Offender says he left country for new life

BOISE – A convicted sex offender says he fled Boise for a new life in Central America because his “violent sexual predator” designation made it nearly impossible for him to find a place to live, keep a job or comply with his parole.

William Gilbert Lightner, 43, said Tuesday that he had no choice but to cut off his GPS bracelet used to track his movements. He and his wife fled the country July 22 with a newly purchased van full of a few of their possessions to “find a life” in Belize.

Lightner was sentenced in Ada County in June 1994 for lewd conduct with a minor under the age of 16. He served 10 years in prison, was released on parole last March and registered as a sex offender before vanishing about two and a half months ago. He was caught in Belize, and extradited to Boise on Sunday.

He has eight years remaining on his original sentence for a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct with a 12-year-old girl. He also could be sentenced to an additional five years.

Lightner said Tuesday he never committed the crime he pleaded guilty to, but didn’t know what else to do.

“I was trying to do what was right, and please the state of Idaho … it just wasn’t working,” he told The Idaho Statesman of complying with his parole. “I go to church a lot. There are a lot of people who are persecuted in the Bible who end up fleeing like Moses in Egypt.”

Greg Lewis, district manager for District 4 Idaho Probation and Parole, said Tuesday Lightner wasn’t persecuted, but given the same opportunity to succeed as the other approximately 280 registered sex offenders in the Treasure Valley, the populated Ada and Canyon counties of southwest Idaho.

Lewis also said Lightner’s parole officer was trying to help him find a home.

“His officer was working with him on a multitude of (housing) options, which did not include absconding to Belize,” Lewis said.

Lightner is one of 13 sex offenders in the Treasure Valley classified as “violent sexual predators.” That means a state commission has determined Lightner has a history of sex offenses and is at high risk of committing another sexual offense.

He, like other registered sex offenders, is not allowed to live within three blocks of day-care facilities, schools or parks. Lightner moved twice after being paroled in March, and his picture was published in the paper.

Lightner said he was three days from being evicted when he and his wife decided to flee the country. They did some Internet searches and settled on Belize because it was far away from Idaho, had English as the official language, and Lightner thought he wouldn’t need a passport to get in.