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Volunteer Fireman Sentenced On Child Abuse Charge, Sex Charge Dropped
March 19, 2011
A former Century volunteer fireman entered into a plea agreement Friday on one count of child abuse, with the state dropping a charge of lewd and lascivious battery on a victim 12 to 15 years of age.
Dustin Ryan Burkett, 28, was arrested in September, 2010, in connection with a 2009 incident in which a 15-year old girl told deputies she had intercourse with Burkett at Lake Stone Campground in Century. The encounter, the victim told deputies, took place on or about March 28, 2009.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, Burkett was sentenced Friday to five years probation on a felony child abuse charge. He will not be required to register as a sex offender, but he will be required to attend counseling, the State Attorney’s Office said.
An unrelated misdemeanor case against Burkett is still pending for allegedly abandoning three dogs that were reported to be “rescued” by the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue in August, 2010.
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41 Responses to “Volunteer Fireman Sentenced On Child Abuse Charge, Sex Charge Dropped”
Well i will say this anyone who messes with my daughter or son, they want have to worry about going to jail, they will need a body van cause i will hunt them down and take care of it myself.
REGARDING:
“In Bible times seems like it was the woman who was stoned to death if caught in adultery. Along the line of the guy keeping his pants zipped, by the same token, if the female kept her knees together or her panties on, it wouldn’t happen either. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It takes two to tango!”
Actually, they were both supposed to be punished under Mosaic Law, but just like you, they often decided the woman was the only guilty party. Judah almost had his daughter-in-law killed for playing the part of the harlot before she proved he was the one who got her pregnant. Oops.
In this case, the man would have to pay the father 50 shekels of silver and marry the kid and be forbidden to ever divorce her. (Deuteronomy 22:28-29, with some assumptions)
But, anyway, theoretically speaking rather than theologically, if an eight year old offered to service an adult for candy, it’s okay, right? No? Well what about a nine year old? It’s okay then, right? Still no? But we’re almost there because we’re coming up to this kid’s age.
At what point would you decide an adult should really decline the offer and at what point would you still say it‘s all hunky dory because she offered?
Or could we just follow the secular law?
Nonjudgmental David just wondering
On the pet abandonment~ there’s a whole bunch of folks who deserve this! Over the years, I could not tell you the number of puppies/dawgs who have been left at the community swimming hole. Some have been rescued, while others were left to fin for themselves and become wild and hang out in packs and do a number on livestock and wildlife. And we won’t EVEN go into the cats/kittens who have been abandoned over this way and end up in our yard or live in the woods and keep reproducing and end up killing off the quail and other desired wildlife. Sooo, he’s no worse than hundreds of others.He just got caught and is being made an example of. I think it would be more humane to have one put down than to just drop it off to starve to death.
So many times I’ve seen good families who raised their kids going to church, taught them right from wrong, but the truth is, when they get with their peers, away from their parents, they tend to be swayed in the wrong way. They are gonna do what they feel pressured to do, no matter what. And after we have “trained them in the way they should go” all we can do is love ‘em, pray for ‘em and trust God to guide ‘em. He is the best babysitter there is! And if they do dumb things, then we do the best we can to help them
get back on the right track. Everyone of us have done things we were not so proud of. We all have, at some time in our lives, lived below our privilege. But, even God forgives us when we repent and He loves us still. Even the good shepherds didn’t use the “rod” to beat the sheep, but rather to pull them back into the flock or gently guide them. He cared enough to go out and search for the one lost sheep until He found it and brought him back to the 99. Someone once said, that Christians were the only army who would desert or hurt their wounded. If God can forgive us, then why can’t we forgive one another?
Some of you think probation is the easy way out! Let me tell you, sometimes it’s easier to do time than to do probation. Probation is Hell! Not only do they have to come up with their money each month, live under a magnifying glass where they are being watched 24/7 or at least feel that way; they have difficulty when the economy is good to find or even keep a job, because you always have this dark cloud hanging over you, and people don’t want to hire you. Depending on the rules in each case, you may live within s few miles of Atmore, but that is Alabama, so you could not cross the state nor county line without special written permission from your officer in Pensacola, Florida…not to go to church, to get a haircut, go to your bank, or to buy clothes. And as far as his daddy getting him a good lawyer~ I can tell you, those don’t come cheap! Thank God he had parents who cared enough to mortgage their home or whatever they had to do to get the funds to do this…never mind the years it could take to pay it back. If you’ve never been there, you have no idea what you are talking about. And for the one who said counseling was a waste of time and money~depends totally on the individual, but he has no choice but to try to mend his ways or if he were to break his probation, like in the game of monopoly, he’d ‘go straight to jail’. “Judge not that you be not judged”.
