Popular Websites That Track Child Predators

LAST UPDATE: 3/28/2006 6:46:08
AMPosted By: Maritza Nunez
This story is available on your cell phone at mobile.woai.com.
How much do you know about the people in your neighborhood? News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooter Tanji Patton shows you how to find out if any of them could be a threat to your child's safety.
Vergel Casunuran keeps a close watch on his neighborhood. He is the father of two young children and he looks out for their safety by constantly checking websites that track child predators and where they live.
"They're everywhere," he says. "Every time there is a sexual offender move in within the zip code, I will be notified by email of the move."
Vergel uses a website called mapsexoffenders.com. All you have to do is type in your address, and your neighborhood pops up, along with bullets that pinpoint where a registered sex offender is living. Click on the bullet, and you'll see the offender's name, address and picture.
Sign up for email alerts and you'll get a message every time a sex offender moves into your neighborhood.
Familywatchdog.us is another popular website. Many viewers have emailed the Trouble Shooters about this site that shows you a satellite image of sex offenders in your area. Searching the database is free, but if you want email alerts, there is a small fee.
Both websites get their information from the official DPS sex offender database,which provides even more information, all free of charge.
"DPS compiles the information in a statewide databse that's accessible to the public," says DPS spokesperson Tela Mange.
The websites give Vergel some peace of mind. "To me, if a simple task like that would save a kid, it's worth it."http://www.mapsexoffenders.com/ http://www.familywatchdog.us/ http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/

City response to sex offenders could set stage in Minnesota

Saturday, March 25, 2006 7:16 PM CST
Editor's note: This the first of a seven-part series.By Joseph Marks, staff writerAlbert Lea City Manager Victoria Simonsen plans to present names to the City Council for a committee to study drafting of an ordinance restricting certain registered sex offenders from living in close proximity to schools, child-care centers and parks in the city during their Monday meeting. If adopted, this will only be the second ordinance imposing such restrictions in the state of Minnesota and, perhaps, a reference point for legislators, lobbyists and citizens across the state as they continue to deal with a world that is very different from the one most of them grew up in.The proposed ordinance likely will not restrict all registered sex offenders, said City Attorney Steve Schwab, but only those convicted of a sex crime against children. Unlike the only existing restriction zone ordinance in the state, passed a few months ago in Taylors Falls, Minn., Schwab said an Albert Lea ordinance will not be so restrictive that it will deny offenders the right to live in the city. He said this will help the ordinance withstand any constitutional challenges.“This is a passion for me because I'm a dad, I'm a council man and I'm charged with the protection of the community,” said City Councilor George Marin, who is also a pastor at Grace Lutheran Church and will serve on the committee. “As a pastor, I see this on a regular basis and the effects of child molestation and abuse are lifelong.”Members of the Albert Lea Police Department have maintained that an ordinance restricting where offenders can live is unlikely to reduce cases of abuse.
“I just don't know how that ordinance is going to accomplish anything,” said detective Frank Kohl. “I've said many times over, most offenders offend against someone they know, a stepchild, a girlfriend's kid, nieces or cousins. What we see in this town are sex offenses against children perpetrated by someone they're very familiar with. It's someone in the household.”Offenders who do seek out children they aren't related to usually do so on the Internet, according to Kohl, not in parks or school yards. He also expressed concern that an ordinance prohibiting sex offenders from living next to schools, parks or child-care centers would not prohibit them from walking or driving to those locations.In the beginningIt all began with a Web site, www12.familywatchdog.us, which lists pictures, names and other identifying information about sexual and predatory offenders, organized by city and state, which community member John Cook presented to the Albert Lea City Council at its Jan. 23 meeting.The Web site only tells a small portion of the story though. About 47 registered predatory offenders live in Albert Lea, said Bill Donnay, director of the Risk Assessment and Community Notification Unit of the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Only five names appear on the Web site, all offenders who moved to Albert Lea from Iowa. Unlike Iowa, which opted in 2004 to list pictures of all registered sex offenders on its registry Web site, Minnesota only releases information publicly about the top two levels of offenders who are judged most likely to reoffend.Minnesota's registry is called a predatory offender list and includes those convicted of certaincrimes that were not sexual in nature.
Anxiety about predatory offenders spread through the community when the Web site was revealed and across the pages of Albertlea.com, a message board devoted, in part, to city issues. Power 96 DJ Ron Hunter publicized the issue on his radio programs and a public information session was held Feb. 20 in the Albert Lea High School auditorium. About 50 community members attended, fewer than expected.Not content to wait for the issue to be handled at the state level, Hunter and Ted Paulson, a local father, handed out petitions to bring the issue of restricting where certain offenders could live in the community to a local ballot referendum in November. They collected more than 900 signatures, according to Paulson, and the issue was brought back to the City Council March 13, when councilors voted unanimously to form an exploratory committee. Marin asked the committee to respond before school classes dismiss for summer.If an ordinance is passed, there will be no need for a ballot referendum, Simonsen said.South of the borderOn July 1 of 2002, a law passed by the Iowa State Legislature took effect prohibiting anyone who had ever committed a sex offense against a minor from living within 2,000 feet of a school or child-care center.The law drew fire from the Iowa Civil Liberties Union and neighboring states, which were concerned the law would push Iowa's offenders over the border.Soon after the law was passed, the ICLU won a case filed on behalf of several Iowa registrants and an injunction was passed discontinuing the law, according to Gordon Miller, public service executive with the Iowa Department of Public Safety located in Des Moines. That injunction was overturned last year when the federal Eighth District Court of Appeals ruled the law was constitutional and the restrictions took effect again in September of 2005.
Since the law took effect again, twice as many registered offenders from the state are listed as “whereabouts unknown,” meaning they have not registered their current addresses with the state, Miller said.While the law undoubtedly had a chilling effect on offenders' willingness to report their whereabouts to the state, Miller said the increase may be due, in part, to more aggressive tracking of registrants which also began last year.The number of Iowa sex offenders who continue to register but have moved to other states has also increased since the law went into effect, Miller said.Rural areas of Iowa also disliked the law because it pushed offenders out of cities and into rural motels, apartments and other country dwellings, as described in a New York Times story dated March 15, 2006. Officers of the law were upset because a large portion of their work time was taken to enforce a law that made it increasingly difficult to track offenders.A story of two statesMinnesota classifies predatory offenders into one of three risk levels or leaves their risk level unassigned if they have not served prison time, said Albert Lea Police Chief Dwaine Winkels.Police are required to notify all neighbors when a Level 3 offender moves into the area and are permitted to notify schools and other at-risk agencies when a Level 2 offender moves to the neighborhood. Minnesota police are barred from informing people when Level 1 and unassigned offenders move into the area.As of Feb. 20, there were 61 offenders in Freeborn County. There were no Level 3 offenders in the county. Four Level 2 offenders and 10 Level 1 offenders lived in Freeborn County, Donnay said. (Of those, nine Level 1 offenders and one Level 2 offender lived in Albert Lea.)The remainder of offenders were listed as “unassigned.”Prior to 2004, Iowa officials organized registered sex offenders into three categories, with a low, moderate or high risk of reoffending based on nationally accepted risk assessment tools, Miller said. Despite requirements, Miller said most registered sex offenders in Iowa were never assigned risk levels because the department could never manage the large workload. Miller estimated only 10 percent of offenders in the state were ever registered.In July of 2004, the Iowa State Legislature opted to discontinue performing risk assessments entirely, said Miller, and made the names and pictures of all registered offenders available on the Internet.None of the five Iowa sex offenders who now live in Albert Lea were assigned a risk level, according to Iowa's registry Web site. Winkels said he believes none of them would be assessed as Level 2 or 3 offenders in Minnesota.In Minnesota, risk levels are assigned to sex offenders upon release from prison, said Liz McClung, communications director for the Minnesota Department of Corrections. No-risk assessment is assigned for offenders who do not serve time in a state-run prison.Risk level assignments take into account the seriousness of the offense, prior offense history, response to treatment, psychological characteristics and future living arrangements, McClung said. Risk levels are assigned by a review committee composed of the prison warden, a law enforcement officer, a treatment professional, a case worker and a victim's rights advocate.The factsRecidivism rates for sex offenders are extremely low compared to the criminal population at large, McClung said.In 1997, 1998 and 1999, 5 percent of all sex offenders were arrested for another sex crime. The recidivism rate for criminals at large is around 33 percent, according to McClung.A March 2002 study which followed 1,432 sex offenders at all levels of risk assessment found that 3 percent of Level 1 offenders, 4 percent of Level 2 offenders and 9 percent of Level 3 offenders were arrested again for a sex crime, McClung said.About 10 percent of predatory offender crimes are committed by known offenders, according to Donnay, and the remainder are committed by offenders not yet listed on the registry.Meanwhile in St. PaulWhile some push locally for restriction zones others, including John Cook who first brought the issue of registered sex offenders to the public's attention, continue to push for wider community notification. Cook said he has e-mailed several legislators, including DFL Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson and Rep. Dan Dorman, R-Albert Lea, about expanding community notification to include Level 1 offenders and several offenders who are unassigned.Several ideas regarding sex offender registration have floated around the Legislature this session, Dorman said, including expanding the public registry and electronic monitoring of registered offenders but, he said, no bills have reached the floor of the House yet.Dorman said he was concerned an expanded registry would be expensive to keep up and may not include accurate information.“My understanding is that states that do this, their online registries are only about 75 percent accurate,” he said. “They don't have the money to maintain the registry where it's at. I want to make a good, sound public policy decision that will make us safer, not something based on fear or that will help us win the next election.”Cook said he wasn't concerned about offenders no longer registering because he is counting on curious parents to search through the Web site and report offenders whose pictures are matched with the wrong address.

