KOMO Exclusive: Mother Of Young Sex Offender Speaks Out

KOMO Exclusive: Mother Of Young Sex Offender Speaks Out

Tools

Story Published: Jan 24, 2002 at 4:06 AM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 30, 2006 at 11:51 PM PDT

By Leslie Knopp

Watch the story
ISLAND COUNTY - "I just want what's right for my son," says Helen Stroeder, mother of a young sex offender who says her son deserves a chance at life.

"I love my son and I'm fighting for him."

Her son, Nicholas Stroeder, is just 13. He's considered a level 3 sex offender, considered likely to offend again. Helen has watched the reaction of residents near his new foster home in Seabeck on the Kitsap Peninsula. Nicholas has told her that he knows he's not welcome.

"People are knocking on the doors. They're getting phone calls all the time," she says. That's why Helen wanted to speak out, to send residents of Seabeck a message: "The truth is my son never raped anybody."

She says he deserves punishment for what he's done, attacking children and women. She thinks he also deserves understanding.

"My son has multiple handicaps." Helen says Nicholas has many medical and mental health problems. They started at birth, but they got worse when his father died. That was when Nicholas was nine.

"My husband was dying. He started hitting my husband. He burned the home down because he didn't want his daddy to die. He just wasn't dealing with anything and it just went from worse to worse and every home he's been in since then has gotten worse."

Since he was 9 years old, Helen says, Nicholas has been in so many foster homes she's lost count. She says he did not get the help he needed for all his problems. She feels completely let down by the state.

"This child might have a chance for life if people will help him."

Helen has been granted permission to call her son whenever she wants but visiting may be tough. She now lives on Whidbey Island which is a three hours away from Seabeck.

Weather & Traffic

Icon
Current Temp 59.0 °F
A Few Clouds
More Weather

Weather & Traffic

More Weather

On Demand

Resources and info you need to prepare for the switch to DTV.

Stay Connected

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Marketplace