“He who is without sin, let him throw the first stone.” If you want to jump on the ‘sin’ wagon, my Bible speaks of all sins being a sin…no matter how large or small. Whether over eating, or indulging in alcohol or stealing or lying or gossiping or adultery or even murder~ makes no difference to God…it’s all a SIN! In Bible times seems like it was the woman who was stoned to death if caught in adultery. Along the line of the guy keeping his pants zipped, by the same token, if the female kept her knees together or her panties on, it wouldn’t happen either. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It takes two to tango!
My mom taught us, “be sure your sins will find you out”. And, except in the case of real rape, a guy will only go as far as a girl will allow or encourage.Maybe this will be a wakeup call for the young man. If it wasn’t this young man, she would have found another. It seems that when a teenager gets rebellious, there’s no stopping them. Sometimes they have to go the length of their rope and if they get pg, then maybe that’s God’s way of saying, if you play with fire, you are asking to get burned. I have 0- tolerance for girls who want to grow up so fast, and when they get with child, they want to murder it so they don’t have to learn what it’s like to become a real mom…where they can keep on partying! It’s about taking responsibility for our own actions. My grandmother use to say, “every pot has to sit on it’s on bottom”. I’d say, both are to blame, and if one is to be punished, then both should be. We should all be praying instead of trying to crusify.
I have read over all these comments for the past few days, since this article was posted. I am sorry, I can not even try to defend his actions on any level and shame on you people trying to drag this little girl through the mud. I do not care if this girl snuck out and her parents had no clue, where she was , we have all done it at one time or another..I’m saying that for all the normal people out there, not the saints on here. But HE is a GROWN UP and SHE is a Child!!! Any adult that messes with a child in anyway, should be registered as a sex offender, point blank period!!!! No 28 yr old man should be meeting 15 little girls anywhere. He is the adult and he is to blame!!! He needs to grow up and face the real world, where you pay for your actions and are responsible for the decisions you make!! Just a thought?!
Burkett is currently facing 3 criminal misdemeanor charges for abandoning 3 dogs that were rescued. Pet abandonment is ILLEGAL in FL.
http://www.northescambia.com/?p=26242
http://www.northescambia.com/?p=27377
http://www.northescambia.com/?p=34846
Has anyone thought about the fact that none of this would have ever happened had this young lady, and I use this term loosely, not slipped out of her parent’s house to go and meet this man. I think the parents are embarrased that their daughter is less than honorable and because of this, wanted to lash out at someone else, so that the heat would be taken off of her and onto someone else. Maybe if they had more control over their daughter none of this would have ever happened to begin with. I am in no way saying that this young man is innocent by any means and he is paying for it now, but it is a shame that the girl can just continue on with her life as if nothing ever happened. Where is the justice in that?
Unbelievable. Every time a story like this comes out, there are people who say the girl is at fault because a) she was willing b) she didnt’ fight c) she was dressed like a floozy
Here is a clue for you – IT DOESN”T MATTER. If guys would keep their pants on they wouldn’t have to worry about how old the girl is. If you want to act like a hound dog in heat then you face the consequences… and in the state of FLorida having sex with a minor has some serious consequences (although that obviously isn’t demonstrated in this case). A 28yr old man is supposed to be smarter and more mature, able to make better decisions than a 15yr old girl – that is why 15yr olds can’t vote, drive or drink (legally).
Good grief our nation is going to hades in on a highspeed train.
Go to counseling?Give me a break.a person can go to couseling for years,leave every session and make no attempt to apply what is conveyed to them.Just a waste of time and money.counseling does not help unless one is willing to look daily at behaviors that need to be changed and make conscious effotrs to change them.
I just want to know where everyone is that was trying to make excuses for this guy when the story broke awhile back. Come on guys where are you? You know who you are you made every excuse you could for him.
We all must abide by our laws. It does not matter if we agree or do not agree. The law says a 15 year old does not have the legal capacity to enter into sex. This man knew the law and knows that in our society one does not have sex with a minor. There are plenty of girls over the age of 18. He performed an illegal act and should be punished.
The girl was at fault too. 15 or 18, it doesn’t matter. We try to act like girls that age are so innocent and we are protecting them, but all we are doing is giving them a loaded gun to destroy someone else’s life. They know they can do whatever they want and if they get caught they can claim it wasn’t consensual or they know their parents will do something about it. If he had forced himself on her, that would be a different story. But when she lays down on her own she knows what she’s doing. Now, I’m not saying he wasn’t wrong. If he knew her age then of course he was in the wrong as well. I know all the do-gooders will have something to say about this, but the truth is the truth. Girls these days are not as innocent as they want to appear. This girl should definitely have consequences, and I’m not talking about a slap on the wrist with being “grounded.”
ill add an interesting TRUE story that happened about…11 yrs or so ago…”hot-to-trott” 15 yr old girl- always on the computer, always pretending (and trying) to be older than she was…sexually active w/dysfunctionally divorced parents that couldnt/didnt keep up w/her…..well, she meets this 20+ something military pilot on-line- tells him that shes 17(according to him)- she proceeds to get him over to her mothers apartment while moms gone…of course, has sex- mom comes home- catches them- raises hell- father livid- persues charges against young man- pilot ends up in prison and looses his whole military career- now, hows that??!!…not surprising, girl gets off scott free- another sad case of the STUPIDS.
