Reporting on my neighborhood meeting RE: a level 3 sex offender moving in

In My Humble Opinion
1

A couple of days ago, we received a notice in the mail from the local police stating that a level 3 sex offender was moving in just a few blocks from us. Last night there was a community meeting at a local school with a detective, a member of the Department of Corrections and a victim’s advocate to address the issue and to educate the public.

What follows is more or less a free association of my impressions of the event.

First, I do need to state up front that sex offenders, well, offend me. I know that this should go without saying, but I think that some of what I have to say may come off as if I am supporting this individual, so I wanted to just state that up front.

All in all, this meeting made me feel pretty cynical. While the fear and anger that folks are feeling is very understandable (especially those with children!) I really did not care for the mob-like mentality that I was seeing. More to the point, some of the sheer ignorance that I was seeing in that room really made me believe that these folks were missing a huge point, and that their children would be no safer after the meeting (perhaps even less safe).

Let me give an example. When the victim’s advocate was talking, he made the very strong point that the vast majority of cases of sexual abuse are perpetrated by someone that the victim and/or the victim’s family knows. The case of a stranger doing it is very, very rare. He went over the signs that someone is “grooming” a child, behavior to look for in a child that would indicate either that the child has been victimized or that the child is the sort of child that a pedophile would single out to groom. To me this is the important stuff that folks should latch on to.

But did they? Hell no. They were myopically focused on how to run this particular guy out of the neighborhood.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not thrilled with having a predator in my neighborhood. That said, this guy is out in the open. We know what he looks like, we know that he is visited every day by his parole officer and we know that he is in treatment. Further, it is know that harassing folks like this guy can dramatically increase the chances of him re-offending.

Anyway, I guess that this got sort of rambling but I was pretty disheartened by the way that folks were ignoring potentially vitally important information in favor of giving into fear, ignorance and mob mentality.

2

Did they say what he had done?

3

Yeah, he had raped a couple of girls (on 11 the other 13) and has just finished serving out a 15-year sentence. Again, to be clear, when I think about this I get ill. I was just startled at how unproductive the folks at the meeting were.

4

Obviously I wasn’t there, but you might be jumping to conclusions about whether people were latching onto the important information. Despite the emotion displayed, many may have taken the information to heart.

The thing is, you’re dealing with a situation where the statistics might be very promising against abduction and rape, but the parents are going to be focused on the “what if” aspect. It’s great that the chances are that he won’t abduct a child, but if he does the impact is absolutely devastating so the statistics aren’t looked at in a detached manner.

If this happened in my neighborhood I’d know that I could do certain things to prevent my child from being groomed. But it’s less easy to ensure that the child won’t be grabbed and raped and that’s frightening, even if the stats say it’s unlikely.

I’m not defending a mob mentality, but I think it’s natural for people to worry more about external, uncontrollable things. And what’s the one way to control that factor in some way? Get him out of the neighborhood. That may well be the thinking you observed rather than sheer ignorance and mob mentality.

5

Those people may be surprised how many other registered sex offenders live in their neighborhood. The county I used to live in had a website that allowed you to enter a zip code, and it would bring up all the RSOs that lived there and their street addresses. I took a look at it one day, out of curiosity, and there were probably about 50 or 60 in my little, teeny community. Obviously, some of those people had probably been convicted of things that they’ll probably never do again, but it was still pretty creepy.

Anway, I’m with you. I mean, where’s the guy supposed to go? If everyone justs keeps an eye out, keeps their kids from going over there to watch videos on a Saturday afternoon, and tells their kids what to look out for (from everyone, not just the guy who was actually caught and has a million people keeping tabs on him), then there shouldn’t be a problem. People go nuts about this stuff, though, and I think for some people it’s their way to be part of the group and belong. It also allows them an outlet to be violent that’s acceptable to the community at large. I hope it doesn’t escalate to the point where people are actually threatening, harassing, or assaulting him. It could get ugly.

(And, although it should go without saying, I am also extremely offended, disgusted, & angered by paedophiles and sex offenders.)

6

I didn’t realize that there were grade levels. To what does that refer? Egregiousness of a past event? Associated violence? Propensity to recommit?

7

My understanding is that it has to do mostly with their potential to re-offend (with 3rd being the most high risk).

8

Like any of that will stop him.

** Further, it is know that harassing folks like this guy can dramatically increase the chances of him re-offending. **

Oh please. If we make nice with the child rapist he won’t hurt any more kids? I’m not comfortable with the concept that if we “harass” pedophiles in the neighborhood then we are “driving” them to do it again. He’s a LEVEL THREE for pete’s sake. Of course he’ll do it again the second he gets the chance. All he needs is the opportunity and a victim.

Sorry, but I’m with your neighbors on this one. There are safe, legal ways to send sex offenders on their merry way to another community.

I’m not saying spray graffiti on his car or do death threats. You can let someone know they’re unwelcome and make them uncomfortable enough to move without doing all that. Some neighbors have banded together and bought the house the pedophile was about to buy; maybe that’s an option.

He’s damn lucky, IMHO, that the ONLY thing your neighbors are talking about is running him out of the neighborhood.

9

And what about the neighborhood he runs to? Are they allowed to do the same thing? Subtly harass him and make his life unbearable until he leaves? Where exactly is he supposed to live?

10

I don’t mean to troll or kick off a debate about this, but the whole thing seems like a lose-lose situation.

The community loses out because they have a predator in their neighborhood. They don’t like that. Perfectly understandable concern.

The sex offender loses out because he will never really be a free man; its like he’s a permanent fugitive. The potential for vigilantism is very high, after all, everybody knows where the offender lives.

