It has been a wonderful experience being a part of this forum.  However, today, someone on this forum has pushed me to the breaking point about my past.

There's a funny thing about the past - the past is just that - the past.  We can't relive it, we can't change it and I say here so very often - we can't dwell on it.

Unfortunately there's someone here on this board (a rather passive-aggressive former city person who thinks that they should still be in charge of everything around here and apparently now has an ax to grind particularly against me for some reason) who is getting ready to try to hold me hostage by digging around (admittedly in public information) in my background and has written and now deleted 3 different posts about me (because he knows I'll get an email of each one, but he doesn't have to leave a public trail) and now leaving a thinly veiled threat about me on the forum (which I'm sure will eventually be deleted too.)

Okay - Nelson Self - I have always considered myself to be a transparent individual.  I am what I am - and I make no attempts to hide the bad parts of my life.  As a Christian - I know that God's grace and His redemption are really the only thing that matter in this life.  You are no worse a sinner than I - it's just that some of mine have been publicly known where you only know where your skeletons are hidden.

You wanted it Nelson - so here it is.  Some of you will appreciate what I'm about to say - and some of you may never want to speak to me again.  I don't care.  I know that my God takes care of these sort of issues - so I'll just let Him handle this from here....

In early 2001 I was fired from my employer for violating their company policies regarding the use of information technology products.  Long story short, I had used my company issued computer to view porn.  It's shameful, agreed, and I was quickly and abruptly fired and rightfully so for my actions.

Someone in Information Security turned over the contents of my hard drive to the police, and well, I was charged later with ORC 2907.323(A)(3) – which is a statute that deals with pornography.  That particular section deals with possession of images that show a minor in a state of nudity.  While not child pornography, still a crime in Ohio nonetheless.

I pleaded guilty, did probation and counseling - and thank God, I was able to break free from my addiction.  Yes, I call it an addiction - if you ask me porn is just as addictive as crack or heroin or anything else.  It has left a huge scar on me to this day.  When I moved to Louisiana - they made me register as a sex offender - which was beyond the pale, which I fought vigorously (I'm not required to do so here or there, legally) and after many years and hundreds of thousands of dollars of legal fees later - I decided just to come back home to Middletown where I can live without the stigma.  So much for that - turn the stigma right back on.....

So thanks, Nelson, for making me come out and be public with this information.  I am so happy that you forced me to come out with this before you did.  Some of you have been encouraging me to run for office - well, this is why I haven't.  It doesn't technically (from what I can read) prevent me from running - but people like Nelson would make such hay over it that, well, my candidacy would be toxic from the get.

I'm just a harmless, lovable little fuzzball who now has a wife, two kids and is looking forward to the brightest possible future - in Middletown.

Bob

obviously a hard post to author--u have come clean, necessary or not

hey--u care about this community and u r willing to be up front honest and communicate

good enough for me, but never good enough for some around here

one of middietown's worst issues--people never want to let go of anyones' transgressions

only thing the above post says to me is that u r an honest person--a good quality

now get to work and fix this pllace!!!