In a small close knit community such as ours everyone knows everyone else and their kids. I’m not buying that he didnt know the age of this young lady. Had she been a total stranger that he picked up for casual sex then maybe his story of ignorance would be plausable, but the facts as presented detailed a guy that had known the girl long enough to surely ascertain an age at the very minimum. He lucked up this time plain and simple.
The girls parents were asleep! The girl had been sneaking out to see this guy and when her parents caught her, THAT is when something happened. She didn’t cry that he forced himself on her or anything like that, but because of HIS age and HER age the law DOES NOT approve of this kind of action from a man of his age, being with a girl of her age. Also there WAS evidence, had they done something when it was reported, I guarantee you that he would be in prison now, and I am sure that him and his father knew that at the time. I wonder if he will still be able to do volunteer firefighter work? Does anyone know? I am just curious.
he should be under the jail he is a sex offender it is a sorry lot that lets him go
Heaven help the young men of this day and age. You would have to have a birth certificate shown every time you ask a girl out. The thirteen and fourteen year old girls wear tons of make-up, push up bras and string bikini’s and some conduct themselves as if they were “ladies of the night”. and yes, WHERE ARE THE PARENTS! Sad, sad, sad. But don’t blame the guys, it s all fun and games until they are caught and then it was a forced situation. Sure it was!
it is always nice to hear people stand up for a man who is known for dating YOUNG girls. Hello, if some of you REALLY knew him then you would know that he has always been this way and this young ladies parents are the only ones who did something about it. I am just glad that people know his name and face now and can be on the lookout for him and maybe keep the next girl safe. He is a sick individual who happened to have a daddy who found him a GOOD lawyer!!!!!
Where were the girls parents during all of this? Did they know their daughter was seeing this man. I don´t read where she was forced into sex. I don´t agree with this mans actions. He should be punished for this, but how did she get to Lake Stone with this man, alone? Again, where are her parents?
GEEZE! There are young girls who dress and act older to entice the older guys~ every day of the week. Just like the older girls who flaunt their bodies exposing parts that should be covered and then when guys get turned on~ they send the wrong messages and when their invitation is accepted, they holler rape. Kids are allowed to date waaaay too young. Kids are allowed to watch waaay too many movies with sexual scenes. I do not know this girl, don’t care to! I know the young man, and from the sound of it all, he should have known what kind of person she was and went on his way. In my day, when we were ‘dropped’ by our boy friend, it broke our hearts, we cried, but we got over it and moved on with our lives. At age 15, any girl who was sexually active was considered a very loose person. Today, so many want to sue @ the drop of the hat or press charges to get even. In my opinion, so many in our country have turned from God or never knew Him to begin with. So many have no respect for themselves nor anyone else. We all need to go back to the God of our childhood and “humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14
no he will no longer be able to vol, in ec.f.r there is no cure for stupidy
Oh yea, If the state is in doubt they will also drop the original charge to a(LIO) Lesser Included Offence) and give probation. Why would they do this if the evidence is there , strickly to keep their numbers up.
I guess the days of parents having resposibility for knowing where their 15 year old daughter is at are gone. This can happen to a 16 year old boy. A under age
girl can go anywhere or do anything with or to a boy and the girl or her parents have no resposibility at all. To all you parents with young boys, she can come to your house climb in your window and with one magical night make your son a registered sex offender. Then the deputy will call her a victim and your son a criminal and she is off to the next boy while you spend the next year going to court dates, seeing probation officers and spending plenty of money and praying every night your son will somehow get out without a record to follow him the rest of his life.
Don’t know the guy,girl or situation, but I was falsely accused of the same thing by a evil,vendictive family member. I do know personally if the evidence was there he would have had a jury trial and possibly convicted. The ONLY reason the state offers a plea is they don’t have enough solid effidence to go to trial and the state will never own up to false arrest or LACK of proper investigation, so they offer a plea. You take the plea and the state keeps their prosecution rate high or you don’t and you go to trial and risk your life and future in the hands of other that may not be any more competent than the state. It’s a hard decision to make when you know you are innocent. In my case I took a plea. After the case was closed the child come foward and said she was made to lie and the state wouldn’t even go after the Sorry mother that made her lie. It cost me Many Many thousands and my name. The system sux and there’s no end to it. This guy may or may not be guilty but I will say the State wasn’t too sure, I hope and pray for the childs sake he didn’t do it but if he did , there is no punishment good enough for him.
