Convicted child molester arrested at library.

mdoneil writes "A convicted sex offender was arrested after librarians became suspicious because he was hanging around the children's section of the St. Petersburg, Florida Public Library
He was on probation for a previous conviction involving lewd conduct with a minor, was arrested on violation of probation charges as he was prohibited from travel except between his home and job.
Police sources contacted say Wrenn exposed himself inside the library. Police are continung the investigation and attempting to locate any additional victims. Local television station Baynews9 has more on the story.

Way to go St. Petersubrg Public library librarians and staff!"


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While stories like this provide good and bad press for libraries, I wish such things were more widely circulated. People who drop off their kids and leave so we can provide free babysitting might not be so eager to continue that behavior after hearing such news.

I've had some fiery arguements with patrons who drop their kids off and leave. One parent claimed their child just as I was calling the police to report an abandoned. When they started to get hot with me over almost calling the police I simply reached underneath the desk and pulled out our "mug file." The mug file is a binder full of the notices our police department sends out regarding Level 3 sex offenders. Their jaw dropped when I started pointing at two or three pictures of people who had been in that day let alone those who we've seen in here at all on a regular basis.

Their excuse? They just didn't know that such people would come to a library. And that's usually the case. They just don't know. They're not rapers of children, and they have no idea how to think like one. While I can't claim that I know how these monsters think, I do know one thing: They will want to go where the children are. In other words, playgrounds, schools, and public libraries.

Baynews9 link

Pasting the URL into the second link did not work. The correct link to Bay news 9 is: l

Put him away!

Now that they caught the bastard, make him pay! Cut it off! Give him the maximum sentence! No parole! What would be a real deterrent that even thinking about doing such a thing would make them shiver? Maybe the death penalty!

Re:Goes to show...

And summertime is the worst around here. The kids aren't in school, both parents have to work, and they have no place to send the kids other than the library. Where most people think they are safe. Now, I don't know how many convicted sex offenders we get in here... but I do hear some of the seedier stories from security and desk staff. In one day last year we had 3 (count 'em 3) men arrested/removed/banned for various self-pleasuring offenses. One was even caught by a bike cop on her break. Before we had time managment software it was hard not to yell "Hand check!!" when walking through the lab.

I try to tell these stories to anyone I can with kids... not to scare them away from the library but to show them that they have to be wary of leaving their children alone here. We have great security but that doesn't mean that bad things don't happen here.

Re:Goes to show...

What gets me is how parents wouldn't dream of dropping their kids off alone at the mall, at the park, or at the playground. But for some reason the library is okay. I think it's because they believe that, since the staff is always around, no one would dream of trying anything in front of witnesses.

WOOO WOOO! Here comes the clue train! Flashers and those who like exposing themselves want witnesses. That's the point. What good is it to stand in front of a mirror at home and expose yourself?

Re:Put him away!

Killing people, maiming them, that's a bit extreme. We have lovely prisons in Florida (I've worked in a few) thirty or forty years there should be enough to decrease their desire for strange things like this.

Of course he'll get four years.

Re:Put him away!

Hmm, leeb. I believe you've mentioned "cutting it off" before. Very old testament of you. By "it" do you mean surgical castration of testes or the whole tallywhacker (as my mom used to call "it"). I think sex crimes are more brain crimes than anything. You can still perform unspeakable acts of sexual violence without any working parts.

Re:Put him away!

Hyperbole would be my guess, for leeb.

Re:Put him away!

Serious punishment for serious crimes. How many re-offend after they get released? Their desire don't seem to go away.

Re:Put him away!

No one seems to be thinking of the victim, how they are suffering (for life). Often the victim is discredited, suggested they encouraged or asked for it. We only hear how horrible the offender's punishment is. I guess it is easy to be sympathetic towards the offender when one has never been a victim of such a crime.

Re:Put him away!

I'm not at all sympathetic to the offender, nor do I think anyone else here is, and you shouldn't assume that responders to your comments haven't been vicitms of such crimes. I'm all for the lock 'em up approach, but castration, mutilation, etc. aren't deterents. Sexual abuse has much more to do with power, violence, disordered thinking, etc., than it does sex.

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