Mar 21, 2008 10:30 am US/Eastern
Registered Sex Offender In Texas Runs For Mayor
WILMER, Texas (CBS) ―
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James Brian Sliter was arrested for soliciting sex from a minor four years ago. (File)
CBS
On May 10, voters in a Texas town will elect a mayor. But what makes this election controversial is that a sex offender will be on the ballot.
James Brian Sliter is running for mayor of Wilmer, a town of 3,400 about 15 miles southeast of Dallas, reports CBS station KTVT-TV in Dallas.
Sliter is also a registered sex offender.
"People need to realize that people make mistakes, and they need to look past those mistakes and forgive and move on," said Sliter. "I'm not asking anybody to condone what I did."
His picture appears on the Texas Department of Public Safety sex offender Web site. It was four years ago and Sliter was 38 when he was arrested for soliciting sex from a minor.
Sliter was busted during an Internet porn sting. He was chatting online with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl. When he showed up for sex, the police were waiting for him.
Sliter received deferred adjudication and was placed on probation for 10years.
He was also required to register as a sex offender. His plea however kept him from being convicted of the crime. With no conviction, the 42-year-old was able to legally file as a candidate for mayor.
"I need to prove to the community that I can be an asset," Sliter said. "I can be a contributing member to society even though I made a mistake in the past."
Sliter said he's truly sorry for his mistakes. He said his friends and supporters believe him and therefore encouraged him to run for office. But one person who is not in his corner is the current mayor.
"Will a sex offender serving as mayor put a stigma on this city? You bet it will," said Wilmer Mayor Don Hudson.
Wilmer is 15 miles southeast of Dallas and has 3,400 residents.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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