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