I am friends with someone who is a convicted sex offender. He's also a genuinely incredible person otherwise, but made a bad decision and was convicted and put

I am friends with someone who is a convicted sex offender. He's also a genuinely incredible person otherwise, but made a bad decision and was convicted and put on probation for it. He is lucky because he still has a job and doesn't have kids to deal with, but even then, the stresses of this particular class of offense are huge. There is no forgiveness, there is no nuance, there is no "ah well glad you are better and contrite for what you have done". I think someone would be better off (job and social forgiveness and dating-wise) to kill someone drunk driving than to download a single picture of CSAM. I am not saying CSAM is good, or that it should be legal, or that those who do so do not deserve punishment. To reiterate, I honest-to-God believe someone has better chances at getting a job, finding new friends and love, and being accepted into society if they were to negligently kill someone after choosing to drink and drive than it is for someone to recover from the stain of downloading even one instance of CSAM, no matter how contrite, rehabilitated and complaint with therapy that person is. --- To that end, I hope the OP can queue his problems, like another poster said. Find a job anywhere that will accept him. There are potentially non-profits that will work with him (?) esp. if his claims of near-homelessness are true. I hope this person is as contrite and reformed as they sound, and I hope they get through this part of their life. IIRC depending on the level of crime, it may go off BG checks after some period of time.