration.... and you better wear socks with your birkenstocks, it's a little chilly tonight.

You could tell me the story of a man who committed murder and, in any number of ways, you could convince me that what he did was at least partially justifiable or excusable. There is no set of circumstances under which you could convince me that what this man tried to do, and has probably done, was either justifiable or excusable. That's why he's worse than all but the most depraved murderers. The only thing you could tell me that would make me have the slightest bit of sympathy for this man would be if he was horribly abused as a child himself (which is quite possible).

i think its BS for the police to pose as young kids or in this case parents of young kids in an effort to get these lonely guys to do things they never would have done otherwise.

string 'im up

I used to be able to think about things like this and argue the objective merits of the offense, then I became a parent. Now I just hope that anyone who would do this or anything like this to a child be removed from any contact with the world forever.

While I think 6:16 is a joke, I'll go ahead and take the bait.

When the police pose as kids, they don't take the initiative. Sure, they pose as kids that would make a pedophile consider them to be vulnerable, but the transcripts reveal that the guys take the initiative in setting up and executing the rendezvous.

It's not like sexual abuse orchestrated on the web never happens. It's all too frequent. I say it's better when the pedophile sets up a meeting with a cop as opposed to a 10 year old.

i'm curious about the flak jacket ... do the cops just bring one to the arrest, assuming the guy's going to be shot on the way to be booked?

I condemn this man's actions.

Count me among those who wish that a website written by and read by lawyers would not be promoting and joking about the prospect that a person would be raped and killed in an American prison.

If the rule of law means anything (and admittedly it doesn't mean much these days) it ought to mean that we accord some minimal level of human dignity even to those whose actions we find profoundly reprehensible. The casualness with which we condone sexual abuse as part of the punishment we dole out to people is seriously troubling.

I would kind of like to beat 6:02 into a horribly bloody mess, and then call him a few years later to see if (a) he's gotten over it and had had some great life experiences after the beating, and (b) derided any of the people who sympathized with his plight as birkenstock-wearing idiots.

6:16 -- are you serious? People like this go on line looking for this sort of thing. You don't happen to find an ad for a mom pimping out her 5 year old while researching plasma TVs.

now, get back to your candle in the night demonstration.... and you better wear socks with your birkenstocks, it's a little chilly tonight

============

HA! pwned!

While most INTELLIGENT people might recognize that I was speaking from personal experience, (a.k.a. - actual knowledge, as opposed to 6:02's blatant ignorance), 6:02 chose to make fun of the rape victim instead.

I agree with 6:28.

Anyone who uses feckless in an argument has never been in a fight. So I think that 6:02 would have a hard time getting over having the shit kicked out of him.

6:56-- Let me assure you, in addition to being capable of speaking in a maner that confuses and angers you, I would have little trouble defending myself against your feckless physical attack.

Indeed, I am quite sure that it would be you who would find yourself in a world of pain if our paths ever crossed and you provoked a physical confrontation.

This guy is disgusting. Sick. Disgusting.

vomitous

He does have a well-groomed goatee. Gotta give him that.

davis polk to 190!

He is an animal and should be treated accordingly.

6:28 - We are not joking. He should be executed.

These types of trials and executions should be fast-tracked. Is there any reason why we can't enact legislation to require trial, appeals, and execution within a reasonable period -- maybe 2 years?

the real question: who the hell names their kid after an obscure historical-footnote pro-slavery secessionist?

8:02 -- because even though this particular case might be slam-dunk easy, there are many, many cases in which an innocent person is convicted of a horrible crime. Fortunately, thanks to DNA evidence this is becoming rarer, but it is an unavoidable fact that innocent people have been executed for crimes they did not commit. Fortunately for me, my belief system posits that cretins like this will be punished enough in the afterlife. So, while I don't think these people should be given very *good* treatment (i.e., any waste of my tax money), I don't think they should be KILLED. The ONLY acceptable reason to kill someone is if that person causes an immediate, imminent threat to the life or well-being of another person.

Hey, 7:04, I'm pretty sure that the fact that you're posting anonymously on a law blog prevents you from assuring anyone of anything.