Online Sex Offender Web Site Is User-Friendly

Last Updated:03-22-06 at 12:48PM
There are more than 63,000 convicted sex offenders in California, with at least 4,000 right here in San Diego. Now, tracking their whereabouts just got easier.There are lots of things parents can do to protect their children. One thing you can do from your computer is log on to FamilyWatchdog.us. Like other Web sites, it alerts parents and the public on the whereabouts of sexual predators.Mother of three Bernadette Abshier has used other Web sites before as a way of protecting her children."It's good to have information, and it's good to be able to see it quickly," she said. "I haven't been on this particular Web site, but other Web sites that are offered and I have been on them, so I am aware."Police say it's crucial for parents to know who's living in their neighborhood, and if strangers are lurking around schools or parks.The FamilyWatchdog.us site is very user-friendly. All you have to do is enter an address and a detailed map pops up. Click on the squares that appear and you'll get information about sexual predators -- what they look like, where they live, their convictions, and where they work.Where they worked really interested Bernadette."I think that's new, I don't think I've been on a Web site that gives you the difference," she said.The information on Family Watchdog's Web site is the same information on California's Megan's Law Web site. The Family Watchdog Web site is the only sex offender Web site that has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Tuesday Letters to the Press

Posted by the Asbury Park Press
on 03/21/06
Web site tracks area offenders
Your series on sex offenders was excellent. ("Tracking sex offenders," March 5-7.) Readers of your paper should benefit immensely, as you provided them with suggestions about what they should do to educate their children.
As you point out, Megan's Law is ineffective. That is why I am an advocate of Jessica's Law in Florida, which is now being adopted by many states. New Jersey must adopt this law, which puts sex offenders away for 25 years.
My neighbor, who walks his children every day to the bus stop, told me he checks the Internet to find out where sex offenders live in our area. There is a great site, http://www.familywatchdog.us/. Put in your address and you get a listing and photos of registered sex offenders in your area.
In August, I asked the West Long Branch mayor and Borough Council to pass sex offender laws restricting where convicted sex offenders could live. I strongly urge passage of these laws. Children must come first.

The limits of Jessica's Law II

Friday, March 17, 2006
Gov. Rendell, what is the holdup on a law similar to Jessica's Law being passed in Pennsylvania?
Also, why can't Pennsylvania families go into their computers on http://www.familywatchdog.us/ to find out where the child predators live in our area?
Are slot machines more important than our children? Unless our children's safety is put first, you won't be getting my vote.
Carol ShafferDerry

Unregulated Sites Listing Sex Offenders Concern Police

Family Watchdog Web Site Gives Clickable Map Of Offender Locations

Video: Locating Sex Offenders Just A Click Away

POSTED: 5:34 pm MST March 10, 2006

DENVER -- Finding out if there are registered sex offenders living near your home or your child's school is sometimes just a few keystrokes away. While some people think it's a good idea, unregulated Webs ites that list sex offenders are a concern to local police.
For instance, police say the site FamilyWatchDog.us is a good idea. It's convenient and easy. A person just types in an address and he or she could see the areas nearby where a sex offender lives. But officers say you just need to make sure the Web sites you're looking at are updated on a regular basis.
When Debby Fellman saw how many registered sex offenders lived in her neighborhood, she was shocked.
"As far as people living here, that's surprising to me there are so many," Fellman said.
"That's a lot of sex offenders," said Kimberly Vegil, who has a 2-year-old son she brings to the park once a week.
Just down the street is Crofton Elementary and, according to the Family Watchdog Web site, there are 28 registered sex offenders who live within a half-mile from the school.
"You don't know. Your next door neighbor could be a serial killer and you'd never know," Vegil said.
While police say it's a good idea to know your neighbors, it's also a good idea to check that the information is accurate.
"Just be careful that it's accurate. Sex offender today can move on tomorrow. A lot of people get labeled based on an address and that's a little dangerous," said Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson.
And keep in mind that you can also get accurate information on registered sex offenders from your local police station.
"I've talked to a lot of parents who never even knew you can do that. So I really advise parents to do that. Keep their children safe," said Felman.
To find registered sex offenders in your area, you can go to the CBI's Sex Offender Page or FamilyWatchDog.us.

BSO Launches Sex Offender Locator Site

POSTED: 1:45 pm EST March 9, 2006

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. -- The Broward Sheriff's Office has joined the campaign to help parents learn about any sexual predators that may be located near their child's home or school.
Thursday, Sheriff Ken Jenne announced the launch of the BSO Sexual Offender Locator. Every school, licensed day-care center, park and library in Broward County has been preprogrammed into the mapping system.
The Sexual Offender Locator also allows individual addresses to be mapped as well. Each inquiry will create a map, and pinpoint all offenders within a quarter-mile, a half-mile, or 1, 2 or 5 miles.
The BSO Web site is at sheriff.org/sexualpredators
Below are some other helpful links that can help you do your own investigation of your neighborhood and the areas surrounding your child's school or daycare center.
Family Watchdog (National Site)
The Web site familywatchdog.us, launched in August 2002, shows the location of predators in comparison to schools and playground. No buffer zone is indicated.
Map Sex Offenders (National Site)
The free, map-based service mapsexoffenders.com allows you to search by clicking a map or entering an address. The service searches are available for 42 states, including Florida. You can also sign up for emailed alerts if a sex offenders moves into an address near you.
Safe Community Networks (Statewide)
The statewide site safecommunitynetworks.com is offering free sign-up for a limited time. They also offer a premium for $25 that provides emailed updates.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
FDLE has a free online database that you can search by particular address or you can also search by name, address, city or zip code. The information is text only – no maps are included. Local 10 did find some repeat and inaccurate listings in the database.
Miami-Dade County
The county provides a Sexual Offender/Predator search by address, intersection, landmark or school . Map-based search allows you to zoom in and out on particular areas and locates offenders, schools and daycare centers.

Sites Help Parents Map Sex Offenders

Video: Map Sex Offenders
Iowa Improves State Sex Offender Web Site

POSTED: 12:04 am CST March 3, 2006
UPDATED: 8:41 am CST March 3, 2006



COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- Finding sex offenders who live near you is a little easier and faster, thanks to new mapping technology that is simplifying the process.
Many Web sites can now plot everything and everyone you need to know on a map. Searching your neighborhood for sex offenders has never been easier. For example, the sex offender registry in Iowa just updated its Web site, allowing you to plug in your address and get a map that shows just how close an offender might be living.
"Awesome," said Council Bluffs resident Ann Betts. "Awesome, finally! We need this, parents needs it, schools need it, even teenagers can do this."
Betts checks the IowaSexOffender.com site every couple of weeks. She likes the maps, because sometimes she doesn't recognize the offender's address.
"If I see an address, I can't always relate to where it is in relation to me. On a map, I can see where I'm at, where they're at and where my kids shouldn't be," Betts said.
The Nebraska State Patrol Web site isn't as sophisticated. A relatively new national Web site is, and it works for Nebraska addresses just like Iowa’s new site. It is called FamilyWatchdog.us.
"It's important to know who's living around us, and what's living around us," said Brad Dennis, of the KlaasKids Foundation.
Dennis, who works across the nation to find missing children, said that although sex offender mapping is important, kids need to be aware of all their surroundings at all times.
"We don't know where all sex offenders and sex predators are. (It is) important to teach kids how to be safe at all times while on the streets," Dennis said.
Some neighborhood groups are printing the maps out and putting them in their newsletters.
Copyright 2006 by KETV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

New website tracking sex offenders

Video

Posted 3/1/06BAKERSFIELD - A new website is helping people track registered sex offenders nationwide and it’s called “familywatchdog.us”.
The creation of the Website was prompted by recent kidnappings and sexual crimes across the country.
According to Steve Roddell, “We've taken the sex offender from 44 states and we've taken that information and we made it mappable.”
The site is clickable and color coded, from crimes against children to rape, in just seconds.
Concerned parent Jamie Schroeder said she had no idea so many sex offenders live in her neighborhood.
For example, KGET learned that Bakersfield is home to more than 600 registered sex offenders.
“We update our information daily, so at any point we should be no more than 24 hours behind them,” Roddell said.
“The biggest thing though, is that it's a national site, so you will see people in California that have moved there from Virginia,” he adds. KGET checked three randomly selected sex offenders which all lived at their addresses.
And, local attorney Max Koenig says, posting this information is fair game.
“The Federal Constitution limits the federal government and it's interaction with citizens, now the private citizen can do things the government is prohibited from doing,” he said.
Meantime, locals can stay in the know through the click of a mouse, by New Age Technology from Carmel, Indiana to Bakersfield.
The Website is privately owned and based in Indiana.

