He's only been out for about a year and eight months. Hardly enough time to prove he's turned his life around. If you had kids would you feel comfortable letting him move next door to you? After all, what he did was just in the past.

I'm amazed at how apparently forgiving some of you are with a guy (who was 35 at the time) that took advantage of a 13 year old girl....

In my mind, a 35 yr old man deserves a lot more than jail time for even thinking about a 13 yr old girl in anything other than a plutonic way.  He's a sexual devient, or pervert, or whatever you want to call him. There needs to be a heck of a lot more offense free time out of jail than this guy has for me to let any underage female alone in his company.  Had he done this to my 13 yr old daughter, he wouldn't be around to win the lottery.  He'd have been on a one way trip and no one would have ever seen him again. 

But who am I to judge this particular man? I don't know him personally thank God. Everyone over the age of 17 has a chance to win the lottery. This is not the first time a criminal offender has won in Michigan (although I don't know which jackpot as it was several years ago).  There have been other convicted criminals in other states who have won also.

You want to prevent convicted criminals from winning the lottery, you gotta change the rules.  Start a petition in your state that says convicted criminals or certain specific convicted crime perps are not allowed to play the lottery. Otherwise, you have  nothing to complain about.

Peace out.

I wish him luck.   It is sad that people don't give others a chance to turn their life around with out continuing to dig a little deeper with the sword.

We do not know if he has gotten right with God, thereforth  we should not judge.

sorry, i wanted to comment but i couldn't concentrate after the sentence "committing a criminal sexual assault with the intent to commit penetration" - where his pants out and his ....... i mean, how did they determine ..... never mind .. no comment - about the offence or the alleged rehabilition. 

I was wondering that too. I mean, they say it wasen't forced, so it could be brought down from rape. Plea bargained.  My husband says its still rape in his mind. Don't know the law, but if she's "under the influence" isn't the taking advantage of the situation still rape?  But who knows........They never said anything about rehabilitation though.  At least what i read.  I'm not sure what his level is rated.  I wonder what his community thinks.  With the intent to...............? Wonder what they mean by that. The article I read said she admitted to having been with him 2 times.

You want to prevent convicted criminals from winning the lottery, yougotta change the rules.  Start a petition in your state that saysconvicted criminals or certain specific convicted crime perps are notallowed to play the lottery. Otherwise, you have  nothing to complainabout.

Yep, I agree.

Criminal intent doesn't mean they actually committed that crime; it means it can be proven it was their intention.

Dateline NBC has a segment called "To Catch a Predator" and they work with the Counter Pedophilia Investigative Unit. That group monitors teenage chat rooms and its members pretend to be teenage girls and engage in conversations with adults that enter the room. They are looking for pedophiles that frequent those rooms and record the conversations. If a large number of these adults are from a certain area, the group co-ordinates with local law enforcement agencies and sets a meeting place. The illicit conversations only suggests the intent, but it's proven when the pedophile goes to the place where they believe a teenager is alone.

Even though no teenagers are involved, going to the meeting place plus the conversations with graphic details proves they intended on committing a crime. Since Topous was not charged with doing the act, he was found guilty of doing something similar.

"Don't know the law, but if she's "under the influence" isn't the taking advantage of the situation still rape?"

It's illegal to rob a bank but you can think how easy it would be to rob while standing in line as long you don't have a gun in your pocket and note saying "hand over the cash". Criminal intent means he planned on talking advantage of the situation but never did so no, it's not rape.

It's obvious it was legal for Topous to buy a lottery ticket and win a jackpot so discussing what he did or didn't do without all the details, still leaves us with it's possible for anyone to win a jackpot including convicted felons.

It seems to be the trend lately; no matter who wins the jackpot, somebody will start a negative discussion about the winner.

Is jackpot envy a recognized medical health term?

Jealousy of lottery winners has alway existed, but these folk would look foolish if they started such an argument with the store clerks that sold them their losing lottery tickets so they come to LP where sounding foolish is not looking foolish.

I agree. Even if the person seems like a upstanding citizen, you will have people who can't wait to post some negative comment about how they will spend there money or how they don't deserve it. It's not just here though, you should check out the lottery section of t*opix it is a mad house.

I think it all really stems from jealousy. If people really don't want people with criminal backgrounds to win, they need to try to change the law or something. In my opinion however, that is a slippery slop to start. Because what kind of "criminal background" does one have to have not to be able to buy tickets? Will it be simple traffic violations or bigger crimes.

i am so happy some one 1 i hate it when it gets to 300 million then 1 person hits thats to much for 1 person to win congrads on your win mich

Agree.  If you are without sin - convicted or not - then go ahead and cast the first stone.  Be aware though - when you throw chit in a fan it comes back at you!

Intent to commit a crime isn't illegal. It's the attempt to do something illegal that is a crime. People intend to do all manner of things that they never actually try to do. They intend to stop drinking, they intend to find a better job, and they intend to find a confused 13 year old to have sex with. There's nothing illegal about intending to go visit a 13 year old and have sex with them. The guys arrested in "Predator" get arrested because they actually showed up thinking they were going to find a 13 year old instead of a reporter and some cops, and their email exchanges are presumed to establish that they would have had sex with the 13 year old if they had the opportunity. Of course the reality is that since they didn't get the chance to actually attempt to have sex with the 13 year old the defacto act they're arrested for is intent.

I haven't seen anything reliable about the actions that resulted in the charge against Topous, but he either got  a very bad deal or he definitely attempted to do something illegal.

"Criminal intent means he planned on talking advantage of the situation but never did so"

Criminal intent means that you did do something, and you intended to do it. The intent is what makes it a criminal act. Driving your car into a crowd isn't a criminal act if it's done by accident. Done on purpose, it is a criminal act because you intended to do it. Intending to drive your car into a crowd, but not doing it isn't a crime. It's simply a bad idea.

"I haven't seen anything reliable about the actions that resulted in the charge against Topous, but he either got  a very bad deal or he definitely attempted to do something illegal."

The article says "He's also on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry for committing a criminal sexual assault with the intent to commit penetration. He registered in 1999, and is compliant." I thought it was with an adult that said "no" and he was caught with his pants down but one of the posters said it was consensual with 13 year-old. Either way, you're correct; he was caught attempting to do something illegal.

On "Predator" those men go into a chat room hoping to get a date with a minor and chat about what they intend to do on the date. When they show up at the meeting place, they are attempting to have sex with a minor and are arrested. A year ago, 118 men had either pleaded guilty or were found guilty by a judge or jury. 

   I hope he's able to meet the challenge he's created for himself via jackpot win.  Only time can tell.