But no, I'm positive that you're really big, strong, tough, and smart as well. You were thinking about Navy Seals but settled on law school. Congrats, I'm sure your mother is very proud.

These types of trials and executions should be fast-tracked. Is there any reason why we can't enact legislation to require trial, appeals, and execution within a reasonable period -- maybe 2 years?

----------------

yeah, there is and, as i recall, it was mentioned a few times in law school: due process.

i think its BS for the police to pose as young kids or in this case parents of young kids in an effort to get these lonely guys to do things they never would have done otherwise.

***********************
r u kidding? In fact most of these types have done it many times before they get caught. Even this idiot like this creep who admitted he had done it plenty of times before.

I have been lonely...but never lonely enough to solicit sex from a minor on my computer and fly to see her..... ha ha

What is incredible is the double lives this guys lead...how do they live with themselves??? Incredible how they are willing to throw away everything they have, career, family etc....for a fuck with a minor.

"Atchison, a member of the Florida bar association since 1984, lives in Gulf Breeze, Fla., near Pensacola.

He is president of the Gulf Breeze Sports Association, a youth athletics organization.

He described himself online as a family man. His wife is a science teacher at Gulf Breeze High School."

they will put him in total isolation. if they dont he will kill himself before going to prison.

they will put him in total isolation. if they dont he will kill himself before going to prison.

"In deposition, detectives said Atchison suggested the mother tell her daughter that 'you found her a sweet boyfriend who will bring her presents.'"

As disgusting as this creep may be, calls for the death penalty here are misplaced. I am sympathetic to calls for death penalty in the case of a rape of a virgin or a child. Here, however, we do not have a rape, just an attempt, and there is no death penalty even for attempted murder.

The solution to a case like this one, in my opinion, is castration. Atchison appears to have an uncontrollable urge to do what he does; there is not much he can do about his unnatural inclinations. The fact that he can't control himself does not mean that we should tolerate his behavior, of course, but so long as he does not actually hurt a child, I don't see why he deserves more punishment than what is necessary to ensure that he will never be a threat to a child again. Castration would save hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money and will probably be a better fate than 20 years in jail (which would be bad for him, and bad for society to the extent that he is likely to be a threat again as soon as he is free).

Hope the prison cons do to him what he was planning to do to the child...& not "gently" either

Just found the following article...he's apparently been trying to get a liquor license...hmm....wonder if he prosecuted DUI cases...& he wanted to open a bar or liquor store?

Almost 5,000 vie for liquor licenses

BY B.J. DAVIS Gulf Breeze News June 8, 2006

As the final liquor license applications trickle in, the list of those vying for the 17 spots continues to grow. As of June 5, the weekly updated list found on the Florida Department of Business and Profession Regulation had 4,763 logged.

From the list of applicants: ATCHISON, JOHN DAVID ROY

Article link...C&P into address bar of browser: http://tinyurl.com/yvb27a

Nice and easy now...just have to get the barrel in...slowly pull trigger...bye, bye. That's what should happen to all child molesters. Anyone who thinks otherwise is either a defense attorney (who is only after money anyway), or a child molester themselves. Which one are you?

For all of you idiots that are against the death penalty, grow and pair and wake the hell up.

Long live the molester killers!!!

Prisoners should get time off their sentence for killing these sick fks...

A child this young could easily die from this. This could be considered attempted murder.
Also, he is a prosecutor. He should be held to higher standards than your average joe.

FOX NEWS website has not posted a single artical about this story. Could this have to do with fair and balanced reporting (and the fact that he was a good Republican?)

Actually FoxNews has the story on the front page . . . in blue. It's quite easy to see, in fact.

Where can't I find it? cnn.com

The FOX website has the article on its front page right here:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297152,00.html

Ideologues are bad, m'kay?

From the Fox News "artical[sic]":
"Atchison brought a Dora the Explorer doll, hoop earrings and petroleum jelly with him from Florida, the Detroit Free Press reported."

Ewwwwww.

Great for Fox....was worried for a bit....story just posted. When I searched their site 2 hours ago there was nothing yet about the story.