Number Of Sex Offenders Living In Rhea County Is On The Rise

by John B. Carpenter, Rhea County Herald-News
posted March 1, 2006

The number of convicted sex offenders living in Rhea County is on the rise, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Sexual Offender Registry website. Eighteen months ago, the Sex Offender Registry listed 23 sex offenders living in Rhea County. Now that count is up to 40, but even that doesn’t present an accurate picture because information about sexual offenders convicted of nonviolent sex crimes prior to July 1, 1997, is considered confidential by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. In fact, Detective Rocky Potter, who is responsible for monitoring local sex offenders for the Rhea County Sheriff’s Department, said he is now responsible for keeping tabs on over 60 convicted sex offenders living in Rhea County. Everyone in Tennessee convicted of a sex crime is required by state law to register with the local sheriff’s department or police department and are required to reregister when they move. Information about sex offenders living in Rhea County can be found online at the Tennessee Internet Crime Information Center’s Sexual Offender Registry at www.ticic.state.tn.us /SEX_ofndr/search_short.asp. Sex offender information is also available online at www.familywatchdog.us/. This website is interesting because it pinpoints the residence of each sex offender. It even shows the locations of sex offenders who live close to schools. For instance, parents of Dayton City School students may not feel completely comfortable knowing that a man convicted of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor in 2000 lives 798 feet from DCS. In Spring City a man convicted of attempted aggravated sexual battery lives less than half a mile from Spring City Elementary School. No sex offenders are listed as living within half a mile of Graysville Elementary, Frazier Elementary or Spring City Middle schools. Remember, this doesn’t include individuals convicted of sex crimes prior to 1997. Based on their addresses, 22 of the 40 Rhea County sex offenders listed on TBI’s Sex Offender Registry live in the Dayton area, 13 live in or near Spring City, two live in Evensville, two in Grandview and just one in Graysville. Of the 40, there is only one woman. She was convicted in 2002 of attempted aggravated sexual battery. Sixteen of the Rhea Countians on the list were convicted of statutory rape, while 11 were convicted of attempt to commit aggravated sexual battery, six of sexual battery, two of attempted sexual battery and one each of incest, child molesting, aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and one of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. As part of their registration, sex offenders must complete a detailed form containing personal, family, residence and work information. Potter takes a photo of the sex offender and his vehicle and then fingerprints him. “We still have sex offenders who think we aren’t serious about this, who have never bothered to register,” Potter said. “We are serious, and any sex offender who fails to register or who fails to report a change of address is going to jail.” If the sheriff’s department discovers sex offenders who have not registered, Potter will investigate and turn the case over to the District Attorney’s office for prosecution. First-time offenders can receive up to 180 days in jail for failure to register. John Carpenter can be reached at jcarpenter@xtn.net.

Examining Sex Offender Website
LAST UPDATE: 2/23/2006 6:18:33 PM

Video

An e-mail is circulating among parents of students in Butler County. It tells them about a new website to track down sexual offenders. Local 12 Reporter Paul Adler takes a look at how well the site works. Lise Tewes: "Eight hundred and two." The sheer numbers stunned Kenton County Librarian Lise Tewes. The little green and red and brown dots represent various types of sex offenders in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky area. Lise Tewes: "Look at all those red blocks, Geez." The offenders are mapped out on http://www.familywatchdog.us/ Lise's question, are any sex offenders on her daughter's walk home? Lise Tewes, Parent: "He's a little further down from her route home from school. That's what I would be concerned about, who is home when my daughter is walking home from school." Here's why this website is a good starting point, but not necessarily the end of your research. We took the address for an elementary school in Hamilton. Put it in here. Now, when it comes up in this little box it shows two sex offenders living within a thousand feet of the school. But, if you take the address, compare them, put them in another program on the internet, it shows the distance as one mile. So, the information you get is a good starting point. But, don't count on it to be down to the foot accurate. Each state offers it's own website. You can search those by zip code. The advantage of this site over the state websites is the interactive mapping section. Despite the limitations on distance accuracy, Tewes sees it as a valuable new tool. Lise Tewes: "It opens your mind to realize how many people are out there. That you have no sense you can trust them." Paul Adler, Local 12. The service gets most of its information from the states which operate separate websites. If you would like to check out the watchdog or any of the state websites, you can find a link to them by clicking on Local 12 Links.

Keep sex offenders out in broad view

Posted: Saturday, Feb 18, 2006 - 07:35:30 pm PST
We're certain she meant well.

A local woman contacted media this week with information about a registered sex offender employed at a respected Kootenai County business. She called back several days later, upset about a number of things but clearly determined to ultimately draw the public's attention to the situation. Her ultimate objective? We can't be certain because she hung up, but we believe it was to pressure the employer to fire the sex offender.Had the woman's intent been purely to heighten awareness to the overall presence of sex offenders in our community, we would have been right with her.Had she spent her time calling legislators supporting stricter legislation, we would have encouraged her boisterously.
But in her calls to city officials, the media and others, the woman's noble intentions were clouded, we believe, into unclear thinking.Here's why.She admitted that the registered sex offender does not work in any kind of supervisory capacity. She also acknowledged that the offender has no contact at work with children. In short, he was in no position of advantage to do harm to innocent people.We're foursquare behind legislators who are busily crafting new laws intended to make Idaho as undesirable a place to call home as any sex offender could find. We also have done numerous stories, and will do more in the future, to inform the public about how to know where registered sex offenders are and to take every legal precaution to ensure their children are safe.One of the best sources of that information is a Web site, www.familywatchdog.us. The site shows the last known address of every registered sex offender in your area, with photos and an explanation of their convictions. It contains a map and even shows the distance each offender allegedly lives from your home.Accurate information is the best weapon a person can possess, and we want you to be informed. But like we told the caller, we'd much rather have a registered sex offender right where everyone knows they should be, earning an honest living rather than collecting welfare checks and sitting on their porch, watching our children go to and from school.It's the sex offenders among us who aren't properly registered that we worry about.

Sexual assault statistics for the community, state and nation

By: Chad L. Hutchison
Issue date: 2/16/06 Section: The Studio

I decided to drop my review section of The Studio and devote some of my page to something I thought as a little more important. A lot of people may think, "Wow this kid is taking it a little far." I don't care for those people who may think that. Sexual abuse is something that does not get talked about enough. Many people don't know enough about what happens to people who are sexually abused. People don't know how much, and how many people it affects. Every woman I know that is my age has or has had an obscene phone caller in their life. Someone that calls with an unknown number and just whispers in the phone. If you are one of those people then you are a bad person. You need to be castrated.Christian philosophy says hate the sin, not the sinner. For every other sin I seem to master this; but I still seem to hate a sexual abuser. I pray though for both the rapist and his victim. I pray the victims will get through their own life. I pray the rapists will see the harm they are committing to other people and change their ways. Here are a few informative stats. Go see The Vagina Monologues too.The CommunityThere were a total of four reported rapes on Eastern's campus in 2004.There are a total of 55 registered sexual offenders living in Madison County and 31 live inside Richmond. The majority of these crimes are against children.There are a total of 254 registered offenders living in Lexington. According to a report done in 2001 by the National Institute of Justice, only 5 percent of completed or attempted rapes of college students are reported.The StateAccording to the State police 1,257 rapes were reported in Kentucky during 2004.Three rapes were reported at Northern Kentucky University during 2004.Six rapes were reported at Murray State in 2004.A total of nine rapes were reported at The University of Kentucky in 2004.*All stats for colleges were taken from that school's web site and crime reports.The NationAccording to the FBI, every 5.6 minutes a forcible rape occurs in the nation.Rapes were up one percent in the nation in 2004, compared to 2003.In 2004, there were nearly 95,000 rapes reported in the United States.Want more in depth info or to know the address of a convicted sexual offender?www.familywatchdog.uswww.kspsor.state.ky.uswww.fbi.gov

