A 69-year-old Minnesota sexual predator who describes himself as "a recovering sex offender" is seeking release from that state's sexual offender treatment program, indicating "he was trying to build a relapse prevention plan to ensure that he never hurt anyone again." John Rydberg, who admits to committing his first sex offense at age 12, and who in preparation for a polygraph examination admitted to somewhere between one and 150 different victims over the years, has requested that he be released to a halfway house.

One of his many victims appeared to testify against Rydberg's release this week. Thomas McCartney, now 58, described the stormy night of June 4, 1975, when Rydberg broke into the McCartney home and raped Mrs. Janet McCartney at shotgun point, this while the couple's 3-year-old son slept nearby. Rydberg then pulled down Mr. McCartney's pants and performed oral sex on him for five minutes before he stole their car and fled the scene. When Janet subsequently found out she was pregnant, she chose to have an abortion, fearing that Rydberg had impregnated her. He would later rape a woman at knife point while her children watched.

Rydberg has been diagnosed as a sexual sadist, i.e., someone who becomes sexually excited in response to his victim's suffering. By this, the more the victim suffers, the more aroused the sadist (Rydberg) becomes. He is also an alcohol abuser with an anti-social personality disorder who told the panel of judges considering his request that he had been sexually abused as a child by both his father and a cousin and that he hated his parents. He also acknowledged escaping from a Wisconsin treatment on two different occasions, this while describing himself as "a work in progress," and indicating that he was "trying to build a relapse prevention plan to ensure that I never hurt anyone again."

The three-judge panel considering Rydberg's request for release is expected to reach their decision sometime next week as to if he continues to present a threat to the community or if they believe he can basically be turned loose.

There is one compelling question here: Who is crazier; Rydberg or the system that would even consider his request! To release such a man back into the community would be like allowing a rabid dog to run amok through a day care center. We know that Minnesota, like so many other states, faces severe budget deficits, but can there really be any savings that would be worth the chance of releasing Rydberg back into society? Let's take up a collection across the country to keep him behind bars, something I'd gladly write a check for! And as for as his plan to build a relapse prevention program to insure that he never hurt anyone else again, well the state already has a viable, guaranteed program: Keep him in the complete care, custody and control of the state!

For more information concerning personal and family safety and security, to obtain a free copy of our DVD "Protecting Children from Predators," and to find out the identity and location of sex offenders in your community, go to www.LiveSecure.org.