Print this story |
E-mail story |
This story has 32 comments Add your own |
iPod friendly | Bookmark this
What is this?
Is a sex offender too close?
Published Saturday, July 11, 2009
(Editor's note: This is the first in a series of three stories about registered sex offenders in Dallas County and Selma. The second installment will run Wednesday and the third on Sunday.)
Sex offenders live in our neighborhoods; they live lives similar to everyone else.
The only difference between you and a sex offender is the offender is required by law to register as such in the state and county in which he or she resides within seven days or they are in violation of the Community Notification Act.
That doesn't always happen.
For example, last week a South Alabama law enforcement agency arrested a man convicted of a sex crime in a 1997 federal case. The man was living in a house with a roommate and three children. He had not registered in Alabama.
Convicted sex offenders must also follow certain rules, such as not live in the house with children, generally. But an offender can live with a minor child as long as the offender is a parent, step-parent or grandparent and as long as the offender's victim was not a child under his or her care or supervision at the time of the offense, according to officials with the Alabama Department of Public Safety.
If the offender's victim was a child under the age of 12, he or she cannot live with a minor, or loiter in areas where children congregate.
Exiting law prohibits convicted sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of high schools or elementary schools. A law passed during the last session of the Alabama Legislature now keeps sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a college or university.
The latest figures for Alabama show 7,656 registered sex offenders publicly viewable in the official state registry.
As of today, 88 registered sex offenders live in Dallas County. Sex offenders in Alabama have had to register for more than 40 years by law.
Since 1996, state law has required notification of people in a neighborhood. People living within a 1,000-foot radius of a registered sex offender are notified by mail or by flyers that a sex offender has moved into their area.
“When a person is convicted of a crime and becomes a sexual offender, then the courts send us notification,” said Dallas County Chief Deputy Randy Pugh. “That person has 10 days to come to the sheriff's department and file as an offender.”
A similar process occurs in Selma, said Selma police Sgt. Doug Stewart. The city receives information from the courts and the offenders report to officers.
“If they don't report, then officers are put on the lookout,” he said.
The county keeps up with offenders by using the state Department of Public Safety's system. Both agencies, county and city, fill out a form and submit it to the department.
Sexual offenders have to come to the county or city law enforcement departments twice a year to verify their address and prove they are still in the area.
“Deputies visit the offenders once a year,” Pugh added. “They are able to do that through the JAG grant because it allows for overtime.”
A typical visit is the law enforcement officer confirms the offender still lives at the residence; talks to anyone in the home and ensures nobody is doing anything they shouldn't.
The state has a Web site, http://community.dps.alabama.gov/Pages/wfSexOffenderSearch.aspx, which lists sex offenders in the state. The department makes changes based upon information provided from local law enforcement. If old address appear on the Web site, it may be because the person is non-compliant.
Both Pugh and Stewart said for individuals to report someone who is living too close to a school, daycare or is not at the address displayed on the Web.
“We are the local liaisons for the city,” Stewart said, adding that the sheriff's department performed the same duties for the county.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?
Comments
Posted by saveselma (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at midnight (Suggest removal)
If you have children (and you care about their safety) you should periodically go to the website and pull up all of the local pediphiles...show the pictures to your children so they will know that person is DANGEROUS!!!!!! A little knowledge goes a long way....
Posted by Dogbert (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at 2:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
While I certainly feel the predators and pedophiles should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law (which frequently does not go far enough), you might be surprised at who ends up on the sex offender registry. Do a little googling on Genarlow Wilson. Being on the registry does not necessarily mean you are a pedophile. In some cases, it means you just used poor judgment.
Posted by MSLGWCEO (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at 5:15 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by saveselma (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at 7:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dogbert, I agree that one of the sex offender laws needs to be changed, specifically the one where there is a two year age difference if the girl is 15 and the boy 17.... no, those aren't necessarily pedophiles. But other sex offenders need real time in jail. It has been WELL documented that pedophiles can NOT be rehabilitated. I hope Leesha that you might address this in your next installment.
Posted by nurseshy (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at 8:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I THINK THESE LAWS SHOULD INCLUDE CHURCHES TOO, SIMPLY BECAUSE I KNOW A SEX OFFENDER WHO IS CALLING HIS SELF A PREACHER AND GOES TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT CHURCHES WHERE THERE ARE LOTS AND LOTS OF CHILDREN THERE AND PARENTS UNAWARE THAT HE IS A SEX OFFENDER BECAUSE HE HAS TWO SONS THAT ARE OFFICERS OF THE LAW. ONE IS A SELMA POLICEMAN AND THE OTHER A STATE TROOPER.
Posted by forever_lost_in_dixie (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I would like to point out something that was omitted from this article. Under the Code of Alabama 15-20-26 a, sex offenders are not allowed to live within 2000 feet of a child care facility as well as a school.