MN More Restrictive In Posting Sex Offender Info

Feb 11, 2006 3:13 pm US/Central

(AP) Minneapolis When Albert Lea, Minn. radio commentator Ron Hunter found out that five sex offenders from Iowa were living in his city, it made him wonder whether sex offenders were flocking to Minnesota to hide out. He learned there was another explanation: It's easier to look up information on the Internet about sex offenders released by other states than it is to find out about sex offenders released from Minnesota prisons. Minnesota posts data online on only about 100 of its roughly 17,300 registered sex offenders. By contrast, Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota put the names and locations of thousands of sex offenders on their state Web sites. The Minnesota Department of Corrections Web site lists only sex offenders categorized as Level 3, those deemed most likely to re-offend. But for thousands of less dangerous Minnesota offenders, officials notify only victims, witnesses, police and sometimes schools and day care centers. There is no broad public notification. Other states post information on a much broader population of sex offenders. State corrections officials defend Minnesota's limited approach, saying it focuses attention on ex-convicts deemed most likely to re-offend. Posting thousands of people without regard to the seriousness of their crimes or their risk of re-offending would overwhelm the public and obscure serious offenders, they argue. But Hunter and some lawmakers say providing broader online disclosure in Minnesota would provide citizens with a better picture of potential threats in their community. "You wonder how many are flying under the radar," said Hunter, whose on-air complaints about Minnesota's practices have fostered debate on the issue. State law enforcement officials are scheduled to discuss the issue with local authorities in Albert Lea this month. State Rep. Dan Dorman, R-Albert Lea, said he favors re-examining Minnesota's sex-offender Web policy during the upcoming session. Minnesota officials say Level 3 sex offenders have about a 9 percent recidivism rate, compared with 4 percent and 3 percent for lower-level offenders. All but two states post sex-offender data online, but policies vary widely. According to Familywatchdog.us, a private online registry that compiles data from states, only Rhode Island appears to be more restrictive than Minnesota. Familywatchdog identifies 172 sex offenders living in Minnesota who are registered in other states. Iowa's policy used to be like Minnesota's, but Iowa concluded that predicting behavior was difficult and time-consuming, said Gordon Miller, a spokesman for that state's sex-offender registry. Iowa started posting nearly all sex offenders after deciding, he said, that "maybe our best bet is just to let the public ... decide how to use that information." The policy in Iowa, which has roughly 5,500 released sex offenders posted on its site, is so inclusive that a man convicted of burglarizing an unoccupied home was posted because he was seen earlier looking through a window at a woman who lived there, Miller said. Wisconsin lists about 11,100 released offenders on its site. "The law in Wisconsin is quite strict and has many sex offenses that require registration and all registrants, minus juveniles ... are for publication on Wisconsin's Web site," said Grace Roberts, supervisor of that state's registry. William Donnay, director of risk assessment for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, said treatment professionals contend that identifying lower-level criminals only makes it harder for them to integrate back into society and avoid committing another crime. Donnay also said it would be expensive to ensure that the addresses and other information for thousands of released offenders remained updated and accurate. "Is the investment worth the outcome?" he asked. "That's a question for the Legislature to decide." Former state Sen. Dave Kleis, R-St. Cloud, Minn., pushed for posting all sex offenders when Minnesota's plans for the Web site were discussed. "The department and the Legislature weren't willing to go that far," said Kleis, now mayor of St. Cloud. "What it got down to in the compromise was Level 3 sex offenders."

Limits on sex-offender list criticized

Minnesota posts less information online about offenders than neighboring states.

Pat Doyle, Star Tribune
Last update: February 11, 2006 – 1:04 AM

When Ron Hunter learned that five sex offenders from Iowa were living in his southern Minnesota city, he wondered if ex-convicts were flocking to the state to avoid detection and supervision.
But there was another explanation:
It's easier for Minnesotans to find information about sex offenders from other states than it is to locate released Minnesota sex offenders.
Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota post the names and locations of more than 10,000 sex offenders on their state websites. Minnesota discloses about 100 online.
For thousands of less dangerous Minnesota offenders, notification is limited to victims, witnesses, local police and sometimes schools and day cares. There is no broad public notification.
Minnesota officials say their policy provides the most pertinent information, but Hunter and others say broader online disclosure would provide a better picture of potential threats.
"You wonder how many are flying under the radar," said Hunter, a radio commentator in Albert Lea whose on-air complaints about the Minnesota policy have recently fostered discussion there.
As states increasingly make government services and information accessible over the Internet, what to post and how to do it are creating a public policy debate.
State law enforcement officials are scheduled to meet with local authorities on the issue this month at a high school in Albert Lea. State Rep. Dan Dorman, R-Albert Lea, said he favors having Minnesota's sex- offender web policy reconsidered during the legislative session beginning March 1.
State defends limits
Iowa and North Dakota not only disclose many more sex offender names but are preparing to overhaul their websites so viewers can type in an address and see a map pinpointing offenders living nearby. Minnesota has announced no such plans.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections defends the state's restrictive approach, saying the state posts only ex-convicts deemed most likely to reoffend. Posting thousands of people without regard to the seriousness of their crimes or risk of reoffending would overwhelm the public and obscure serious offenders, they argue.
Minnesota uses a statistical method to identify people mostly likely to commit additional sex crimes -- called Level 3 offenders -- and puts their names, photos, city and street names on a site run by the state Department of Corrections. The method is similar to that used by insurance companies to determine which drivers pose the greatest risks.
Sex offenders under age 30 with multiple convictions and victims and a history of chemical dependency and use of force are among those considered more likely to reoffend. The state hasn't studied the effectiveness of its method but says Level 3 sex offenders have about a 9 percent recidivism rate, compared with 4 percent and 3 percent for lower-level offenders.
Other states post thousands
Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have online sex-offender postings, but policies on identification vary widely. According to Familywatchdog.us, a private online registry that compiles data from states, only Rhode Island appears to have a more restrictive posting policy than Minnesota.
Iowa had a policy more like Minnesota's a few years ago but concluded that predicting behavior was difficult and time-consuming, said Gordon Miller, a spokesman for that state's sex-offender registry. Iowa started posting nearly all sex offenders after deciding, he said, that "maybe our best bet is just to let the public ... decide how to use that information."
Iowa posted roughly 5,500 released sex offenders on its site in early February. The policy is so inclusive that a man convicted of burglarizing an unoccupied home was posted on the Iowa site because he was seen earlier looking through a window at a woman who lived there, Miller said.
Wisconsin has about 11,100 on its site.
"The law in Wisconsin is quite strict and has many sex offenses that require registration and all registrants, minus juveniles ... are for publication on Wisconsin's website," said Grace Roberts, supervisor of the state's sex-offender registry.
Minnesota has roughly 17,300 registered sex offenders, according to a state spokesperson. About 100 are posted on the state website at any given time.
"If we have thousands of people on the website, how do the citizens in the neighborhood identify those that they really need to be concerned about and those that don't present a particular risk?" asked William Donnay, director of risk assessment for the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
He said treatment professionals have argued that identifying lower-level criminals only makes it harder for them to integrate in society and avoid committing another crime.
And he said it would be more expensive to update the accuracy of addresses and other information for thousands of released offenders.
"Is the investment worth the outcome?" he asked. "That's a question for the Legislature to decide."
Former state Sen. Dave Kleis, a St. Cloud Republican, pushed for posting all sex offenders when plans for the website were being discussed. "The department and the Legislature weren't willing to go that far," said Kleis, now mayor of St. Cloud. "What it got down to in the compromise was Level 3 sex offenders."
Hunter learned of the Iowa sex offenders from Familywatchdog.us, which provides a mapping function similar to what Iowa and North Dakota plan to offer. Though Familywatchdog doesn't post a comprehensive list of offenders, it identified 172 living in Minnesota who are registered in other states.
Pat Doyle • 651-222-1210

