Tag: Sex offender registration

Texas Residents Do Not Use The Sex Offender Registry

Texas Residents Do Not Use The Sex Offender Registry

A recent study conducted by Sam Houston State University’s Crime Victim’s Institute revealed that a limited number of people access the Texas sex offender registry. The registry which was formed in 1991 is the second largest in the country. The registry is a tool for the community to access information about sex offenders and get resources to help with preventive measures against those individuals that commit sex crimes. The registry is maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Department of Public Safety (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There were 72, 600 active sex offenders on the register in October. Community members can use the registry and search by a variety of terms including: one’s name, address, different zip codes, county and even institutes of higher education.

Over 600 individuals were surveyed in the report “Familiarity with and Uses of Sex Offender Registries,” from a TX university & re ported 7 4 percent of those surveyed were knowledgeable about the sex offender registry in the state. Of those surveyed 43% utilized the registry services. A few reasons why those surveyed used the registry included curiosity and the safety of themselves as well as their children. A total of 652 individuals was surveyed.

Around 17 percent of those that utilized the registry took protective measures with the information they received from the registry. They included: locking doors regularly, informing others of known sex offenders in the area and eliminating walking alone in the neighborhood. Safety measures for children included depending on the age of the child and family make up not allowing children to be unsupervised or left home unattended.

Those that had been victims of crimes were more likely to use the registries and implement safety measures. The study showed that Identity theft victims were some of the most active users according to the report. Those that used the registry the list included those that had been victims of sexual assault crimes.

The report showed no or little difference in reported use of the sex offender registry from participants that knew offenders in their community or if a crime was committed while they lived there. Participants did however utilize the sex offender registry if they heard of an individual in their community being arrested due to a sex crime. Participants would hear about the registry through internet searches, word of mouth and TV reports.

The Crime Victim’s Institute findings have resulted in recommendations to spread the word about the registry through increased awareness and resources for the community to help keep them safe from sex offenders. Those interested in the full report can visit: .

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Rights To Online Anonymity Given To Sex Offenders

Online Anonymity Given To Sex Offenders

In California, a bill that would remove the rights of a sex offender to have online anonymity while using email, instant messaging and social media, among other sites and service online, has been blocked by a federal judge. Judge Thelton Henderson deems Proposition 35 to be an unconstitutional bill.

The State of California has summarized the bill in question as this:

Sign, Wapello, Iowa. This was put up in reacti...
Sign, Wapello, Iowa. This was put up in reaction to Megan’s Law. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Human trafficking fines and prison sentences would be increased and the convicted human traffickers would be required to participate in the sex offenders registry. The registered sex offenders would be required to reveal all activities and identities pertaining to the Internet. It would cost the state and local governments a few million dollars to address the offenses of human trafficking. However, this cost could potentially be offset with the increase in the fines that are dedicated to the victims of the crime.

This bill was passed by a majority vote of 81% in November. However, it was blocked temporarily by the filing of a lawsuit by the ACLU and a few sex offenders.

Speaking of the bill, the ACLU stated that Proposition 35 adds penalties to the sex offenders and puts upon them new restrictions. The example given to back up this claim was that of older crimes that have nothing to do with children or the Internet. The bill would require these offenders to disclose their screen names and their Internet provider’s information. This bill hampers the offenders freedom of anonymous speech online, which infringes upon their First Amendment right to free speech.

The judge who imposed the blockage of the bill stated that while the government has a legitimate purpose in their fight of human trafficking and online sex offenses, they can not regulate a person’s right to speech in this way.

While offenders search for a clear answer of how they can exercise their right to free speech, this issue is not a cut and dry one as the response varies from state to state. In Indiana, it was decided that a social media site ban for sex offenders was lawful. While a similar case in Nebraska was dismissed.

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Keeping Our Children Safe

Keeping Our Children Safe

Jacob Wetterling was an 11 year-old-boy living in a small town in Minnesota when he was abducted on October 22, 1989.  To this day, all that is known about his kidnapper is that he was a masked gunman. Due in no small part to the perseverance of his parents in lobbying for tougher legislation, Congress passed the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Act in 1994.  This act requires states to implement a sex offender registry or risk losing ten percent of federal funding for their state and local law enforcement programs. Many states now believe that due to loopholes in registration and an increasingly mobile population, there is a need for a private sex offender registry.

