By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star Editorial Board

Count me as someone who's not impressed with the creative sentence that a Kansas judge levied against a 72-year-old man who pleaded guilty to molesting a child.

If Kansas Judge Ron Svaty thought LeRoy Schad is a danger to children and society, he should have sent him to prison.

If Svaty though Schad was unlikely to reoffend, as an expert testified during a hearing, a prolonged house arrest would suffice.

Forcing Schad to place signs on his home and his car identifying himself as a sex offender puts the man in danger and guarantees perpetual harassment.

There's also the problem of collateral damage. It can't be great for neighborhood property values to have a house posted with a sex offender ID sign.

According to a report by KWCH TV news in Wichita, the incident to which Schad pleaded guilty involved inappropriate touching with a child who was spending the night at Schad's home.

Barb Shelly, editorial board