There is a Registered Sex Offender in My Apartment Complex

[REP]

Not too long ago, there was a thread at DU with links to check if there's a sexual offender in your neighborhood. I looked up my zip code, and there turns out there is an offender in my building. He was convicted of 288(a) Lewd or lascivious acts with child under 14 years.

This is a small apartment complex, and none of the residents of have children or have children visitors. Still, I'm a little ticked that no one warned us about the history of our new neighbor. While I'm considerably over 14, I don't like having a convicted sex offender a few feet from where I sleep.

[Skittles]

1. no matter where you live

there will be convicted sex offenders not too far away

[alarimer]

6. or unconvicted sex offenders

probably everywhere. I guess they could have their own colonies, like leper colonies. I don't honestly know the answer to this problem.

[Skittles]

12. you are correct

the point is, there's nothing you should do differently KNOWING of these offenders than if you DIDN'T know of them

[REP]

15. A Small Difference

This isn't in my neighborhood; its in the small apartment complex I've lived in for years, where residents are screened before being allowed to move in. This screening process - foolishly, I admit - gave me the idea I didn't have to fear the other 11 residents.

Given this person's age - in his 50s - and the age of the victim and date of the offense, this wasn't young love or even peeing in public. This is the neighbor who says he enjoys looking in my window to see my cats.

[Skittles]

18. I've never allowed any peeking in my windows

they are always covered up; I just prefer it that way. So many times it has been shown that women who are attacked have been peeped on first

[REP]

20. You Think I "Allow" It?

Okey dokey.

Perhaps I can get the landlord to brick over the window so I can't be at fault in any way.

[Skittles]

27. come on REP

that's not what I'm saying and you know it; I'm saying I keep my curtains closed because you cannot be too careful

[REP]

28. I Do Keep My Blinds Shut

Never mind. Obviously, you are far more tolerant of these things than I was ever planning to be.

[REP]

13. True.

Doesn't mean I like it that there's one who's been convicted living in the same small complex.

[Not_Giving_Up]

2. Not too long ago

We got a postcard telling us that a "high risk sex offender" was living within walking distance. His victim was an eleven year old boy. I was definitely freaked out, and made sure that MY eleven year old son saw the picture.

[khashka]

5. Good for you!

That was exactly the right thing to do.

Khash.

[Cadence]

3. That would freak me out too. n/t

[khashka]

4. It ain't always that simple...

I had a friend who was a registered sex offender. What did he do? Got drunk, whipped it out and peed against a tree.

They are not all are child molestors or rapists.

But I understand your concern. Since you don't know what this person did (or is likely to do), it can be very uncomfortable...

Khash.

[alarimer]

8. Maybe the definition needs to be changed

Perhaps those listed should only be those who have been convicted of offenses against a child (and I am not talking about an 18 year old with a 16 year old).

[Cadence]

10. Don't you think your friends case is probably

pretty rare?

[khashka]

14. Probably

But it does happen.
He eventually got it reversed, because it was patently ridiculous. But for awhile he was a Registered Sex Offender.
It helps to know exactly what they were convicted of. I'm not opposed to registering them. If you know a certain person in your community is registered you can take appropriate steps. How much scarier the fact there are people hurting children or raping women ( and sometimes men) and you don't have a clue who they are.

Khash.

[RagingInMiami]

23. There are plenty of registered sex offenders who've been busted that way

But there are different categories of sex offenders. I forgot if it a category 1 means you are a sick ass or were just drunk and needed to piss.

[Ilsa]

30. I've heard these stories also.

I have a friend whose 19 year old son is now a registered sex offender. Why? Because when he was working as a life guard, a mature-looking pretty girl, age 14 in a swimsuit, flirted and seduced him. They were engaged in petting, swimsuits on, and stopped. Then she complained to her parents about it because she was afraid she might have been caught. He was arrested and the blame was placed completely on him. His family is very angry that this will follow him for the rest of his life.

[Evergreen Emerald]

34. I find that hard to believe

I think your friend was not telling you the truth. Peeing on a tree while drunk is not a sex offense.

[KitchenWitch]

7. It depends upon the level sex offender you have

if he is level 3 they do have to notify, but level 2 or lower they do not!

[SeanQuinn]

9. Woah. After I just did my sex offender search, I'm LMAOing at this pic

One of the few proud to be booked for molestation :eyes::

http://www3.fdle.state.fl.us/sexual_predators/GetImage.asp?fin=182047

[Cadence]

11. What was the link to look up by zip code?

[REP]

16. meganslaw.ca.gov

[Digit]

17. Link below....

http://www.sexualpredators.com

[Cadence]

21. Thanks. n/t

[Coventina]

19. *sigh* This is such a difficult issue.

If the people have served their punishment. Shouldn't they be allowed to live in peace?

In a perfect world, yes. But it's not a perfect world and the sad truth is that people who commit *some* kinds of sex-crimes have very high recidivism rates. And unfortunately, our justice system doesn't do much in the way of trying to help "fix" these people.

Then there are those who get branded as a "rapist" because he was 18 with a 16 year old girlfriend and her daddy got pissed. He's branded for the rest of his life for having sex with a minor.

This is an issue that I really struggle with.

[REP]

22. 288(a) Lewd or lascivious acts with child under 14 years.

The offender is in his 50s.

Perhaps I'd be less concerned if I hadn't as an adult already been previously kidnapped and attempted to be raped by someone on parole for a similar offense.

[Coventina]

25. A man tried to abduct me when I was in high school

I know some of the people who have been released are dangerous, not just potentially dangerous.

I'm not trying to fight with you at all.

I don't have any answers. All I was saying is that it's something I struggle with. I wish as a society we were more interested in trying to help these people, or at least committed to PERMANENTLY locking up those who are identified as being untreatable.

[REP]

26. Didn't Think You Were!

Just pointing out that in *this* particular instance, there may be more than an 18 year old having sex with his 16 year old girlfriend.

[ScreamingMeemie]

32. There are also those who get "caught" peeing outside and wind up on

the list for indecent exposure. There are two on our street. I'm not concerned. I just work on my children to be smart, because, let's face it, nowhere is "safe" truly. :hi:

[Evergreen Emerald]

35. The system does try to help "fix" them

In our state sex offenders are required to go through a three-year treatment program. We have a relatively new sentencing scheme in WA in which certian sex offenders are on "probation" for life. That way they can be monitored.

In WA an 18 year old with a 16 year old is not a crime. The younger one must be under 16 and there must be 48 months difference in age. And, those people are not "branded" for life. They have an opportunity to have the registration waived after a period of time if they have law abiding behaivor.

Many times those who have gone through the treatment still reoffend. Perhaps there is no "fix."

[Philosophy]

24. Whoa, the one who lives the closest to me is a 29-year old woman

I just did a search in my state's database. That's pretty freaky.

[RebelOne]

29. There are 22 of them in my area in Georgia.

A few live quite close to me.

[BiggJawn]

31. I came up with 4 within a mile of me.

The database is out of date, though. The closest one to me moved out last summer.

Geez, Child Molestors or Meth Chefs, what a county I live in! And we went Red, too. Go figure....

[bleedingheart]

33. perhaps your county votes on the morals they want to have...

:evilgrin:

sadly I live in the same kind of area...used to be blue...but now going pink to red....and funny thing...more bad stuff is happening.