Knowledge is power
As part of my job, I go through press releases from local law enforcement agencies and rewrite them for publication. It is depressing how many of these involve sexual predators.
On a daily basis we receive 3-4 releases for offenders registering new addresses. In these, scant detail is given about the offense for which they were convicted. Typically it involves children 16 and under. It is sickening. What really pisses me off is that in almost all of the mug shots these creeps are smiling.
It is crucial that as parents we educate ourselves as best we can to protect our children.
One way to do this is to know who lives in your neighborhood. There are numerous Web sites that allow you to search databases for sexual predators/offenders. I did a search once and found at least a dozen convicted pedophiles living within five miles of my home.
I signed up with my local county sheriff’s department for predator alerts. When a sexual predator moves within a mile of my home, I get a notification from the SO. Many local agencies, sheriff or police, have similar alert programs. Call to find out if your local agencies offer this service.
I have received three such alerts in the past couple of years. Pisses me off.
The first time I did a predator search I found a face that I recognized. He was the father of one of martial arts students. I was stunned. These predators can be anyone.
Here are some more invaluable tools:
Family Watchdog – You enter your home address and it generates a map showing where sexual offenders both live and work in reference to your home and area schools.
National Sexual Offender Public Web site - a national database of registered sexual offenders. You can search by state, city, zip code or offender’s name.
Crimes Against Children (FBI) – a lot of very useful information about how to protect your children from sexual predators, cybercrime, and abduction.
Knowledge is power.
this is one of those hot button topics and likely why the movie ‘little children’ was such a great one. people tend to either remain ignorant (sometimes by choice, like me) or are on the side of the fence you are (educate and know who to watch out for). Personally, at this moment in time when I watch everything she does and with everyone, I’m going to choose to not know. But give her some independence out in the world, where I’m not there to grab her arm from straying into traffic (or a vehicle) and my email box will be full of alert sign ups.
Do you know what pisses me off? This information is not available in Canada..at least since the last time I checked.
Something similar happened to me. I found out that a female acquaintance was on the list. I saw her a few times during the year at my parent’s boat club. The last time I saw her, I told her in no uncertain terms to stay the hell away from my kids. It’s super scary.
Thanks for introducing yourself to my friend. You rock.
Kelly – you make a great point. There are lots of women predators too, just look to all the news reports lately about teachers molesting their students. It’s not love, it’s abuse!
So true! I live right across the street from my son’s middle school, which turned out to be a good thing. We saw there was a sex offender living in our neighborhood, and I guess living a certain proximity from a school is not allowed, so it got him kicked out for good.
Nissa – Where I work, the city council passed an ordinance that restricts convicted sexual offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school, public bus stop, day care center, park, playground or any other place where children regularly congregate. As small as the town is, that basically banned a sexual predator from living anywhere inside the city limits.
Great topic! Thanks for the info…
Big YIKES about the guy you recognized! That’s frightening!
I looked @ Family Watchdog before and noticed that at our old home there were 3 men registered on our street. I hated the vagueness of their convictions though – I needed details. When they had experiences with children under 16, how old were they? I don’t really care if they were 18 or 19 – but 30 or 50?
I need details!!
What a sad society we live in. But I think on it this way: at least we are empowered by the technology which affords us of the right to know where these individuals are living and working. If it would have been even back 100-200 years ago, we wouldn’t be as lucky.
It is scary how many predators can live within a few miles of you. Unfortunately knowing who they are does not keep you safe.
One of my part-time Holiday helpers last year was a full time social worker that worked with kids that had been sexually abused. She told me that the majority of assaults are by people that you know. Predators tend to “groom” their victims over time.
I try to constantly have talks with my kids to make sure they understand what to look out for. We also try to make sure we know where they are and who they are with.
I remember as a child being able to play outside all day without my parents worrying. Times have changed. It’s disheartening!