Minnesota more restrictive than others in posting offender data

Posted on Sat, Feb. 11, 2006

Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS - When Albert Lea radio commentator Ron Hunter found out that five sex offenders from Iowa were living in his city, it made him wonder whether sex offenders were flocking to Minnesota to hide out.
He learned there was another explanation: It's easier to look up information on the Internet about sex offenders released by other states than it is to find out about sex offenders released from Minnesota prisons.
Minnesota posts data online on only about 100 of its roughly 17,300 registered sex offenders. By contrast, Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota put the names and locations of thousands of sex offenders on their state Web sites.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections Web site lists only sex offenders categorized as Level 3, those deemed most likely to re-offend.
But for thousands of less dangerous Minnesota offenders, officials notify only victims, witnesses, police and sometimes schools and day care centers. There is no broad public notification.
Other states post information on a much broader population of sex offenders.
State corrections officials defend Minnesota's limited approach, saying it focuses attention on ex-convicts deemed most likely to re-offend. Posting thousands of people without regard to the seriousness of their crimes or their risk of re-offending would overwhelm the public and obscure serious offenders, they argue.
But Hunter and some lawmakers say providing broader online disclosure in Minnesota would provide citizens with a better picture of potential threats in their community.
"You wonder how many are flying under the radar," said Hunter, whose on-air complaints about Minnesota's practices have fostered debate on the issue.
State law enforcement officials are scheduled to discuss the issue with local authorities in Albert Lea this month. State Rep. Dan Dorman, R-Albert Lea, said he favors re-examining Minnesota's sex-offender Web policy during the upcoming session.
Minnesota officials say Level 3 sex offenders have about a 9 percent recidivism rate, compared with 4 percent and 3 percent for lower-level offenders.
All but two states post sex-offender data online, but policies vary widely. According to Familywatchdog.us, a private online registry that compiles data from states, only Rhode Island appears to be more restrictive than Minnesota.
Familywatchdog identifies 172 sex offenders living in Minnesota who are registered in other states.
Iowa's policy used to be like Minnesota's, but Iowa concluded that predicting behavior was difficult and time-consuming, said Gordon Miller, a spokesman for that state's sex-offender registry. Iowa started posting nearly all sex offenders after deciding, he said, that "maybe our best bet is just to let the public ... decide how to use that information."
The policy in Iowa, which has roughly 5,500 released sex offenders posted on its site, is so inclusive that a man convicted of burglarizing an unoccupied home was posted because he was seen earlier looking through a window at a woman who lived there, Miller said.
Wisconsin lists about 11,100 released offenders on its site.
"The law in Wisconsin is quite strict and has many sex offenses that require registration and all registrants, minus juveniles ... are for publication on Wisconsin's Web site," said Grace Roberts, supervisor of that state's registry.
William Donnay, director of risk assessment for the Minnesota Department of Corrections, said treatment professionals contend that identifying lower-level criminals only makes it harder for them to integrate back into society and avoid committing another crime.
Donnay also said it would be expensive to ensure that the addresses and other information for thousands of released offenders remained updated and accurate.
"Is the investment worth the outcome?" he asked. "That's a question for the Legislature to decide."
Former state Sen. Dave Kleis, R-St. Cloud, pushed for posting all sex offenders when Minnesota's plans for the Web site were discussed.
"The department and the Legislature weren't willing to go that far," said Kleis, now mayor of St. Cloud. "What it got down to in the compromise was Level 3 sex offenders."

WHO LIVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Feb 10, 2006

For the last two days, we've told you what's being done to protect society from sex offenders. Aaron Kunz has tonight's report.
There are times when offenders live in a neighborhood with children and the parents have no idea. There is no law that says they can't. Offenders have the right to live where they want, provided it isn't near a school or playground. So what can neighbors do?
For years, Greg Helm lived in his Pocatello neighborhood, never knowing that a convicted sex offender lived just a few houses away.
"So as I was looking at the state's website, I noticed that two doors down from where my child - who, at that point, was seven years old - was playing was a known sex offender that had done a crime against a child under the age of 16."
Newly armed with information, Helm asked his neighbor, who had kids, whether he knew he had a sex offender living two houses away.
"He himself had no idea that he had a sex offender living that close to his own home."
Plenty of information about sex offenders is online, like familywatchdog.us, which tells the user how many offenders live in a city or neighborhood. It even gives the user pictures of the offenders and the crime or crimes they have committed. But Helm says that's still not enough.
"A lot of people still do not have internet access. And a lot of people who have internet access are not as, you would say, internet savvy as they need to be."
Helm suggests parents be proactive, find out who lives nearby, and share that information with others.
"We have to take a very proactive approach, as opposed to a reactive approach, to how we are going to manage sexual predators in every community."
The State Probation and Parole Office here in Idaho says most offenders aren't likely to re-offend. But Helm worries about the ones that could.
Reporter: "At what point do you weigh being a good parent and being a vigilante?"
Greg Helm, parent: "Well, I'm not being a vigilante, but I'm being proactive in the protection of my child. A vigilante would make sure to go out and put flags on guys' front doors and let everyone know... and that doesn't need to be done."
Coming up next week, we'll explore mandatory minimum sentences for sex offenders. Are they necessary and what needs to be done to make that happen?

Capitol Notes: Keeping track of sex offenders; Governor who? Education budget quirks

Friday, February 10, 2006
By Tracie Mauriello and Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

Welcome to Capitol Notes, a collection of light and not-so-light news nuggets from your state Capitol. It's only available online.
WHO LIVES NEXT DOOR?Know your neighbors? Are you sure?
State Sen. John Pippy, R-Moon, wants to ensure you know where the state's 7,800 convicted sex offenders live.
He is introducing a bill that would require their addresses to be listed on the state's Megan's Law Web site.
The site currently lists addresses of only violent sexual predators, about 100 in all. The others are listed by county, hometown and zip code.
Pennsylvania is one of six states that doesn't provide address information for sex offenders, according to the Web site www12.familywatchdog.us, which maps the addresses of registered sex offenders in other states.
Megan's Law is named after a New Jersey child who was raped and killed by a neighbor who had been convicted as a sex offender.
State Sen. Jane Orie, R-McCandless, wants to take Mr. Pippy's plan further.
She is a prime sponsor of legislation that would require sexual predators to wear devices to track their whereabouts at all times.
The requirement would apply to "sexually violent predators," or offenders that courts determine have personality disorders that make them likely to engage in violent predatory sex offenses.
State Rep. Beverly Mackereth, R-York, proposed similar legislation in the House. Her bill would require all sexually violent offenders to wear electronic monitoring devices during the entire period of probation.
Both monitoring bills are in committee.
NOT "REIL'' GOOD SPELLINGIn his budget address Wednesday, Gov. Ed Rendell credited Connecticut's governor for helping initiate a computers-in-the-classroom effort he wants to replicate in Pennsylvania.
Had she been there, Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell might have appreciated the acknowledgement, but not the mangling of her name. Mr. Rendell called her "Gov. Reil'' in oral and written versions of his speech.
C'mon, Governor. "Rell" is only three letters off from "Rendell." And that's the "end'' of it.
SPEAKING OF CONNECTICUT GOVERNORS ...Mrs. Rell's predecessor, Gov. John G. Rowland, was, until this week, a resident of Pennsylvania, courtesy of the federal prison system.
Mr. Rowland, convicted in a corruption scheme in April, was just released from Loretto Federal Correctional Institute in the Keystone State. With Mrs. Rell now occupying the governor's mansion in Hartford, Mr. Rowland is said to be house-hunting in his hometown of Waterbury.
GOT MATH?The governor's cabinet members spent the day stumping for their boss's budget during a series of press events.
During one, Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak responded no when asked whether any programs in his department would be cut under the Rendell budget.
A closer look, though, shows that even though the department's funding would increase overall, several current programs are budgeted at zero dollars for 2006-07.
They include programs that promote parent involvement and job training, including New Choices/New Options, an adult education program that helps single parents, pregnant women and displaced homemakers.
New Choices/New Options received $2.5 million in funding for 2005-06, the same as last year. Other job training programs are funded at $5.3 million for 2005-06, down from $9.1 million the previous year. And the parent involvement program, new in 2005-06, received $1.7 million in funding.
Despite those program cuts, Dr. Zahorchak's budget stands to increase by $517 million for a total of $8.6 billion.
Rendell's press secretary, Kate Philips, said the cut programs are legislators' pet projects and are likely to be restored later in the budget process.
"Every year they're zeroed out and then the legislature adds them back in. The legislators do remain loyal to these projects ? and we would be surprised if they didn't continue to give their money to them because they always have," she said. "They just aren't things the governor would ever fund."
The job training program, though, was funded in all three of Mr. Rendell's previous budget proposals.
BACK TO SCHOOLIf you want to serve on your local board of education, you may have to hit the books first.
State Sen. James J. Rhoades, R-Schyulkill, has called for mandatory training before new board members can be sworn in. The free training program would be run by the state Department of Education and would include lessons in state and federal law, school taxes, school finance, academic standards and more.
SHOW ME THE MONEYPennsylvania's per-capita income reached $33,257 in 2004, according to a recently released study by the Penn State University branch in Harrisburg. That's slightly above the national average of $33,041.
The state's per-capita income has been increasing steadily. In 2003, it was $31,730, up from the previous year's $31,005.
SWAN'S SONG?Occasionally on TV there will be ads for a state-sponsored program called the Statewide Adoption Network, which helps people get information about adopting children. One of the agencies involved with it is the state Department of Public Welfare.
But the toll-free phone number listed for information includes the acronym SWAN, which Gov. Ed Rendell may want to consider changing.
Why? Because his Republican opponent in November will almost certainly be former Steeler Lynn Swann, who's the odds-on favorite to win the GOP primary in May (over long-shot Jim Panyard) now that former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton has dropped out.
There's no sense in the Democratic incumbent providing free advertising for the competition.
WE'RE NO. 2! WE'RE NO. 2!
The job of lieutenant governor doesn't involve a lot of heavy lifting. Running the Senate a couple days a week and chairing the Board of Pardons once a month are the main jobs.
But Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll may be taking up a hobby popular with many Pennsylvanians -- fishing.
This week she bought fishing license No. 2 for 2006 from the state Fish and Boat Commission at the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg. The No. 1 license is, of course, reserved for Gov. Ed Rendell.
"Good fishing is just a short cast away," quipped Mrs. Knoll. "In Pennsylvania, you are never more than 30 minutes away from a great fishing destination."
She said that as a child she often went fishing with her father. A basic annual fishing license for a Pennsylvania resident costs $22.

