So, I learned that there's a sex offender who was just released locally

[TimeChaser]

And I don't mean the bs charges like 18 yr old guy with a 15 yr old girl, this was full out assault and rape of a teenage girl. And as a teenage girl, I suddenly feel good knowing that I have a dagger in my dorm room that I know how to use.

[Heidi]

1. I have mixed feelings about sex offender notification laws.

But I understand your dilemma. I don't live in paranoia, but I do live with a full awareness that there are people with untreated mental illnesses in the world.

Guidance and protection, TimeChaser. :thumbsup:

[TimeChaser]

4. I have mixed feelings as well.

I know that some people make mistakes in there life, and most sex offender databases don't make distinctions as to the type of crime. However, when it comes down to violent crimes, I do admit that I'd want to know.

[Heidi]

5. Those are my concerns exactly.

I've known of cases where guys taking a pee outdoors has resulted in them being classified as sex offenders, and that bothers me.

Also, I'n concerned that sex offenders are more often punished than treated during their prison sentences, and that _really_ bothers me.

[Skittles]

6. I truly believe teenage sex offenders can be rehabilitated

with serious treatment

[Evergreen Emerald]

7. That is an urban legend.

It is not a sex offense to pee in the street.

[Heidi]

12. No, it's not an urban legend.

Peeing in the street is sometimes charged as "indecent exposure," and a conviction for indecent exposure can require a person to register as a sex offender.

Even prosecutors admit that such loopholes in the law exist. For example:

"Plaistow Deputy Chief Kathleen Jones said there is an average of five or six registered sex offenders in Plaistow at any time. She said the only problem the department has had with sex offenders in the 20 years she has been on the force is failure to register, which some sex offenders may not realize they have to do annually because laws change from state to state.

Jones also said that not every person on the sex offender list has necessarily committed an egregious crime such as rape or molestation because a conviction of indecent exposure, even in cases such as public urination, can land someone on the list."

The rest of that article from a New Hampshire newspaper: http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/rock/04012005/news/73224.htm

[Evergreen Emerald]

25. It does not constitute a sex offense in WA

A sex offense must be a felony--unless they communicate with a minor for immoral purposes. If they already have a sex offense--and already register, then indecent exposure could be a felony sex offense. But it public urination is not indecent exposure in WA.

[Heidi]

26. It's a sex offense in many other states, and that's not an urban legend.

That's the point I want to make. Glad you folks in Washington have better sense than to make a sex offense out of an extension of public peeing. :hi:

[MissMillie]

15. Call me crazy

but I don't want to know.

When they're done doing their time, their punishment ends, and these laws tend to amount to more punishment.

I'm not an overly cynical person, but seriously, we should be a little wary of ALL strangers, shouldn't we?

And why would we ever trust anyone we don't know with our children's safety?

[Shell Beau]

17. Well, my aunt was in charge of this Halloween

festival the weekend before last. The guys who were in charge of the sound equipment for the bands were contracted out and were working behind the stage. There was a Halloween contest with lots of small children. We found out that one of the guys helping with the music equipment was a convicted sexual offender (he molested children, not one of those caught peeing in the street). He was rubbing on the children's backs as they were waiting to go on the stage to show off there Halloween costume. I personally think my aunt, and other's doing the show, should have been notified since there were small children around. A person who knew the guy came up and told her (and this was a well respected person who would not make this up). We just kept our eye on him since he was near the children for a little while. To me, him rubbing on their backs is disturbing and shows that he may still be a threat. But if I had a child around, I would like to know that there is someone who could potentially we a greater threat than your average stranger. Needless to say, the guy won't be coming back. I understand the notification law can be taken too far, but in some cases, it is needed.

[Heidi]

18. Hi, Shell Beau!

I would have absolutely no problem asking the guy to please keep his hands off of the kids. At the very least, it was unprofessional of him to be touching the kids' backs when he should have been dealing with the sound equipment.

[Shell Beau]

19. Hey!!

He was told not to touch the children. The person who warned us was afraid of him. She knew him and has small children. She didn't want him to know she told us b/c for some reason she feared for her children's safety. But had we not known, we may have never even noticed him rubbing their backs. It is just kind of creepy. We checked his profile out afterwards and he won't be coming back. But if people (whatever business it was?) are contracting him out, they should not contract him out to places where lots of children will be.

This was his charge listed beside his name on the web site--Touching of a child or a mentally defective, incapacitated or physically helpless person for lustful purposes (Section 97-5-23)



:hi:

[MissMillie]

20. CORI checks

When I was a Little League president, we had anyone who might be working near the kids sign a permission form for us to do a Criminal Offenders Record check.

I know that when my son goes to a drill meet, if I want to chaperone, or even ride the bus w/ the kids, I had to have had a CORI check done.