Bad Momma – You’re right. According Dept. of Justice statistics, 93 percent of juvenile victims knew their attacker. About 34 percent were family members, and the other 59 percent were acquaintances. Only 7 percent were strangers.
Maria – Once you get a name or address from Family Watchdog, you can go to the National Registry and usually get a more detailed profile.
Thanks for posting this. I hate HATE that these sites are necessary, but they are.
@Bad Momma – You are so right. My how the times have changed.
Oooof… Thanks for the info. I don’t want to think about it, but I know I have to.
The topic of sexual predators is a frightening one, but concerned parents like the ones who write on your blog may have a great deal more power than they realize.
Perhaps the most important thing that parents can do is to create a you’ll-never-get-away-with-it climate, so that those contemplating sex crimes against a child come to believe that they will be arrested, indicted and incarcerated if they molest a youngster.
To create this type of environment, parents need to make VERY CLEAR to anyone who hears them that they will report “inappropriate” behavior to law enforcement or a mandated reporter (these are state licensed individuals like teachers, nurses, dentists, social workers who are required to report a child in danger of criminal assault), no matter who the perpetrator might be. This “hardens the target” so that it becomes more dangerous for a criminal to try to groom and seduce a child into sexual submission.
Thank you so much for posting this. I hate to even think about this but it is just simply too important to ignore. I checked and don’t have anyone in my area. I guess it helps to have a police station a block over.
Sometimes I truly do wish I could put my daughter in a bubble.
Really helpful tools. Thanks so much for sharing the info and the links. I’ve bookmarked them all and will use them!
Lauren – Thank you for that great advice.
Thanks for the info. I think I looked up some under Megans Law or something like that awhile ago. I printed a bunch that live within 15 miles of my home but it’s so hard because I don’t know if I’d ever recognize them in real life. I am sure they look less scuzzy than their jail shots. Still, it is scary to know that there are so many out there and you never know if your child is their next prey. I just want to keep my babies safe, all locked up in my house, forever! Ah, but of course we can’t do that. I guess I have to just keep talking with them to make sure they understand the dangers.
Great information and links. I keep such a tight rein on my boys even in the neighborhood. It’s just too dangerous out there.
Thanks for a timely, needed post.
Great information. It got me thinking that anyone can do things such as this!
what great information. i’m going to check out some of those sites! i like to know who is living in my neighborhood…
you know whats funny…regarding my wordless wednesday…people that have never been to my blog so they don’t have any clue about my personality…they never know how to take it, when i post stuff like that! here i am, thinking i’m hilarious…and wordless wednesday people don’t know what to do with me!! funny stuff!
xoxo
Sometimes, it seems like half the world is up to no good these days! Where I live, there are several pedophiles and sex predators; both known and suspected. It can wear a person out trying to keep up with this. I’m a pretty liberal person, but I have to say when it comes to crimes against children I am all for capital punishment the first time one of them is caught. Thanks for posting the links…it’s really important that we know who is living amongst us!
Thanks for the links, scary stuff.
You beat me to it. I was going to post something very similar on our site. We have do an Amber Alert post however.
I agree with you 99.99999999 percent. There are a few cases however where the offender is an 18 year old male, and the female “victim” is 17 3/4 years old. The father of the girl gets upset that she is having sex and turns the guy in a few days after his 18th birthday. I don’t believe the registries should be used in this manner, but it is looking like there are quite a few of these instances. Before you set fire to your pedophile neighbors house, make sure of the particulars.
Great post! Thanks for getting the links out.
Mike – Unfortunately your right about how the system is sometimes used for the wrong reasons. I agree judges should be able to use their authority to address vindictive prosecution when ruling on predator/offender status.
Hey, thanks for this! I work alot with young ones from our church and thier parents: your info & sites you gave will come in handy. Our church is very involved in youth interveintion and other things.
Thank you for this — a great service. Here I was just blog hoppin and I got all educated and stuff…
-Virtual Varmint