President Bush signing the Federal Funding Acc...
President Bush signing the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, September 26, 2006. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One such online registry is the Klaas Kids Foundation, formed in the wake of the kidnapping and murder of young Polly Klaas in 1993.  This site gives detailed information regarding the rules and guidelines for registration for each state, as well as providing a link to each state government’s registration website. Another valuable online resource is called Offendex.  It boasts a database of over 750,000 offenders and you can search there by state, city, name or zip code. If you plan to visit a different area, it may be worth checking out a site called Family Watchdog as it provides access to lists of offenders in all states as well.

Keeping our children safe should be a priority for all Americans. Given the scope of the problem, it certainly does not hurt to have a private sex offender registry in addition to state registries.  It is worth taking the time to investigate all resources available.

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The Lawmaker Who Wants To Use GPS For Sex Offender Tracking

Jackson, MS (Mississippi News Now)-

One State Senator, Will Longwitz is proposing a reformed way of registering sex offenders which will change the way that those living nearby are notified concerning the whereabouts of the offenders.

The Senator believes that money can be saved by making use of the technology available to law enforcement. This will also allow the reduction of man hours needed to keep track of sex offenders.

Following the lead of 16 other states that are using similar methods, Longwitz explains that the offenders would be rated on how dangerous they are to society. Those who are most harmful would be required to wear a GPS device for monitoring purposes.

Sign, Wapello, Iowa. This was put up in reacti...
Sign, Wapello, Iowa. This was put up in reaction to Megan’s Law. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This monitoring device would allow law enforcement to be notified if the offender should leave their restricted area. If would also sound an alarm if the offender were to get too near a school.

Although these laws do exist in other states, they have been disputed in court.

The proposed law would require the sex offender to assist in covering the GPS monitor costs.

Because most employers will not hire convicts, there is a high rate of homelessness among those who have been in jail. However, it is important that these offenders have as much penalties as possible when it comes to paying restitution.

Longwitz notes that this type of device might have saved Lenora Edhegard who was killed in October by Cortrell Rose. Had Rose been monitored, he would have not been able to use a fake address and have access to Lenora Edhegard.

Along with the requirement of registering every 90 days and having a recent photo on file, the new law would require the offender to mail letters to area residents that they have moved into the neighborhood.

Because there are so many non-compliant offenders, law enforcement needs the help of area citizens. If someone raises suspicion, citizens are asked to report it to the authorities.

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Keep Your Family Safe: Know The Sex Offenders In Your Area

Sex Offenders In Your Area

Keeping ourselves and our children safe is a daily challenge, one we should never take lightly. Letting your child play in your own backyard might be as dangerous as letting them play in the street if you have a sex offender living in your area. You cannot know who is a sex offender just by looking at them. It is not written across their forehead in red ink. They often look just like anyone else and can be friendly.

You will not know a sex offender just by looking at them, but you can know one when they are listed on the sex offender registry. Sex offenders are required to register so their names can be put on the list. It is often a part of their release from jail. Violating that recommendation is often grounds for the offender to go back to jail. There are a few Websites that are reliable and will give you a location on every offender in your neighborhood. You can do your own offender search. One of those Websites is called familywatchdog.us. To find the offenders in your area, you can search by street, city and state. The U.S. Department of Justice has a Website for the tracking of national sex offenders too. These are databases that you can do an offender search, and it will show you pictures and addresses of those criminals who are registered sex offenders.

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National Sex Registry

National Sex Registry

You will be amazed by the information available in the private members area of this national sex registry. You will have access to the same data bases as law enforcement, private detectives and government agencies. You can find information like the sex offenders name and address, but there is so much more. You can research offenses and charges as well as doing whole criminal records searches. There are even unlimited searches available.

You can also look up vital records and find inmate information such as prisoner and sentencing files. You can also get information such as … Read more at Sex Offenders Search

National Sex Registry

You will be amazed by the information available in the private members area of this national sex registry. You will have access to the same data bases as law enforcement, private detectives and government agencies. You can find information like the sex offenders name and address, but there is so much more. You can research offenses and charges as well as doing whole criminal records searches. There are even unlimited searches available.

Criminal Records' Last Day
Criminal Records’ Last Day (Photo credit: Jackman Chiu)

You can also look up vital records and find inmate information such as prisoner and sentencing files. You can also get information such as finding doctors in your area and get your doctor’s email address. You get unlimited access to genealogical searches and looking up death records. If you are trying to find lost loved ones, friends or family you can use SexOffendersSearch.org. You can use the service to do so much more than find sex offenders in your area or the area you want to move to.

SEARCH FOR AN OFFENDER NOW!

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