Readers of The Selma Times-Journal today will find the last installment of the sexual predator story. We include in this story today photographs, known addresses, convictions and the last time the addresses were verified by law enforcement officials.

This series is not an attempt to hurt anyone or trample on anyone’s rights, as some have accused the newspaper of doing.

The Selma Times-Journal has taken on this task to keep the community informed. Too many times we forget there are predators living among us. We go about our daily lives with seeming disregard for our safety many times.

On the other hand, this is not an attempt to create false paranoia among people living in Dallas County. Not every person in our neighborhoods is evil or out to harm someone else.

The men and women listed on the sex offender registry for this county have committed crimes, many of them against children or teenagers. The individuals on the registry have gone to prison and now must live with this stigma for the remainder of their lives.

Some sexual offenders have asked, “When will I stop paying for this?”

This is the answer: Sexual offenders should be reminded every day of the hurt they caused families and other individuals. It is a fitting punishment, considering the crime.