Texas Sheriff Escapes Sex Offender Registration by Dying
Texans love five things: barbecues, football, guns, executions, and registering sex offenders. It's a good-old-boy state where you can get lifetime registration as a sex offender and 20 years in prison for downloading photos that have appeared in several art museums. But leaving a loaded gun where a kid gets it and shoots and kills his cousin can get you a fine.
But every once in a while, a good old boy get caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Or in this case, the nookie jar.
William E. "Bill" Keating was sheriff of Montague County from 2005 to 2008. He'd moved up in law enforcement over many years, then took a break to run a barbecue place before returning. The widely respected lawman was doing what good old boy Texas lawmen do--until someone turned him in. That someone was, ironically, a convicted felon.
Longtime felon Luke Bolton blew the whistle in September 2008. W. E. Keating was arrested and, in January, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman after telling her it was the only way to avoid a drug charge. He faced a likely 10-year sentence in federal prison. In addition, in February the state of Texas indicted him on official oppression and having sex with female inmates.
The state filed a total of 106 counts involving 15 people, including former jailers. (Remember the saying, "Who guards the guards?") Charges included having sex with inmates and giving/selling them drugs and cell phones. In this jail, drugs flowed and some cells and bathrooms could be locked from the inside. There was even a kind of rack made out of nails. Bolton said Keating gave him cigarettes to beat up fellow inmates that Keating didn't like.
A spokesperson said Keating had planned to plead guilty to the state charges against him. But being a Texan with 35 years as a lawman, he didn't go down peacefully. He avoided prison in the grand, traditional way of the Wild West: he died. Keating, age 62, apparently ended his last roundup with a heart attack. It's not as dramatic as being outdrawn on a dusty street at high noon, but it will do.
And because he died after pleading guilty to the federal charge but being sentenced, his case will be dismissed. The 35-year-lawman will go down in the legal books as an innocent man.
God bless Texas.
http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1367904.html Keating's rise and fall
http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2009/jan/29/keating-plead-guilty/ Keating pleads guilty
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/050409/obi_436073426.shtml Keating dies
http://bill-keating.com/ Keating thanks you for electing him
http://bill-keating.com/message.htm Keating tells you how great he did during his first six months, and promises to have "a listing of all registered sex offenders in the county...." Now Keating's name will not be going on that list.
To those who will accuse me of insulting Texans and their small backwater counties out of ignorance, check out the below. Some friends and I had our own troubles that began in a small backwater Texas county.
WARNING: The links below contain some words and descriptions you aren't likely to hear in Sunday school
http://discordia.loveshade.org/xtra/interviewan and especially http://discordia.loveshade.org/xtra/interviewan/interviewan3.html
Comments
That's why I live in Florida not Texas. Here they don't care so much about sex offenders as they do orange stealers. It's those crazy nuts from California that know we have better juice.
Posted by: Florida HomeGirl | May 11, 2009 06:05 AM
The sex he had with inmates was consensual, they say. If it was then that's minor. But what if they said they wanted sex and didn't, but did it because he was in power over them? And he did confess to threatening the woman who wasn't in jail if she didn't have sex. That is horrible. Some police are good and helpful, but sadly many aren't. But I'm not worried about a man who's gone not getting his name on a list. What are they going to do for the victims? That's where my heart is, with them.
Posted by: TawTew the Naturally Perfumed | May 11, 2009 07:31 PM
Anyone who deserves prison doesn't deserve fair treatment. Let them all die and decrease the surplus population.
Posted by: Ebenezer Scrooge | May 12, 2009 12:05 PM
He brought sex and drugs into jail? He doesn't deserve time he deserves a medal.
Posted by: Lonely One | May 14, 2009 07:42 AM
I don't think consensual sex should be restricted in jail. I think that makes rape more likely.
Posted by: TawTew the Naturally Perfumed | May 17, 2009 03:42 AM
Texas all like what? For a group that's supposed to be openminded, you sure sound closed on this one. Texas has art museums, orchestras, zoos, opera too. It's not all red neck cowboys. If you've actually been in Texas you'd know that.
Posted by: Texas Ron | May 18, 2009 05:46 AM
I banged the sheriff.
But I did not bang the deputy.
Posted by: Rev. Bootie | May 18, 2009 10:08 PM
Very nice site!
On this one, they aren't talking about all Texans. But it's true of Texas as a state. As a state, it's big on all the above. I know, I used to live there.
Posted by: John Greene | May 18, 2009 10:09 PM
It is very wrong for a respresentative of the law to break the law like this. I hope he asked for the forgiveness that only comes by accepting Jesus Christ into your heart. John 3:16
Posted by: Christian Andy | May 19, 2009 02:53 AM
Still talking about your legal problems, eh Rev? If your group hadn't practiced the blasphemy of freedom of speech and the press, you wouldn't have this problem. Keep your mouths shut, do what you're told, and kill and rape for America.
Posted by: Mad Greg | May 19, 2009 11:58 AM
Consensual sex in jail: fun.
Nonconsensual sex outside of jail: not fun.
Posted by: Jenny Girl | May 20, 2009 02:31 PM
TawTew is right. More consensual sex means less non-consensual sex. How many rapist have happy sex lives? How many of those priests who banged little boys wouldn't have done it if they had a wife at home?
Posted by: Arnold Schwartz | May 21, 2009 05:51 PM
Hail Eris! All Hail Discordia!
Posted by: Texan for Discordia | May 23, 2009 07:26 AM
Your ideas would kill the idea of prison. It's all about education. Prison is where you send people to be miserable, so they end up hating the government, authority, and law enforcement, then get in with prison gangs and learn how to be better criminals. It's self improvement.
Posted by: Everett Climber | May 23, 2009 06:51 PM
Bad man.
Posted by: Hannah | May 27, 2009 05:05 PM
Thank you for the great quality of your website, every time i come here, i'm amazed.
Dying is an escape from life. There is no prison in death.
Posted by: Black Hattie | September 7, 2009 10:08 PM