@Tina
A Castle Doctrine (also known as a Castle Law or a Defense of Habitation Law) is a Law] that designates one’s place of residence or any place legally occupied, such as one’s car or place of work, as a place in which one enjoys protection from illegal trespassing and violent attack.
It gives a person the legal right to use deadly force to defend that place (his “castle”), and any other innocent persons legally inside it, from violent attack or an intrusion which may lead to violent attack. In a legal context, therefore, use of deadly force which actually results in death may be defended as justifiable homicide under the Castle Doctrine.
Wow, I hope and Father is alive so maybe he can get real justice ? 5 years probation for having sex with a 15 year old ! That is some justice we have but a guy can steal 20.00 I’n Gas and get 2-5 years Jail time ! What a shame !
Can anyone quote what the current Florida law says about shooting prowlers…. I heard someone say that they didn’t have to be within the confines of your home, just on your property? Just Wondering.
A 28 year old man having sex with a 15 year old girl and no prison time, and he does not have to register as a sex offender.. What kind of justice is this! To all us parents and grandparents, I guess it’s open season on our children..
I would just like for everyone to know that the girl didn’t come forward because he broke her heart. She had no choice but to come forward whenever her parents found about what was going on, and her parents did want to press charges whenever it happened, but they were told that there was nothing that could be done about it. Somehow the whole incident got “lost” in the shuffle or whatever. Well then the thing with the dogs came up & for whatever reason this incident came back to light, and from my understanding the person (I’m assuming the prosecuter) that came across this wanted to know WHY wasn’t anything done about this, and that is when law enforcement got in touch with the parents and wanted to know why they didn’t prosecute, especially since the whole town knows that this isn’t the first young girl he has been with (only rumors) but there is a lot of them, about him and his fatuation with young girls. Believe me, these are two very responsible parents of this young lady and they did everything that they possibly could to have something done about this when it first happened, but like I said they were told there was nothing that could be done at the time. I guess when you have a father with such a respectable reputation in the community, you can get away with whatever you want, but as you all can see, he didn’t get away from this, and five years IS a long time. I personally hope the boy can get some help and grow up and realize that what he was doing was wrong & I pray that the young lady and her family can also heal from this. Both families are VERY good, responsible, and hard working people and sometimes good peoples kids make stupid choices in there life, so don’t bash him or the girl on here, just pray for them, but I can tell you this…I think they all (both sides) have learned a very good lesson from all of this.
I know that I for one will remember his face and his actions, as will undoubtably a lot of other people.
he demonstrated very poor judgement, no doubt…commited a serious crime, actually- …….but, pedophile…….ABSOLUTELY NOT….he doesnt meet that criteria…thats not an appropriate “label” to place on him….personally, if they were only going to give him probation/counseling, under these circumstances, i think that he should have had at least a 10 year probation period….that would better compensate for the lenient stipulation that he NOT be required to register as a sex offender….wonder how long will he be going to counseling.
no wonder we have so many pedifiles!
Mytwocents.
Well you let him mess with your 15 year old young girl. If he had done it to
one of my granddaughters this wouldn’t have even been an issue he would
have been gone one way or the other.
Your sick if you think this guy deserves any break. They did try to charge
this guy when it first happened, but no one would do anything about it.
This is nothing FOR WHAT HE DID. They dropped the big charge. Someone had some pull. First they would’nt go after him, and when they finely did….
NOTHING…. the whole thing is pathetic.
THIS MEANS IF YOUR LITTLE GIRL IS BABOOZELED BY A GUY TWICE HER
AGE WHO ACTUALLY KNOWS BETTER, THE STATE ISN’T GOING TO DO
A THING. LAWS MEAN NOTHING HERE DO THEY?
Girls and boys these days are very sexually active at very young ages. The girl should have come forward immediately, not wait until he is charged with the dog incident. He was trying to help out at an accident. We all have things in our closet.
Apparently this girl was not hurt, only her ego. I am not for older guys having sex with young girls, but there is more to this than we are being told. He is being punished and has lost his position as fire fighter volunteer or not. So everyone cool it….
At least he didn’t get away with it. Five years is a long time to behave.
Hopefully they won’t allow him to go back to volunteering.
Five years probation on a felony child abuse charge…..that’s all???
Must have had a great lawyer
So did this girl expect to be his girlfriend, and when he was finished with her, she got mad and turned him in?
What kind of 28 year old messes with a 15 year old? Not very mature I’d say. And whats with this nut abandoning three dogs?
Girls, dogs maybe they are all the same to him, just something to have for a while, you know someone or something he can controll.
Dustin, you seriously need help. Try turning to God, believe it or not He loves you.