# There's a registered sex offender living in my neighborhood... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 10, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305 "2005-02-10T00:15:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/41 "2005-02-10T21:17:37Z")
I checked out my neighborhood and was shocked to see about 40 offenders. The truly peculiar one was an address at which 3 offenders (all lewd/lascivious with under 14y.o.) lived. So, they’re roomies? How did that happen? Do they tell each other “I’m legally obligated to inform you that I’m a sex offender.” “Yeah? Me too!” “Hey, me three! Gotcha ya!” As for the OP, I think the person posting the flyer was within their legal rights to do so. Not that I necessairly agree with their actions, but I don’t think posting the flyer counts as harassment. The clause about consulting an attorney before using the information strikes me as simply a way of CA covering their butt; “If you want to use this information, we leave it to you to research if it’s okay or not. Don’t blame us if you get sued.” ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/42 "2005-02-10T21:24:19Z")
> [@Sengkelat](#): > > I checked out my neighborhood and was shocked to see about 40 offenders. The truly peculiar one was an address at which 3 offenders (all lewd/lascivious with under 14y.o.) lived. So, they’re roomies? How did that happen? Do they tell each other “I’m legally obligated to inform you that I’m a sex offender.” “Yeah? Me too!” “Hey, me three! Gotcha ya!” There are a few addresses like that in my area. I’m guessing that they’re half-way houses of some sort, where people released from prison go to live until they can get themselves a more permanent address. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/43 "2005-02-10T23:13:05Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Wow, do you live in my neighborhood? My zipcode also shows exactly 84 offenders, with 22 of them sexually violent. I must–I’m in Baltimore too. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/44 "2005-02-11T01:02:56Z")
> [@Sengkelat](#): > > I checked out my neighborhood and was shocked to see about 40 offenders. The truly peculiar one was an address at which 3 offenders (all lewd/lascivious with under 14y.o.) lived. So, they’re roomies? How did that happen? Do they tell each other “I’m legally obligated to inform you that I’m a sex offender.” “Yeah? Me too!” “Hey, me three! Gotcha ya!” We’ve got a cluster in Oakland too, I’m also leaning towards halfway house. The difference is it’s about two blocks from a freakin school. :smack: I was pleasantly surprised to find Oakland had only 84 sex ofenders. We spent years as the dumping ground for the states violent criminals. If I had to guess we probably have twice that number of murderers running aound loose. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/45 "2005-02-11T01:13:20Z")
> [@jester21](#): > > people who fuck up are more likely to be noticed fucking up again later. > \ > > Anyway… why the fuck is this in IMHO anyway? it’s at the very least GD, and should probably be in the Pit. This is well within the guidelines for IMHO but you seem determined to make it Pit fodder. You’ve already been warned about your behavior in this thread, **Jester**. Unfortunately it didn’t sink in. Other posters don’t seem to have a problem discussing this reasonably. You’re acting like a hostile jerk. For the second time, _knock it off_. TVeblen ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/46 "2005-02-11T01:22:05Z")
> [@sugaree](#): > > I must–I’m in Baltimore too. Huh. You learn something every day. My post was a jest, marvelling at the coincidence, but doing a search of your posts reveals that you do, indeed, live in the same zip code as me. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/47 "2005-02-11T02:58:17Z")
Small world, isn’t it? > [@Stuffy](#): > > We’ve got a cluster in Oakland too, I’m also leaning towards halfway house. The difference is it’s about two blocks from a freakin school. :smack: I was pleasantly surprised to find Oakland had only 84 sex ofenders. We spent years as the dumping ground for the states violent criminals. If I had to guess we probably have twice that number of murderers running aound loose. Man, you guys have only 84 SOs in all of Oakland, and we in Baltimore have 84 just in walking distance of my home. We can’t even say at least we have fewer murderers here–so far this year, we’re running over a murder a day. And one of our halfway houses is only _one_ block from an elementary school. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/48 "2005-02-11T03:03:31Z")
We have one in our neighborhood, but she won’t pay any attention to me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/49 "2005-02-11T03:05:57Z")
I’m sorry; I just unjustly maligned my city. Per the Baltimore City Paper, we have had only 37 reported murders in the first 41 days of 2005. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/50 "2005-02-11T03:25:18Z")
There were quite a few in Allegheny county, although only two in my zip code. What I can’t understand though is that some people are on the list as “kidnapping”. Since when is kidnapping a “sex offense?” Is that just PA penal code, or is that universal for Megan’s Law? ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/51 "2005-02-11T03:32:21Z")
In some places, taking a leak on a tree outside could get you on a sex offender list. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/52 "2005-02-11T03:43:35Z")
> [@sugaree](#): > > I’m sorry; I just unjustly maligned my city. Per the Baltimore City Paper, we have had only 37 reported murders in the first 41 days of 2005. :eek: Is it really that bad there? ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/53 "2005-02-11T03:48:11Z")