Sex offenders that have committed crimes against a minor shall not "shall loiter on or within 500 feet of any property on which there is a school, child care facility, playground, park, athletic field or facility, or any other business or facility having a principal purpose of caring for, educating, or entertaining minors" (15-20-26 f ). These same sex offenders shall not "accept, maintain, or carry on any employment or vocation at or within 500 feet of a school, child care facility, playground, park, athletic field or facility, or any other business or facility having a principal purpose of caring for, educating, or entertaining minors" (15-20-26 g).
These laws are in place to keep our children safe. It is the responsibility of our local police to make sure that they are enforced! The county seems to be doing there job, so when will the SPD start doing theirs? Case in point... on 01/02/09, the SPD verified and allowed a man convicted of strong arm rape of a 13 year old girl to move 528 feet from the front door of Cedar Park School. There are sex offenders living too close to almost all of our Selma schools. I personally have contacted our police chief and NOTHING has been done about this in most of the cases. To date we still have 10 offenders in violation of the law.
Posted by rudy101 (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There is not even ONE shred of evidence where residency restrictions protect anyone. Everyone has an inherent "right" to be a part of a community. The ONLY way that can be curtailed is through the judicial branch of government. No legislature can pass any law that takes away the rights of anyone without judicial oversight. Most of the registry laws were passed ex post facto, in violation of Article 1, section 10 of the U.S. Constitution. All laws must protect. Those ideas are as old as law itself. These laws specifically do not protect the "offender", much less protect the community. It is axiomatic that no one has to follow laws that are passed in contravention of the U.S. Constitution and the ONLY proven consequences of the laws are the loss of safety and security for the offender. The Democratic process does NOT apply when it comes to rights of individuals. There are what they call, "checks and balances". If the community has an issue with anyone they must take it to COURT and have those issues "BALANCED" with the rights of the individual. This is how it is done. This is how a Constitutional Republic works. Ignore that and your laws can be ignored.
Posted by saveselma (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rudy101, I have a "right" to protect my children and will do so regardless of ANY LAW. Read out of that what you will....
Posted by soldierofgod (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at 8:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have a sex offender living in my block. We are only three blocks from the middle school. I looked at the website and this offender is in compliance with the law. Isn't three blocks a bit close and his crime was against a fourteen year girl. Why isn't the law doing it's job.
Posted by forever_lost_in_dixie (anonymous) on July 12, 2009 at 9:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
soldierofgod, the law states 2000 feet as the crow flies. This does not mean front door to front door. Use a GPS and chart from property corner to property corner. If this man is 1 foot short of that 2000 feet, call the police. If they will not listen, then call the AG Troy King! Some say that these laws do not work, I say the law is the law and if these men can not follow it then they can go back to jail!
Posted by rudy101 (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Saveselma, that sounds like an open ended threat against people that are listed on the registry; that is what I read into your response. And forever lost in dixie, laws are not laws, they must comport to the U.S. Constitution. Putting someone in jail because of a violation of an arbitrary line drawn by a legislature would be darn right Stalinist. And remember how the U.S. condemned practices very similar to this in the Soviet Union. This is not about dangerousness or recividism rates, but about process. If there is none before governmental action takes place then the governmental action is presumed to be illigitimate. These laws are illigitimate.
Posted by mccrary36703 (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well I think the laws concerning sex offenders are ligitimate. However I think they are not enforced in a sex offenders mind. I know sex offenders, and these men walk around people and live their lives like they are saints. They may live 2000 feet away from schools, daycare, etc.. However they associate with everyday people and married people with children like " I am human too" . I think that there should be some kind of a law that require some enforced therapy so that the offender is aware of the high nature of their crime.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 8:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you are a sex offender and living in my neighborhood, I don't care what liberal laws are there to protect you....I'm going to make your life hell. Matter of fact, you better call the pedophile, child molesting protectors called the ACLU to save you. If you are given rights to live among normal society after not adhering to constitutional laws to protect innocent children, then I have a right to protect my children at ALL cost. When you don't conform to the social norms of society, then that means I take matters into my own hand. In other words, you better stay inside.
Posted by rudy101 (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 10:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Eyeonyou: Nobody has to register with you threatening them. So you won´t know who is a pedophile or not. There is not a rational reason why you should get any access to the kind of information contained on a registry with your attitude. You are the reason the registry is failing. Keep up the good work. You make the laws incredible.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hahhah. What pedophile are you protecting? Let's examine your delusions:
#1 "Nobody has to register with you threatening them. So you won´t know who is a pedophile or not". YES, whether I hate pedophiles or not, THEY DO have to register...it's THE LAW.
