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.