Check to see what the Criminal Offender Records Information laws are in your state. People who are involved in events that involve children can grant you permission to check their records.

I'd prefer that to an automatic notification system.

[Gormy Cuss]

21. Does it really matter that he's on the sex offender list?

If any of the sound crew was rubbing the backs of the kids, wouldn't one of the adults tell him to knock it off? I sure as hell would have done that. Normal adults know better than to touch the children of strangers in a situation like this. It's common sense. I hope that the contractor was notify of the inappropriate behavior too.

On edit: I hope none of the kids were creeped out by him.

[Shell Beau]

22. It does matter to me that he is on a sex offender's list.

Yes, rubbing on kids backs is creepy, but it may have gone unnoticed had no one known he was a sex offender. Plus who's to say that he may not have been a friend of the family, etc. All eyes probably wouldn't have been on the guy had we not known that he was a sex offender. I don't know if the kids were creeped out or not. :shrug: I was though. And yes, the contractor was notified.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Heidi]

3. Welcome to DU, LookManLook.

:hi:

[Callalily]

8. There are different

levels of sex offenders. If the level is high, the public is made aware and anyone has access to that information. If the level is low, then access is denied. Just be careful.

[LynneSin]

9. Sorry - this Sex Offender list is designed HORRIBLY

I appreciate that there are some people who should be on it but there are too many people on it who have not committed serious crimes. And unlike other punishments, it seems that the Sex Offender list is a lifetime punishment.

If someone who has committed a minor infraction, they should be able to rehabilitate themselves off that list when they have completed their punishment.

Think it of this way. I could be a drunk and through my own stupidity kill someone with my car because I was drunk behind the wheel. I could serve the time in jail, get some rehabilitation and complete my service. Then the moment my name is cleared I can go ahead and drink heavily and get behind the wheel of a car again. Yet if I have a minor infraction that somehow involved sex (again NOT major crimes like Pedophilia or Rape), then my name is dirt for the rest of my lifetime!

I think this is why not all states are involved with the online Sex Offender list.

I'm not saying that we should get rid of it. But I think if someone has done a minor crime such as Statutory Rape (ie - 19 year dating a 17 year old girl) or other minor crime - that person has the right to have their name cleared once they have finished their punishment and shown to the court that they have been rehabilitated.

[Deep13]

10. not a punishment, it merely disseminates information that is...

... public record anyway. So says the Supreme Ct. of Ohio.

[LynneSin]

14. The problem is there are people on the list who shouldn't be

They need to remove those who have committed minor crimes from that list especially if those crimes are non-threatening and the person has done their rehabilitation. When a list treats all of it's members as equal even though not all crimes are equal then we have a problem.

I don't need to know about the guy who's only mistake was being 19 and dating a 16 year old girl or the guy caught peeing in public. But I do need to know if a rapist or child molester moves into my area. However, I've looked at these lists and they all seem to be in there and that is unfair to those people whose crime was not anything major. Now those people have to deal with a lifetime of humiliation with that list even though they may not be a threat to the public.

I thought that our Bill of Rights guarentee fair justice but this list seems a little unfair to those who made a mistake and have paid their dues.

[Deep13]

16. Ohio draws distinctions.

We have three categories.

Sex offender: must register annually. There is no reporting to locals by authorities. I seem to remember that after a decade the registration ends.

Habitual sex offender: this is a sex offender with multiple convictions. Same as above except the trial court decides whether on not reporting is required and it is for 20 years.

Sexual predator: Reporting is mandatory and the offender must register every quarter forever. This catagory is for offenders who are found to be likely to reoffend.

[Heidi]

13. My view is:

- Anyone convicted of a sex crime should receive treatment while serving his or her sentence. In my opinion, the current system of warehousing sex offenders until their parole date, with little if any treatment, then telling _us_ upon their parole to "watch out, there's a sex offender in your vicinity" does little to address the core problem and doesn't make us much safer.

- Upon parole, anyone required under state law to register as a sex offender should receive due process of law, i.e. a public hearing.

[lpbk2713]

11. Speaking of which .....

I've seen a website that will ask you to enter a Zip code and it will give you a map pointing out the sex offenders in that given area. I meant to bookmark it but never did. Would anyone here happen to know what that URL is? TIA.

[lpbk2713]

23. I found the website .....

For anyone that's interested here is the URL

Link: http://www.familywatchdog.us/Search.asp

All you need to do is enter a Zip Code.

[DS1]

24. How do you know you know how to use it?

Have you had any knife-fighting training

[XemaSab]

27. I'm all in favor of rehabilitation

but violent sex offenders and people who molest pre-pubescent children shouldn't get multiple chances to offend.

I say 2 strikes and they're DONE.