#2 "There is not a rational reason why you should get any access to the kind of information contained on a registry with your attitude. You are the reason the registry is failing". By ALL MEANS am I prevy to that information. Not only am I prevy to that information, but I have a right to know whom is living inmy neighborhood that has been CONVICTED OF MOLESTING CHILDREN. As an adult and tax payer of the system, it is my responsibilty to protect my children from sicko wackjobs like these pedophiles that you seem to be protecting and speaking so highly of.
Matter of fact, if you fail to register as a sex offender, molestor or pedophile...then I am going to due my duty as a resposible citizen and child advocate to make sure you get your due diligence in the court system. There should be a law that forces these sicko wackjobs to posyt a sign on their house that they are a convicted child molestor to protect neighbors. There is NO CURE or REHAB PROCESS that will cure this sickness other than death.
Posted by Dogbert (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 12:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Few more comments: according to the Alabama Department of Public Safety's sex offender registry, there are not 88 registered offenders living in Dallas County; there are 98. Of that number, about 30% were convicted of crimes (sexual abuse, enticement, rape, sodomy) of a minor under the age of 12.
Another 35% to 40% or so were convicted of various offenses on older children - 16 seems to be a popular age. And a great many of those were Rape 2, which would generally indicate the victim was under the influence of alcohol or drugs and acting under impaired judgment. (I'd be willing to bet that in many of those cases the offender was also under the influence and acting under impaired judgment.)
7% of the the victims were male, one of the perpetrators was female.
While there were a few that did not contain any victim data, the remainder were largely crimes against grown women - aggravated rape, battery, etc.
Now, a couple of those involving younger children were noted as 2nd offense. At what point do you decide someone just needs to be locked up permanently?
On the other side, what purpose does it serve to place residential restrictions on someone whose crime was not against a child?
Posted by rudy101 (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
eyeonyou: Understand this: Nobody has to register under threat to their safety and/or security. You are not a responsible citizen. Your comments prove that. You really believe you have a "right" to know who is in your neighborhood so you can "make your life hell"? Your precious registry is failing. It is going down. It isn´t rational nor does it do anything that it is advertised to do. That "right" to know, is hardly absolute.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 2:03 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
http://community.dps.alabama.gov/Default...
Here is another link to watch for pervert losers.
Posted by bama (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rudy101, are you on the list and what for?
Posted by wccs2001 (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
do you all realize that some sex offenders are not violent, pedophiles or predators?
i.e. an 18 year old screws around with his 16 year old girlfriend. girlfriend's parents find out and press charges. 18 year old is convicted and is now a registered sex offender for statutory rape.
and some of the times, the state will throw in charges of child exploitation, endangerment or molestation to get a stiffer sentence than they would get for statutory rape.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 3:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Obviously I said something a little too true for this site. For you rudy101, I can't seem to figure out why you are on this site advocating for pedophiles rights? And yes, I have absolutely every right to know who lives in my neighborhood, just as well as I have the right to expose any sick individual that may live there. When that infringes upon my family and children to have a convicted perverted sicko living down the street or next door...then YES...I do have a right to know that my children are safe.
Because the one day that a child comes up missing and it isn't public knowledge for a convicted child molestor to reside in that neighborhood...then who's idiotic, backward way of thinking is going to come into play? Not mine. If you have children, may God bless them and keep them safe. It's obvious you could care less about their safety or liberty. Wow you are delusional!!!
Posted by Dogbert (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 4:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Eyeonyou, for whatever personal reasons you really seem to have serious sensitivities on this subject. Enough that your posts are becoming more and more abusive and venomous. I don't even remember now what was in the post that was deleted, but I'm thinking it probably contained some not thinly veiled threats. Which will get your posts tossed.
I personally would not shed a tear to see chemical castration made mandatory for repeat offenders *when an actual child is involved*. But the registry is tossing in people who quite literally harmed nobody in with people who are true degenerates. The residential restrictions are nearly impossible to maintain and on quite possibly unconstitutional. Perhaps you could turn your boundless energies towards other possible solutions more productive than re-enacting Salem.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 5:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have no pity for any of them. It's a personal decision based on nothing but treating people that are socially abnomal as "just that". There are laws and statutes that are black and white and easy to comprehend. If you break them, then you pay the consequence of being labeled. For the wccs kid on here, and you weren't aware of the law with 16 years olds? Obviosly you didn't, but her parents did.
I have no tolerence for people that prey on others. For this rudy101, you need to do a better job of explaining how no one should have a right to know who lives next door....whether convicted killer, child molester or the town nun. Maybe this is one of the reasons why the crime rate in Selma is sky high. No one cares to who is living in their neighborhoods.
Posted by saveselma (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 6:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rudy101, my comment was meant as a promise to do all in my power to protect my children from a sex offender... it wasn't a threat.... just a promise. I can identify with eyeonyou. My job keeps me in contact with children who have been molested and abused. I am passionate about that part of my job. If you had seen and heard some of the stuff I had seen and heard (which is NOTHING compared to what the children had to endure) I would hope you would feel the same way.