Why even release sex offenders then?! Because from my standpoint it seems like a no-win situation. Whats the sex offender supposed to do, roll over and die? Granted he committed a terrible crime, but does that entitle society to treat him as a pariah? And if so, why not just keep him locked up, so that communities don’t have to play ‘hot potato’ with the local sex offender?

11

Abbie Carmichael], I feel like I may have hit a hot button for you, in spite of how careful I tried to be with my OP. Please understand that this was not my intent.

I get the fact that level 3 is serious bad shit and, as I stated, I am not at all happy to have this guy within a few blocks of my house. In fact, I am pretty damn distressed.

My point is this. We know who he is. Every single parent can pick up a hand out at the Police Department (or on line) show it to their kids and say ‘hey, see this guy? He hurts kids. Stay far, far away from him’. More to the point, as is the case with the vast majority of sex offences, this person assaulted children that he knew. As far as I can tell, as long as folks are vigilant, he is contained.

More to the point, I see this specific person as a distraction. Point him out to your kids, keep an eye on him sure. My problem was that I felt that potentially invaluable information as to how to look for and prevent the threats that we don’t know about were being ignored in favor of hysteria.

In terms of the statement that I made about harassing the guy, I am more or less quoting what the victim’s advocate told us. In essence, what he said was that the less “normal” a sex offenders home life is (i.e. harassing phone calls or letters or whatever) the more likely it is that they will revert to the last thing that made them feel good. This is not to say that I want to make nice with him or have him over for dinner, just that I think that the best thing to do is to leave him alone, keep a eye on him and focus on the information that will anticipate dealing with the predators that are still lying back in the grass.

12

I think the other thing to point out, Binarydrone, is that if you do not have a child, you may not be subject to the same fears that these parents have.

Its *yet another * thing that they have to worry about now.

13

On that note, apparently the homeless sex offender is pretty much the nightmare situation for Corrections (or so I was told last night).

14

Well, I do not have a child now but I am in the middle of adopting and so am very sensitive to this issue (as a future dad).

15

There are options other than living in a neighborhood with children. There are apartment or townhouse complexes that don’t allow children, and gated communities with age restrictions. Why would this guy want to surround himself with temptation?

16

I read (or maybe heard on NPR) recently that according to a recent study, about half of the nation’s sex offenders are illegally not currently registered with local authorities. Apparently, it’s all too easy for them to simply move and not notify anyone, and too onerous or costly for local or state police to track them down… until they commit another crime. :frowning:

17

I am a Registered Sex Offender.

I am currently relocating to NYC (from California) and am attempting to locate and secure a residence before I get there. Due mainly to financial reasons, I am renting a room.

I will be registering with the police department when I get there, as I’m afraid to not register and then be found and charged with a misdemeanor. I believe in full disclosure.

I am the lowest level (least risk) – I’ve only been convicted once, and it wasn’t a violent incident.

The level-three offenders are the ones that have either offended more than once, or their offense included violence of some sort.

I have no doubt that my picture will be available, either online or in the local police stations there. I am reasonably sure, however, that I am low-level enough not to have a community meeting called to announce my presence.

My moral dilemma: do I disclose to the landlord/roommate my registration status? I only have three years remaining that I am required to register for.

One of my prospective roommates has asked if I’ve ever been arrested, and I told him yes; and we had a discussion of my status. He is a psychotherapist, therefore, I think, more able than laypeople to handle the fact that he will be living with an RSO. Another prospective roommate hasn’t asked, and I haven’t volunteered. Yet. Not sure if I will do so.

There is no simple solution to the problem of where RSOs should live.

I imagine there never will be.

18

Good question, and I would say it depends on what your conviction was for… use common sense. All these are hypotheticals and I’m not asking you to disclose your conviction. If the conviction is related to child abuse and your roomate has a kid or there are kids in the building, I would disclose. If the conviction is for rape, and your roomate is female, I would disclose. However, if the conviction is for something minor, no risk of reoffending etc (like stat rape where the victim was 16, you were 19 and it was consensual or something like that) I wouldn’t volunteer the info.

IMHO, of course.

19

I have a problem with this whole system. Unfortunately, like most people with such problems, I also don’t have a SOLUTION (i.e., a different system) that would cause me to shut up and stop complaining.

But as someone who used to work with sexual assault and domestic violence victims (read: jaded beyond belief) here’s my take on this whole “neighborhood notification” thing.

I don’t believe anyone should ever be notified of the past crimes of people moving into their neighborhood.

If the guy is so dangerous that he can’t be trusted among the general population and people have to be WARNED that he could “go off” at any time and is almost certain to re-offend, then he doesn’t belong in my neighborhood. Or yours.

If, as you’ve suggested, he’s being properly treated, monitored by parole officer and others, and has done his time for previous crimes, then it’s no one’s business.

All this does is set up a “witch hunt” us against them mentality. It’s true…I don’t trust that the justice system does a good job with these people and I know they’re highly likely to re-offend. I think the solution lies in figuring out how to FIX the problem so that they don’t re-offend, so that they get proper treatment, so that their sentences match their offences, etc. It doesn’t lie in creating panic and having hordes of neighbors running down the street with torches chasing the offender out of town.

And then out of the next town, and the next town, and the next town…

L

20

You should not be so suprised. If you go to google and type in “registered sex offeners [your state]” and search your zipcode you will find people labaled as 'sexual predators. I even searched one of the richest neighborhoods in Illinois, roughly 8,000 residents, $300,000 average house cost and roughly 40% of the residents have doctoral degrees. My result? Two registered sex offendors, one a sexual predator.