CLEVELAND — It's a turn Christian Carlisle may regret the rest of his life.
A life-altering about-face captured on surveillance video depicting his last day of work at a Walmart store in Eastlake.
“It started hitting me…what did i just do?” Carlisle said.
At the time, he was 19-years-old, struggling with the loss of a friend and now, angry after being, in his eyes, fired unjustly.
Impulsively -- as he was leaving the store -- he took a disposal lighter and set fire to a roll of fabric. And walked away.
In a matter of seconds, the fire grew while unsuspecting coworkers and shoppers passed by.
It was snuffed out quickly. No one, thankfully, was hurt. Carlisle later surrendered and confessed. He served three months in jail for the misdemeanor charge in 2018.
For that, Carlisle received a life-long punishment. He became one of over 1,200 people who, until he dies, must register their address with the county sheriff.
"Yeah, I was remorseful,” he said. “I didn't mean to do it. I didn't try to hurt anybody or nothing like that.”
Few in Ohio, even law enforcement, are even aware of Ohio’s registry for arsonist. It’s relatively new, becoming law in 2013. Simply put: get convicted of an arson-related offense and you must register for life. A provision – if prosecutors and the judge each agree – allows for a 10-year registration period.
In some cases, the arson registry has harsher rules than those of sex offenders, a reality that has some calling for changes.
In Ohio, a misdemeanor sex offense calls for 15 years of registering. Life long registration is reserved for the most serious, felony offenders.
Arson convictions cannot be expunged under Ohio law.
“I don't think it's being fairly administered,” said Joseph Gorman, an Akron-area defense attorney. He’s defended others accused of arson, but he did not represent Carlisle.
“If you look at the law right now, anybody's who's convicted of an arson offense stands a very good chance of having to register for the rest of their life, regardless of the circumstances of their case."
Carlisle recently lost his appeal to the 11th District Court of Appeals. The three judges, however, noted their ruling conflicted with another appellate court. This means the case may soon be heard by the Ohio Supreme Court.
In Carlisle's case, prosecutors OK’d the lesser, 10-year registration requirement.
The judge, however, refused.
Appeals courts across Ohio are wrestling with the registry and the law may be heading to the state supreme court to determine if it violates the constitution.
"I don't think I should have to do that the rest of my life," Carlisle said.
Ohio is one of just five states tracking convicted arsonists. Right now, there are 1,553 registered statewide. Over 1,200 – or 80.4 percent – are required to register for life. Failure to register is a felony.
Unlike the sex offender registry, the list of registered arsonists is not available to the public.
It is designed to help law enforcement identify potential suspects in the event of an arson fire.
Topping the state list is Cuyahoga County, home to 144 registered arsonists.
There's 53 in Summit County, 48 in Stark, 30 more in Mahoning and 24 in Lorain County.
All are among the top 10 in Ohio.
Richard Hardgrove, a captain on the Barberton Fire Department, researched the data base, weighing the pros and cons, when it first became law. He said it’s proven a good investigative tool for investigating arson cases. But he agreed that the lifelong reporting requirement may need tweaked.
“Nothing can be written in stone,” he said. “It needs to be progressive and fluid….you look at it and see if it's working and what we can do to make it work better.”
To Christian Carlisle, he dreads his annual visit to the sheriff's office, sitting alongside rapists and child molesters, who are also waiting to register their address.
He's finally found work after struggling for months. He blames his conviction and the arson registry.
"I just wish i could go back and change stuff…I wouldn't do that. I would've just left…walked away."