Honestly, some domestic and endangered animals have more rights than our children.
rudy101, if you ARE a sex offender who has abused children (and I can think of no other reason for your outspoken beliefs for their "precious" rights) then it is between you and God. If you come near my children with intent to do them harm, I will do all in my power to protect them and make sure you don't get a second chance to mark the steps off from a school so that you can harm another child. I am dead serious.
Posted by Dogbert (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 8:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
C'mon, eye... 'socially abnormal'? That's a bit of a broad stroke, don't you think? Does someone with a cognitive disability who does not function at their chronological age fit your perception of 'socially normal'? Are you the final authority on what is 'normal'? (No, I'm not saying a 50 year old having sex with a 16 year old is normal - just picking at your choice of words.)
As far as wccs is concerned, look at the number of pregnancies in Dallas Co. every year to girls 16yo and younger. Are you implying that everyone of those pregnancies is the result of a rape? Did none of those girls actively participate in the actions that got them in the family way? When you try to legislate morality, you catch a lot of unintended fish in that net.
Posted by wccs2001 (anonymous) on July 13, 2009 at 11:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
you are misreading me, dogbert
i'm saying statutory rape should not be a sex offense just because of that. there are two participants. and unless the child is mentally incapable of saying yes (as an 8 year old would be), then it should not be classified as rape. to me, there is a big difference between a 50 year old man who has sex with a 16 year old, and an 18/16 year old couple. in adult society, it's perfectly fine for there to be a two year difference in a relationship. but 50 years? /that/ is a pedophile manipulating a hormonal or emotionally needy teenager.
and eyeonyou, i'm not some kid. honestly, your sentence makes no sense to me... ((For the wccs kid on here, and you weren't aware of the law with 16 years olds? Obviosly you didn't, but her parents did))
Posted by Dogbert (anonymous) on July 14, 2009 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, actually you misread me, wccs - I was replying to eye's comment on your post... my comment was meant for eye and was intended to defend your position. I have a sister who has been married to the same man for over 25 years. They started dating when she was 15 and he was 18. He could have been locked up under the laws of the state we lived in many times over before she turned 18. Eye would have this guy convicted as a sub-human sex offender, ostracized and branded for life, and banned from 99% of our families get-togethers. Instead, he's a successful businessman and my daughters can go and spend the night with my nieces.
Posted by rudy101 (anonymous) on July 14, 2009 at 9:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
By making a person an outcast, unable to normally relate to the community or even their family society is making the community LESS safe. That has been proven. Community notification has been proven ONLY to harass, banish and put fear into offenders. Those consequences are illegal. It has never been shown to protect. The U.S. Constitution protects criminals. When a person commits a crime they all of a sudden have "rights" that others do not have. Like, Due Process of Law, the right to an attorney, bail, presumption of innocence, prohibitions on double punishments, and prohibitions on ex-post facto laws, etc. Legistlatures cannot make these type of banishment laws without court supervision. All you get are ridiculous outcomes and where people believe they can become community vigilantes. Doesn´t anyone understand the basic concept that laws must protect EVERYONE? That means even criminals are protected under the U.S. Constitution, even specifically so. Again, only idiots would believe they can pass laws that put people´s safety and security at risk. Why would anyone follow laws like that? You have a system of "checks and balances." Anyone can challenge their designation, because the consequences of the designation are a loss of the "liberty interest" in being a functioning part of the community. If laws don´t allow any challenge, then your laws are illegitimate. It's that simple.
Posted by saveselma (anonymous) on July 14, 2009 at 3:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rudy101,
"By making a person an outcast, unable to normally relate to the community or even their family society is making the community LESS safe"
I didn't make a person an outcast, unable to normally relate to the community or even their family.....
Sex offenders do all of that themselves. How do we as citizens do those things to sex offenders?
They chose their actions and have to live with the consequences. Simple as that.
Posted by wccs2001 (anonymous) on July 14, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lol. ok. dogbert. so we actually agree. ha.
Posted by mccrary36703 (anonymous) on July 14, 2009 at 4:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
People the bottom line is that it is good that the public is aware of there surrounding. People that go around and commit crimes, like murder, robbery, and assult will let everybody know they did this. The reason is because they want everybody to know that they are bad, out of fear. We the people must be aware of our environment just like driving on the expressway. When you are on the road you are driving for everybody. You must keep your eye on the road, in order to make it down the road. There are drunk drivers people are having heart attacks and all kinds of stuff. I see eyeonyou point but as citizens we cannot take the law into our hands unless you or your family is under attack. I mean just hearing the word sex offender will send a rush to your brains like you are on death roll. People nerves begin to go crazy. So the law says just look out for you and yours and protect yourself because the law can only do a portion to protect you.
Post a comment (Terms of Use Policy)
(Requires free registration.)