Just want to throw out there, that this guy has a family and children so please take a glance away from such the negative and pray for his family and friends.

What is it about Republicans and Florida?

The way this country treats child molesters, he should fair quit well...just look at Richard Allen Davis in California....he raped and killed a young girl and has been on death row for what seems like forever. Recently he almost died from a heroin overdose and was saved by prison doctors.
Now if Atchison was dealing pot....then he would have the book thrown at him. Currently a pot dealer can get a harsher sentence than a first time murderer.

I wonder how this guy would go about prosecuting someone accused of the same thing as he? Would he be kind, gentle, and understanding?

What do the sentencing guidelines provide for conviction of a crime like this? My guess is he serves 10 years or so, max, in a segregated section of the prison and then gets released.

Maybe we need to consider amending the insanity definition to include "uncontrollable desire to have sex with prepubescent humans." That way he is found criminally insane and gets shipped off to the psych ward. My understanding of malpractice policies for psychiatrists is that they do not cover decisions to release the criminally insane from psych facilities. The result - dude spends the rest of his life in a psych facility.

"A child this young could easily die from this. This could be considered attempted murder."

"Currently a pot dealer can get a harsher sentence than a first time murderer."

"The solution to a case like this one, in my opinion, is castration."

This sh!t would be hilarious if it wasn't coming from lawyers.

I knew this guy was a Republican because there was no mention of party affiliation. When a Democrat does something wrong it's always mentioned numerous times that the alleged perp is a Democrat. Fox news even put a picture of Mark Foley on the screen with a (D) after his name.
Try to find an article on Norman Hsu that doesn't trumpet the fact he's a Democrat.

Are you kidding? If a negative story doesn't mention party affiliation, or mentions it in the final paragraph, you can bet that story references a Democrat.

Might it just be that the party affiliation of random pervert Assistant U.S. Attorney isn't readily available to the media? AUSA is not a political position.

8:18: Well said. I would like to believe that 6:37 was flame because even a liberal wouldn't be that clueless, but really, you never know.

Oh my god, why am I reading this crap?

Not everyone here making coments are lawyers.

What makes this story interesting is that this guy was and he was not on the defense side of the fence.

Another perverted Republican.

Why is the Republican Party full of perverts?

ew, the perv brought vaseline and a doll and earrings with him.

yeah, he was entrapped. sure. the cops forced him to take fucking vaseline with him.

dude is totally hosed and is going away for a long time.

more vomitous stuff:

A MySpace.com page that a criminal complaint identified as belonging to Atchison says he enjoyed spoiling young girls.

Under the user name fldaddy04 and captioned “Experienced, understanding Daddy,” Atchison allegedly described himself in his profile as: “Handsome, educated, professional, experienced Daddy. I love younger girls. Like everything about you ... how you think, talk, act. I’m very understanding and supportive ... never ever judgmental.”

I know personally about the federal prison system (thankfully from the outside, not from behind the bars) and this man will most likely be put in solitary confinement for the majority of his sentence. Convicts, whether federal inmates or state inmates, do NOT like child predators or child killers. Those are the two lowest "scum" according to the prison population. Whever this man ends up, he's not going to have it easy. (Even if he ends up at a prison camp, he's still going to have to watch his back, no pun intended).

Hi, I have an idea for fair punishment for pedophiles that's also a benefit to society - first, physical castration is absolutely a must. Possibly a partial lobotomy as well, just to make sure they're never capable of a violent or hurtful thought again.

Finally, set up work camps for pedophiles and sex offenders where they sort thru landfill waste for recyclable and compostable material.

Capital punishment is both wrong and a waste of useful labour. Thw world could be made safer and better by really making these kind of pigs pay for a very long time.

12:09 "Rape of a virgin" ??!!!

Ok so you are saying that once someone has had sex once its Ok for anyone to rape them any time?

Tell that to your Mother.

he killed himself

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/14278705/detail.html

The complete and utter lack of compassion evidenced in some of these postings is enough to make Christ weep. I happen not to be a Christian, but thought it worthwhile to mention it to those 'Christians' who spent time touching fingers to keys to type their views ........