Who is living in your neighborhood?

[bliz]

I had a surprise today. My Dad was visiting and he mentioned a visit from the police informing him that a sexual predator had moved into his neighborhood, and that that led to his neighbor into searching online and discovering there were 20 in their community. So...

... I got curious, and searched on line, going to this web site www.mapsexoffenders.com/ and checked to see who was in my neighborhood. The first person I pulled up was someone I used to work with!

It just set me back... Sometimes I have thought that some parents who are always searching such sites are alarmist and possibly striking needless fears into the hearts of their young children... but this really caught my attention.

 

[CrystalBrooke]

That's so awful! What a horrible suprise that must be...I'm tempted to go that website, but I probably don't want to know.

 

[mommy68]

Yeah I've checked a similar site a lot over the last few years. I look by zip code and then the names are alphabatized so that helps as well....and the one I go to has pictures of the offender.

There was a man locally on the site for repeat offenses that my husband used to know who was a member of the BBB (better business bureau) because he owned his own business like my husband does. They met at a meeting and became associates and referred customers to one another, etc. some years ago. But this man (a child molester) has a business where he goes in to peoples homes!!!! Imagine that! It gives me the creeps thinking some stranger that might come in my home to do something like a contractor, pest control, anything!! might have a past like that. It pays to look up anyone that might or will come in close contact with you or your children.

 

[CrystalBrooke]

I looked, I couldn't help it...there are none in my area, but in a neighboring county there is one that I know...well I know his daughter anyways...gross! People are sick!

 

[JulySheMustFly]

I look about twice a year. There are 6 in my zipcode and one in my development. There is good reason I watch my kids so closely and am cautious myself.

 

[MikeK]

I thankfully don't have any very near my home, but there are several dozen in my county. I knew two of them, and both were arrested for sex with a minor while they were both in highschool themselves (one case he was 18, she 16, and the other was 18 and 15 IIRC). The 18/15 couple have been married for probably 1o years now and have what seems to be a very happy young family. I don't remember how long he was locked up for, I don't think it was very long but it really sucks for them that he's labelled for life for something that at least in this case doesn't seem to be too big a deal - certainly no threat to the public.
That said, I don't think that cases like these are the majority, and I think we must be very vigilant when it comes to protecting our children - these offender registries are a big help.

 

[CrystalBrooke]

What I don't understand is why they're still out there so they can do it again! This is why I have lost so much respect for the court systems..it just seems so stupid to me that a man, or woman, can sexually assault someone and then just get back out on the streets..it really doesn't make sense to me.

 

[KillerV]

I have already checked and there are about 5 near us.Thank God we are moving soon.

 

[HeatherJay]

I thankfully don't have any very near my home, but there are several dozen in my county. I knew two of them, and both were arrested for sex with a minor while they were both in highschool themselves (one case he was 18, she 16, and the other was 18 and 15 IIRC). The 18/15 couple have been married for probably 1o years now and have what seems to be a very happy young family. I don't remember how long he was locked up for, I don't think it was very long but it really sucks for them that he's labelled for life for something that at least in this case doesn't seem to be too big a deal - certainly no threat to the public.
That said, I don't think that cases like these are the majority, and I think we must be very vigilant when it comes to protecting our children - these offender registries are a big help.

I think that's a good point. It's good to be informed, but we also can't paint everyone on the "sex offender" list as a child predator. Statutory Rape gets you put on the list, even if there was no actual "forced rape"...the case with the 18 year old/15 year old is a good example. A poor choice, definitely, but not a crime that I would make me fear for my children's safety if he were living next door.

 

[cristianna]

I completely agree more details need to be included. We never know if it's the upset father of a 15, 16, or 17 year old daughter, a vengeful underage ex-girlfriend of the 18 year old male or what the real truthes are.

We have a few in our area. One local county is so riddled with names it's stomach churning to navigate through the pages.

What mommy68 wrote is a real eye opener! I have never cross-referenced names of contractors entering my home. Being one of very few sahm's in our community... I will be doing that now!

 

[icbeckyc]

I tried the site you listed and couldn't find anyone, but went through the state of texas and there are 2 within 2 blocks of our house and another within a few miles. Kinda scarey, just one more reason we need to get out of our subdivision.

 

[Zoomer]

I check the meg law website to see. No one in my direct neighborhood because you are not allowed to live in the community if you have a criminal record.

 

[MikeK]

I check the meg law website to see. No one in my direct neighborhood because you are not allowed to live in the community if you have a criminal record.

What kind of community would bar rehabilitated former criminals who have done their time from living in them? That doesn't seem very forgiving to me. I can see not wanting a convicted child molester living next door, but to extend that to all criminal records including non-violent offences like imbezlement or smoking pot 30 years ago or whatever is a bit over the top, IMHO. I wonder if it would hold up to a challenge in court?

 

[HeatherJay]

What kind of community would bar rehabilitated former criminals who have done their time from living in them? That doesn't seem very forgiving to me. I can see not wanting a convicted child molester living next door, but to extend that to all criminal records including non-violent offences like imbezlement or smoking pot 30 years ago or whatever is a bit over the top, IMHO. I wonder if it would hold up to a challenge in court?

There are lots of gated communities that require application in order to move in...in many of those, one of the requirements is that you cannot have a criminal record. It's not so uncommon. We're talking about private communities, not public free for all spaces...I doubt there's anything that could be done in a court to change it.

 

[MikeK]

There are lots of gated communities that require application in order to move in...in many of those, one of the requirements is that you cannot have a criminal record. It's not so uncommon. We're talking about private communities, not public free for all spaces...I doubt there's anything that could be done in a court to change it.

Bizarre. Where I live, we don't have "gated communitees" or HOAs. The well-off live on properties that have no neighbors, 40 acre+ chunks of land with beautiful woods and whatnot. I could see spending the jack to live somewhere like that, the idea of spending extra to live in an area with a fence arround it seems like paying money to live where the ex-cons that you fear used to live. What are people affraid of, these gated communitees usually are not found in the inner city, but in the sedate and boring cookiecutter suburbs. I understand that some of these communitees even go so far as to legislate which days you can mow your lawn and you have to ask permision before changing the color of your home. It scares me that some are so willing to forfeit their freedoms for the sake of their investments.

 

[Athene]

In the UK the right of sexual offenders to their privacy outweights the rights of parents to know if there is a potential threat to their children.

 

[cristianna]

In the UK the right of sexual offenders to their privacy outweights the rights of parents to know if there is a potential threat to their children.

WOW

 

[Heart4Him]

I have always checked the online registry for my state twice a year or so, wherever we were living.

 

[Linnis]

We have a woman who's register as a sex offender for going after little boys, less than 2 blocks from the park. It's scary. I too get there names and check their actual crimes with the county. a 15 and 19 year old dating etc, while not the best judgment, isn't someone I worry about.

 

[oliveplants]

I have checked.