Safety of Brentwood can lull some to drop their guard

Thursday, 02/09/06

To the Editor:
The news of an attempted child abduction near my subdivision on Jan. 28 brought home the need to teach my children to protect themselves even in a safe community like Brentwood.
The victim last month was suspicious of an adult seeking information from her, a child. She also remembered a policeman at school saying a person trying to kidnap you is always trying to "find" something. She also knew to run in the direction opposite of the way the car is facing to aid the escape.
I would like to think my kids would be as savvy as this little girl. Frankly, I think they wouldn't. We are from Chicago, where everyday inconveniences included bicycle thefts, people with "broken down" cars asking for money, and door-to-door hustles. Brentwood life seems by comparison trouble-free. I was always on guard and suspicious of strangers in Chicago, and happily we never had anything truly awful happen. (One of my daughters did get stabbed in the hand by a boy with an unregistered pencil, but that's another story).
If someone approached my kids now I think they would be happy, helpful and maybe dead. Their parents have taught them to be polite and love their fellow man. Nothing happens here ... right?
Two years ago while working in one of my kid's school clubs I met a parent who painfully related how her child was molested by a teacher at an extracurricular sports activity ... in Brentwood!
This week I received an e-mail from a former Brentwood neighbor. She shared information with me that I was both shocked and grateful to have. I have long known that a public registry exists of all sex offenders' addresses. How to access the registry has always been a mystery to me, but no longer.
By going to this Web site, http://www12.familywatchdog.us/, I can access the National Sex Offender Registry. By typing in an address I can see little colored dots for all convicted sex offenders within a 10-mile radius of the address. Click on the dot and I get the name and address of the perpetrator and details of their crime. Pretty scary stuff!
I put in my address and found out a mile away lives a man convicted of selling child pornography in 1998. In the Legends lives a convicted rapist as well as someone convicted of offenses against children. I put in the address I grew up at in Chicago ... that location was a blur of blue, yellow and red dots.
I think I have been lulled into a false state of complacency regarding my children's safety. (I won't even go into all the trouble kids could get into with all the sexual weirdoes on the Internet.) In the future I think I will be more suspicious and careful, even though I live in Brentwood. Yes, I will continue to hate the sin and love the sinner ... but now I will find out where he lives!
Joan Welbourn
Brentwood 37027

Web lists simplify sex offender search

Posted: Tuesday, Feb 07, 2006 - 11:37:14 am
CSTBy Jen SchererDaily
News staff writer

Now that Wisconsin's Sex Offender registry Web site lists the addresses of convicted offenders, it's easier than ever to see who's really living right next door.In Wisconsin, neighborhoods are not always notified when a sex offender moves in; notification levels are determined on a case by case basis. And only those people under court supervision have restrictions on where they can live, even if they are on the registry.According to the state sex offender Web site, people frequently want to know why sex offenders are allowed to live near schools, parks, day care centers or bus stops.The answer is that before an offender who will be on supervision is released from prison, a Community Corrections Agent does a residence investigation.
“When investigating a potential residence for a sex offender with a history of crimes against children, the agent will check with County Departments of Human Services and the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services to determine if there are licensed or certified day care facilities in the proposed neighborhood. The agent then determines the most appropriate residence for the offender and for public safety that is available at the time,” according to the site.However, parks, schools, and day care centers are located throughout every community in the state, the site explains. The agent considers community safety, family support, employment, and a stable residence in determining where a released offender should live.The upshot is, under supervision or not, child sex offenders may currently live near a school or park, and quite a few do.People who want to know where registered offenders currently reside, for awareness purposes only, can visit the state Web site at http://offender.doc.state.wi.us/public/. However, the state's site allows people to search by name or by zip code only. The people must then click on a name from the list to see where the registered offender lives.Another option comes in the form of free national Web sites that map the offenders who live around any address plugged into the site. Both http://www.mapsexoffenders.com/ and http://www.familywatchdog.us/ allow people to type in an address and see a map with markers identifying the homes of sex offenders in the area.The “familywatchdog” Web site uses a color-coded map key to signify the type of sex crime the people are convicted of. That being said, a test of the site revealed that some people who were guilty of crimes against children appear on the map in other categories. The best plan, to ensure accurate information, is to cross reference information from these sites with the state Web site.On both mapping sites, people can register to receive updates by e-mail when sex offenders move into a neighborhood and can receive tips to protect their children.On all sites, the person's photograph is available, along with a general description, and information about what the person was convicted of.Sex offender laws are different in Illinois, as is the state sex offender Web site, which is http://www.isp.state.il.us/sor/. In Illinois, people can type in a zip code and a list of people, with addresses included, pops up, making it easier to immediately see if an offender lives next door.In Illinois, child sex offenders can't knowingly live within 500 feet of a school or a daycare, nor can they loiter near a park or building where there are children under the age of 18, unless accompanied by his or her own child. The only exception to the restriction on living area is if the offender owned the property and it was their primary living area, before Jan. 1.Neither Illinois nor Wisconsin allows a child sex offender to work with or volunteer with children.

