Couple Caught Canoodling on a Florida Beach Must Register as Sex Offenders

A couple convicted of having sex on a Florida beach is forced to register as sex offenders. Twenty-year-old Elissa Alvarez and 40-year-old Jose “Benny” Caballero were convicted of lewd and lascivious exhibition.

A grandmother on the beach filmed the couple, as people passing by were forced to watch and cover their children’s eyes.

Alvarez’ attorney attempted to defend her by stating she was merely dancing on top of Caballero. If you see the video, she’s clearly doing a little more than dancing.

The charges call for 15 years in prison. Alvarez will not be spending the whole 15 years in prison but instead will serve an undisclosed amount of time in jail. Caballero on the other hand is a re-offender; three years prior he was convicted of cocaine trafficking. Because the new charges are felonies, and he was just released from prison three years ago, the judge is sentencing him to the full 15 years.

Both Alvarez and Caballero will forever be registered sex offenders. This will affect their employment, where they live, and their everyday lives. They can’t be close to schools or public parks, and having children will be extremely difficult.

Sex offenders have a social stigma: no one wants to be around them, hire them, or live near them.

Sex Offender Regulations

Alvarez and Caballero must report to the Sheriff’s Office to ReRegister either two or four times per year depending on the circumstances of their crime.

Should people like Alvarez and Caballero have to register as sex offenders, just like child molesters and rapists? Or should people who commit a non-violent crime, that does not involve a child, be mandated to go through counseling instead?

In my opinion, Alvarez is not a sex offender. She is a 20-year-old woman who acted recklessly while just wanted to be intimate with her boyfriend. Was it wrong? Absolutely. But she is nowhere close to having the same mindset as a rapist.

The purpose of the sex offender registration is to protect society from people who may have a propensity for committing sex-related crimes. Given the details of this case, I wouldn’t say that anyone needs to be protected from Alvarez.

I believe crimes like these, depending on specific circumstances, should entail counseling or mandatory classes, along with probation. Re-offenders like Caballero should possibly serve some jail time. But first time offenders like Alvarez, who committed a sexual non-violent crime that was not imposed directly onto a child, should not be forced to register as a sex offender. Any hope of having children and giving them a normal life is ruined unnecessarily.