Richard Todd Canton knows all too well that when tragedy strikes, you can either triumph or fail.

When he was accused of a sexual offense while working as a teacher's assistant, he looked right into the lens of a television camera and said he'd stood up for every kid in town, and he hoped that someone would stand up for him. Almost everyone did exactly what he asked.

A tireless worker, he's also been a waiter, a store clerk, a television host, an author, and a newspaper column writer-all at the same time. Long hours have been tough, but he's gotten satisfaction out of the...

Richard Todd Canton knows all too well that when tragedy strikes, you can either triumph or fail.

When he was accused of a sexual offense while working as a teacher's assistant, he looked right into the lens of a television camera and said he'd stood up for every kid in town, and he hoped that someone would stand up for him. Almost everyone did exactly what he asked.

A tireless worker, he's also been a waiter, a store clerk, a television host, an author, and a newspaper column writer-all at the same time. Long hours have been tough, but he's gotten satisfaction out of the...