Arrest in Fayetteville

Mike Masterson
Posted on Sunday, February 5, 2006

Parents, grandparents and all who
care about the welfare of kids
should clip and read this column to their children who spend unsupervised time on computers. Innocent, impressionable young minds can provide easy prey for adult Internet wolves and their keyboards. First allow me to issue a heartfelt disclaimer : The person I’m about to tell you about stands accused by authorities only because they say they have probable cause to believe that he committed the offense. He remains innocent until proved guilty. Fayetteville police last week arrested a 46-year-old man they say apparently believed that the undercover male cop he’d been communicating with over the Internet was a 13-year-old girl. According to the arrest report, the online chats involved sexual conversation. It alleges that Donald Ray Wadsworth of Fayetteville enticed the supposed “victim” to engage in sexually explicit behavior. An extensive news story by reporter Trish Hollenbeck of the Northwest Arkansas Times said Wadsworth was arrested at a city park, where a policeman who’d been posing as a young girl in an Internet chat room was waiting for him. Wadsworth is accused of violating state law by possessing computer child pornography. The cyberspace trot line of sorts was being run by Sgt. Bill Phelan and Detective Corey Roberts during online exchanges that began in mid-November while the two officers were attending a conference on Internet crimes against kids. Phelan said police did not make the initial contact with the suspect, but reacted to his postings inside a chat room. If so, to his credit, Roberts sure had to know his stuff to convincingly impersonate a 13-year-old female.
Phelan told me, and the arrest report contends, that Wadsworth had in the past showed up to physically meet with a “minor victim” with whom he had chatted via computer and threatened that he’d like to “kill an unidentified female” because he believed she’d lied to him.
The news account and the police report bore other ominous undertones. Cops said that during the arrest they discovered a rope, a knife, binoculars and several maps inside Wadsworth’s vehicle.
In light of the fact that police reported that Wadsworth was convicted on similar charges in Missouri—seven counts of enticing a child or attempting to entice a child—and was free on a $ 25, 000 appeal bond when he was arrested in Fayetteville, I have this nagging doubt that he was planning a scenic climbing getaway to the Buffalo River.
The state’s child pornography law seems plenty clear to this Harrison boy. It says that anyone who “knowingly utilizes a computer online service, Internet service or local bulletin board service to seduce, solicit, lure or entice or attempt to seduce, solicit, lure or entice a child or another individual believed by the person to be a child, to engage in sexually explicit conduct” is wading into deep ca-ca. The police report said the evidence against Wadsworth includes online chats, surveillance photographs and a taped statement. His arraignment is set for Feb. 27. Now police are asking anyone else who may have communicated over the computer with Wadsworth, better known in cyberspace as mywakinglife _ 479, to let them know. Detective Mike Parks told reporter Hollenbeck that he’s interested in what Wadsworth might have said to others online and when he said it. Phelan told me that Fayetteville authorities are seeking a grant to fund a fulltime officer who would focus on catching those who solicit children online. Sounds like a worthwhile grant for every police department to seek. Fort Smith police officers, who have experience with similar computer crimes, were a help to Fayetteville officers in working their first Internet-related case. Meanwhile, let this be a lesson to all parents, who know they should pay closer attention but too often don’t. It can matter a great deal who is infiltrating your child’s mind and what that person is after. You also might be interested, as I was, to visit a Web site, familywatchdog. us, which can show you by map which registered sex offenders and known convicted felons are living where in your neighborhood. Oh, and don’t forget. Wadsworth is only charged with a crime and is innocent until he’s proved guilty. I’ll let you know whichever way it turns out.
—–––––•–––––—Staff columnist Mike Masterson is the former editor of three Arkansas daily newspapers.

18 sex offenders are registered in Teller Co.

By: Norma Engelberg
02/03/2006

Teller County has 18 registered sex offenders, none of whom are considered by the state to be violent sexual predators and none has multiple convictions. The Colorado Sex Offender Site, sor.state.co.us, doesn't list misdemeanor or juvenile sexual convictions and it doesn't list every crime that the person may have committed if registration for those crimes isn't required by law. That information may be obtained from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for a fee at www.cbirecordscheck.com.Teller County has two registered sex offenders living in or near Victor, three in Cripple Creek, five in Woodland Park, three in Divide, one in the Teller County part of Lake George and four in Florissant. Even though all the offenders have city or town addresses, 11 of them are actually living in unincorporated areas of the county and the Teller County Sheriff's Department keeps track of them. Those living within the boundaries of the various towns and cities in the county are tracked by local police departments.Although only 18 sex offenders are listed in Teller County, El Paso has 740 sex offenders on its list, 37 multiple offenders. CBI is seeking 580 sex offenders wanted for failure to register or update their records, 57 of whom are wanted in El Paso County. In a recent one-day sweep, CBI arrested five offenders, none of whom were among the 40 it considers its most dangerous offenders. In cities and towns closest to Teller County, 13 sex offenders are registered with Manitou Springs addresses, two live in Cascade, one in Chipita Park and one in Green Mountain Falls. Park County has 13 offenders on the list, one of whom lives on the Park County side of Lake George. The CBI is working on updating these lists and also is checking that the information is accurate but a disclaimer that opens first on the Web site states: "Neither the CBI, nor the State of Colorado, shall be responsible for any errors or omissions produced by secondary dissemination of information from the CBI Sex Offender Web site. Extreme care should be exercised when using any information obtained from this Web site. Make sure the records you access through this Web site pertain to the person you are seeking information."A list of local offenders is available from local law enforcement agencies. The Teller County Sheriff's Department has a sex offender Web page on its Web site but it doesn't have a link on the state Web site. El Paso, Douglas and Jefferson counties' have sexual offenders lists that are linked to the state Web site. There are many other Web sites that list sex offenders, including www.familywatchdog.us and childsafenetwork.org.State sex offender registration lists are required by Megan's Law, a federal law passed in 1997 that authorizes law enforcement agencies to notify the public when a convicted sex offender is living, working or visiting their neighborhood. The law is named after 7-year-old Megan Kanka, a New Jersey girl who was raped and murdered by a convicted child molester who had moved in across the street from her family home. New Jersey passed the first Megan Law in 1994. Since the federal law passed, every state has enacted some form of Megan's Law. Colorado's sex offender registration law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2003, but the state kept lists of sex offenders starting in 1993. That early list was not public record unless a specific request was made. "The rule used to be that the list was only given to those with an immediate need to know and then they only gave you the names of the offenders who lived closest to you," said Teller County Detective Sgt. Nick Olmsted. "This past year a House Bill allowed the list to be posted on a Web site."The county list has more than 11 names on it but many of the names can't be made public Olmsted said. "We don't give out the names of misdemeanor offenders or those who were convicted as juveniles, but we have their names and we know where they are," he said.Registration happens quickly. Within 24 hours of being convicted for a sexual crime, the courts register the offender with the state electronically. The offender then must confirm the initial registration within five business days if there was no incarceration. Each incarcerated offender must register within 24 hour after being discharged from prison. Any registered offender who changes residence must register the new address within five business days. Olmsted said offenders must also notify local law enforcement if they change vehicles, but they don't have to notify the county when they change employment."Probation officers tell us how close the offender can live to a school," Olmsted said. "Most of our offenders are not on probation. They've served their time completely but they still have to register."Offenders also must register within five business days if they move to Colorado and were convicted in another state of crimes that require registry in Colorado. This also applies to offenders who were convicted in Colorado and have since moved out of state but work or attend school within Colorado. The following offenders are required to register for life: * sexually violent predators; and * offenders convicted of one or more of the following offenses: sexual assault; sexual assault in the first or second degree as it existed prior to July 1, 2000; sexual assault on a minor; sexual assault on a minor by one in a position of trust; sexual assault on a client by a psychotherapist; incest; or aggravated incest. "None of those on our list is a lifetime offender," Olmsted said. "After 20 years they can petition the court to have their names removed. They have to petition - their names won't be removed automatically." He added the Sheriff's Department keeps strict watch on the people who should be registered in the county."We're notified when they're coming," he said. "If they fail to register we go looking for them. We get them in here and get them registered. If they change their address and don't tell us we can issue a warrant and charge them with a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the original charges."He said the sheriff's department also welcomes tips from citizens, who may call 687-9652.
©Colorado Community Newspapers 2006

Sex-offender bill moves in Iowa House

By: Rob Poggenklass
January 31, 2006

The representative who drafted the Iowa House's sex-offender bill said that the government can better protect its citizens by focusing on sex criminals who are at a high risk to reoffend, while allowing those who've been convicted of lesser sex crimes to appeal the restrictions placed on them by the state.