> [@neutron star](#): > > Well, felons have to live somewhere. What would you suggest? Let’s pretend for a minute that the guy that might be living where the OP lives is a sexual predator who, oh, served time for doing some really sick stuff to a 5 year old kid (let’s stop short of murder, though, and pretend that the victim is still alive). And let’s say he’s a real real REAL bad predator that’s itching to do it again, and so he does, to some kid that lives in the apartment complex. Can you imagine the lawsuit the OP’s landlord will have on his/her hands when the parents of this child find out that this guy was a RSO and the landlord either didn’t run a criminal background check or, worse, ran it, KNEW he was a RSO and let him rent anyway? _shrug_ Not a risk I’d want to take were I a landlord, anyway. I’m not saying that all landlords should refuse to rent to RSO’s. We’ve already established in this thread that some RSO’s are indeed NOT predators and not even perverts to begin with. All I’m saying is that I hope the OP’s landlord made damn sure that this guy is on the SOR for a really stupid, unfair reason, rather than because he’s truly dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/54 "2005-02-11T04:51:23Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > I’m not saying that all landlords should refuse to rent to RSO’s. We’ve already established in this thread that some RSO’s are indeed NOT predators and not even perverts to begin with. All I’m saying is that I hope the OP’s landlord made damn sure that this guy is on the SOR for a really stupid, unfair reason, rather than because he’s truly dangerous. Sorry for the hijack, but you’re putting a lot of responsibility on the landlord, don’t you think? Beyond making sure the place is habitable, up to fire code, and maintaining the integrity of the master passkeys, the landlord isn’t responsible for the tenants’ personal safety. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/55 "2005-02-11T06:03:02Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > Let’s pretend for a minute that the guy that might be living where the OP lives is a sexual predator who, oh, served time for doing some really sick stuff to a 5 year old kid (let’s stop short of murder, though, and pretend that the victim is still alive). > > And let’s say he’s a real real REAL bad predator that’s itching to do it again, and so he does, to some kid that lives in the apartment complex. > > Can you imagine the lawsuit the OP’s landlord will have on his/her hands when the parents of this child find out that this guy was a RSO and the landlord either didn’t run a criminal background check or, worse, ran it, KNEW he was a RSO and let him rent anyway? All I know is when I signed my lease I had to declare whether or not I was a (1) drug dealer, (2) sex offender, or (3) terrorist. (I thought about checking all three just to see what would happen, but…naah.) I’m pretty sure there are anti-discrimination laws preventing them from refusing to rent to those people; like others said, they have to live _somewhere._ But if a bomb explodes outside of a crack house filled with naked children, the cops will know who to interrogate. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/56 "2005-02-11T06:28:34Z")
> [@sugaree](#): > > Small world, isn’t it? > > Man, you guys have only 84 SOs in all of Oakland, and we in Baltimore have 84 just in walking distance of my home. We can’t even say at least we have fewer murderers here–so far this year, we’re running over a murder a day. And one of our halfway houses is only _one_ block from an elementary school. We’re doing pretty good in that regard. All of the sideshows\* has made law enforcement target the local badasses, sending quite a few back to the pen. Two years ago we averaged a murder every three days. It’s down to about once a week now, if not less. As for my neighborhood, there are 5, but wre talikning up to 20 blocks away. None closer than 8. Still. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/57 "2005-02-11T08:41:24Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > Can you imagine the lawsuit the OP’s landlord will have on his/her hands when the parents of this child find out that this guy was a RSO and the landlord either didn’t run a criminal background check or, worse, ran it, KNEW he was a RSO and let him rent anyway? Dramatic hypothetical situations aside, an offender who is complaint with the terms of his release isn’t breaking any laws. I can’t see how the landlord could be liable for something like this. Besides, that could open the door to lawsuits in even more areas. Could a landlord who rented to a convicted drug dealer be sued because the dealer offered another tenant drugs? Could a landlord who rented to a convicted reckless driver be responsible if a tenant gets run over by said driver? What if he rented to a convicted thief who burgled another tenant? ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/58 "2005-02-11T12:45:49Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > :eek: Is it really that bad there? We like to say that a internationally-reported incident in Israel or Iraq is just a slow weekend in B-more, land of lock-down, city of stick-up boys, and checkpoint of chicken boxes. Actually, I usually feel pretty safe. ---
**Author:** ![tygre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@tygre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygre)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/59 "2005-02-11T14:17:27Z")
To answer **Guin** , kidnapping is a reportable sex offense in several states, and in others, if the intent in the kidnapping was to commit a sex offense, it can count as well. The other problem with sex offender registries that many people fail to pay attention to is that the VAST majority of victims know their offenders. It’s the people you know that you have to watch out for, most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305/60 "2005-02-11T15:13:20Z")
Well, in the quoted text from the first page, it said: > [@](#): > > Unless the information is used to protect a person at risk, it is also prohibited to use any information that is disclosed pursuant to this Internet Web site _for a purpose relating to health insurance, insurance, loans, credit, employment, education, scholarships, fellowships, **housing, accommodations** , or benefits, privileges, or services provided by any business_ (emphasis mine) So I’d think that turning someone down for an application to rent an appartment based **soley** on the fact that they had been a SO previously would be illegal. One one hand I’d think they should inform the other tennants that a SO was a resident of the complex, on the other hand I feel like once someone has served their time, they shouldn’t be persecuted for life. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-registered-sex-offender-living-in-my-neighborhood/289305.md?page=4)