Complete Story
08/23/2018
Local journalism protects community, including our youngest
Last week, Sean P. Richardson, 42, of Canton was indicted by a Stark County Grand Jury on two felony charges of child enticing.
A registered Tier II sex offender, who has a history of convictions longer than your arm, Richardson prowls public parks under the guise of "geocaching," a technology-assisted scavenger hunt popular with families.
Sex offenders are nothing if not clever.
Richardson's latest indictment might not have happened at all were it not for Canton Repository reporter Tim Botos spotting Richardson's arrest, in a daily police log.
Botos' instinct and experience resulted in two, front-page stories about Richardson's sordid and dangerous history, including a July 13 incident at Price Park in North Canton where he allegedly invited two young sisters to "see some bunnies" he had in his pickup truck.
Few children could resist such a thing, which makes it all the more insidious and frightening. Fortunately, their mother was with them, and called police, resulting in Richardson's arrest on two charges of felony enticement.
Why does journalism still matter? Because sex offenders in parks don't wear a scarlet letter.