The representative who drafted the Iowa House's sex-offender bill said that the government can better protect its citizens by focusing on sex criminals who are at a high risk to reoffend, while allowing those who've been convicted of lesser sex crimes to appeal the restrictions placed on them by the state.Lance Horbach, a Republican from Tama, last week assumed the duty of floor manager for the sex-offender bill in the Iowa House and has drafted legislation that will likely be considered later in the session. Republican leadership moved the bill to the Public Safety Committee and away from Judiciary, where Jeff Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, was slated to be the bill's floor manager.Horbach, who also chairs the House committee that oversees the state's courts, prisons and law-enforcement agencies, said that a bill passed by the Iowa Legislature in 2002 focused on the residency of sex offenders. He hopes this year's bill will make it more difficult for serious sex offenders to gain access to schools and day-care facilities, while providing checks and balances on the sweeping powers given to the state four years ago."Nobody wants to be weak on crime," Horbach said. "The fact that we don't blanket all sex offenders doesn't mean we're weak on crime."The 2002 sex-offender bill established the so-called 2,000-foot rule, making it a crime for those convicted of a sex crime to live within 2,000 feet of a school or day-care center. Because of a legal challenge, the rule did not go into effect until last summer.Horbach said this year's sex-offender bill would make a number of corrections to the bill passed in 2002. For starters, the 2,000-foot rule applies to all persons convicted of a so-called "sex crime," including such offenses as indecent exposure and public urination. Horbach said that while he does not condone these actions, a vast majority of them are high-school and college pranks, offenses he believes should not be subject to the serious repercussions of the 2002 sex-offender bill.Horbach, a Tama businessman who is serving his fourth term in the Iowa House, said his concerns have been shaped by the story of a man convicted of a sex crime in his legislative district. When the man was 18, he was convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old girl when the girl's mother became upset about the relationship.The man married the girl and has three children with her, Horbach said. Now 25 years old, Horbach said the man has a full-time job and is a law-abiding member of the community. But when the 2,000-foot rule took effect last summer, the man and his family were forced to move from their home."When you say 'sex offender,' people think predator or child molester," Horbach said. "I don't think low-risk offenders should be impacted by the 2,000-foot rule. We're spending our resources keeping track of people at a low risk to reoffend. We could have spent those resources to protect people from high-risk offenders."The Iowa County Attorneys Association released a statement last week, saying that there is "no correlation between residency restrictions and reducing sex offenses against children or improving the safety of children."Because of the political pressure to enact a tough sex-offender bill in 2002, Horbach said there is a real lack of checks and balances afforded to sex offenders who are at a low risk to reoffend. Under Horbach's proposal, this year's sex-offender bill would give some people convicted of sex crimes the right to appeal to a judge, who could exempt them from the 2,000-foot rule restriction.The exemptions would not be available to sex offenders who have caused bodily harm or death to a child, those who have committed a crime worthy of life in prison, or multiple-offense sex offenders. Those criminals who refuse treatment for their behavior while in prison would also forfeit the right to an exemption from the 2,000-foot rule and other restrictions."Right now, there's no way to appeal," said Horbach, who believes Iowa's judges would take the exemption process seriously. "The judges are always going to err on the side of public safety."While parts of the bill would give more rights to low-risk offenders, other provisions would make it more difficult for some sex offenders to gain access to public facilities, such as schools. Horbach said that while the focus was largely on residency in the 2002 bill, Iowans are concerned with sex offenders' access to public facilities, even if they don't live nearby.One provision of the proposed bill would prohibit sex offenders from entering public schools and day-care facilities. Some sex offenders would be allowed to request permission from school administrators to enter schools for such events as parent-teacher conferences.Although he personally supports the death penalty, Horbach said that as floor manager of the sex-offender bill, he won't support amendments to the bill that could put its passage in danger, including a reinstatement of the death penalty for sex offenders."If that's going to kill (the sex-offender bill), I'll ask for it to be removed," Horbach said.Other changes proposed in this year's sex-offender bill include a clarification of the 2,000-foot rule. The 2002 bill did not specify whether the 2,000 feet should be measured to the edge of a person's property or to their door. This has led to confusion at apartment buildings in particular, Horbach said. He said that without clear guidance from the legislature, law-enforcement agencies have been enforcing different standards statewide.In the statement last week, the state's county attorneys said restrictions on sex offenders should apply only to those who have committed crimes against "children" under age 14 rather than "minors" under age 18.Horbach said such a provision could make it into the final bill this legislative session."It's on the radar screen," he said.

Be aware of who moves in
Published: January 30, 2006 11:11 pm

Sex offenders are everywhere.Have you checked out your neighborhood online? It’s scary.There are 6,335 sex offenders registered in Indiana. Who is living near your child’s day care or school? Do you really know the person next door?Two Web sites have popped up in the last six months that are helping parents be more aware of their child’s surroundings. Check out www.indianasheriffs.org, which will guide you through Indiana’s sex offender list in a more comprehensive way than ever before. You don’t have to know the person’s name to look them up. You just have to type in your home, work, day care, school or whatever address you choose. Also, www.familywatchdog.us maps out almost every state in the U.S. when it comes to sex offenders.A mapping tool on both sites allows users to locate sex offenders living near schools, child care centers and parks. The registry may also be searched by city, county or ZIP code. The site maps the offender and returns a profile including a recent photograph, home, work address and conviction. More than 10,000 registered sex offenders move to a new address or new job every single day across the U.S. Web site users can preregister to be notified by e-mail when registered sex/violent offenders move near them. Numerous bills are facing the Indiana Senate and House that would further limit a convicted sex offender’s ability to live in certain neighborhoods and to escape the statute of limitations.A bill that passed through the Indiana Senate last week would change the exception to the statute of limitations for Class B, C and D felonies. A person could be charged with a sex crime no matter how long ago it was if DNA analysis provides sufficient evidence.The bill could also limit even more where sex offenders can spend their time. If it passes through the House, sexually violent predators will push them farther away from their victims.n If the offender is 18 or older and the child is younger than 12,n If the offender has certain prior convictions,n And if the offender used deadly force, a deadly weapon or caused serious bodily injury in the commission of the sex act:They will be prohibited from living within 1,000 feet of a school, public park or youth program center and one mile with their victim’s residence.Indiana is working on protecting its citizens from sex offenders, but it’s a parent’s job too. Log onto the Web sites with your kids. Talk to them. Educate them. Make them aware of what is going on so close to home.

You can use the Web to check on sex offenders

Posted on Mon, Jan. 30, 2006

By O.K. Carter
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
With time off for good behavior, Jeremiah Sexton just might trim his prison sentence to parole in 120 years, when he'd be 144 years old.
Sexton kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 9-year-old Arlington girl last February as she was walking to school. Testimony at his trial from several young girls, all victims, revealed a long history of such misdeeds, all indicating that Sexton should have been put away a long time ago. The jury deliberated all of 30 minutes before returning a conviction.
Clearly, the intent was that he would never be a threat to society again, and good riddance at that.
But it should be noted that not all sex offenders receive the sent-to-prison-for-good treatment. Although Sexton represents the extreme of violence and aggression for such offenders, many more have served lesser sentences and are free or out on probation or parole. The range of their transgressions varies greatly.
But here's the thing. Some of them most likely live near you. Or if not near you, near your child's school or playground.
Knowing who they are and where they live might be useful, or it might not. Sexton, for instance, lived in Springtown when he motored to Arlington and kidnapped the 9-year-old.
How do you find out the situation in your neighborhood? All it takes is Internet access.
For instance, type in www12.familywatchdog.us to access a free, national location service incorporating information from various state sex offender directories. Type in your address and your house pops up on a map with little colored boxes representing sex offenders. Click a colored box and up comes a name and picture of the offender along with the crime involved.
Yeah, that is scary. But keep in mind that the information is subject to change or even error. People move in. People move out. Sometimes they get arrested.
A more precise but still not completely reliable service is the Texas Department of Public Safety sexual offenders open records site, though even it posts this proviso: "DPS cannot guarantee the records you obtain through this site relate to the person about whom you are seeking information. Searches are not always accurate. The only way to positively link someone to a sex offender record is through fingerprint verification."
The site is https:// records.txdps.state.tx.us/ soSearch/soSearch.cfm
Click a button indicating you understand the limitations of the information and presto, the bottom right of the site has a mapping application that will call up any county in Texas. There's also a quick study program that teaches how to use the system, though it's easy enough to learn. With a little practice, a user can zoom in on any offenders in a given neighborhood, including four photographs of the person.
The system also allows users to enter specific names and addresses in Texas to see if someone is a listed sex offender. It never hurts to know who your neighbors are.

Finding Sex Offenders
28 Jan 2006 06:54 PM

by Dy Larson

Okay, none of us really wants to FIND a sex offender, unless, of course, you happen to work in law enforcement. But, if you have kids, you want to know where they are and if it is anywhere near your home.
In Texas, currently, the law requires a registered sex offender to have a sign on the front lawn indicating that they are a sex offender (Sex Offender Lives Here, etc.) for the duration of their probationary period (usually post-incarceration). Once they are off probation, though, they are free to remove the sign. I don't think it's that easy everywhere, and, once their probation is over it's not easy to find them here, either.
The easiest way to find out if there is a sex offender in your neighborhood is to do an online search of one of the many websites that carry this information. My personal choice is the U.S. Department of Justice's National Sex Offender Public Registry at http://www.nsopr.gov/. Another excellent website is http://www.familywatchdog.us/. The Family Watchdog website offers free information on sex offenders as well as a paid notification program. Details of their notification program can be found on their site at http://www.familywatchdog.us/faq.asp. You can also find direct links to the state online sex offender registries through the FBI's website at http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/states.htm.
I do have a caveat to offer on web searching. This information is freely provided by law enforcement in the United States. If you use a search engine to find "sex offender registries" and end up at a website that asks you to pay for the privilege, or wants you to submit your email address in order to find out if there is a sex offender in your area, use another site. The last place I want to provide any personal data, even something as innocuous as my "spam" email address (the one I maintain solely for sites that make you enter one in order to access them), is an online sex offender site. I know nothing about the people or organizations that run these sites and, as a parent, do not want to provide them with anything that could, eventually, and probably with very little effort, be traced back to me and my family.
Take a minute to look up your area on one of the sites above, bookmark, and check back often.
'Til next time, stay safe!