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Sexual offender registry... what would you do?
I decided to look up the sexual offender registry and see what came up in the neighborhood we're considering. Three people came up and all of them are child-related (child solicitation, child molestation, and performing sexual conduct in the presence of a minor). Two of them were convicted 8+ years ago, but one was in 2011.
Would this deter you from buying in the neighborhood? It makes me so uneasy, but I know that we don't really know the background of these people (or anyone we're moving in next to, really). A friend pointed out that at least these people are publicly known and will be watched and that unknown, unconvicted predators could be anywhere.
Ugh. Would you let this deter you from buying a house in the neighborhood? It's considered to be a good town with great schools and low crime.
Re: Sexual offender registry... what would you do?
I'm a newbie but I work with a lot of children that have been sexually abused.
The majority (not all) sexual abuse cases of children are committed by relatives of the child. With that in mind it could have been that these offenders offended children that they knew and had access to. I'm not saying you shouldn't be concerned but if you are confident in your level of supervision of your children and you like the neighborhood/house you should be fine. Just how close are the offenders? Same block? Within how many miles? That would be of concern as well, especially with the person who solicited a child, in that case they could have solicited a child who was out in public and that would be very concerning to me.
This exactly. You can't control who potentially moves in next to you after you close and at least they are regestering. It's the ones who haven't registered or been caught that you should be worried about! I wouldn't go be best friends with any of these people but just keep an eye out on your (and kids) surroundings as you would anyway.
It would not factor into my decision at all.
Like others have mentioned, the block could fill up with resitered sex offenders after you close. You just can't predict or prevent such neighbors.
I'd keep an extra eye on that person, but as long as your kids have adequate supervision, I wouldn't be any more worried than usual.
For what it's worth - there are many people who register under one address (a friend or relative) and actually live at another (usually in a place where they are not allowed to be, near a school or park). The registry is a good start, but it is by no means inclusive of all offenders. It could also include offenders who don't actually live there any longer (if ever). Personally, I'd feel more comfortable living in an area where I know they are allowed to live, and will register, than in a place where they might be living illegally.
Couldn't do it. The "what-if" scenario would play too heavily in my head. And, I'd be continually asking myself, "How would I feel if something horrible happened to DS or DD?" That's just me, though. I couldn't knowingly move onto a street with a registered sex offender just like I couldn't knowingly move into a home that had mold in it and I couldn't knowingly move into a flood zone or next to land zoned for industrial use...
I realize there is no control over what happens after I close on a home. But, I can truly control my home buying choice.
Also, I'd be more likely to be okay with someone living a mile away, but not on the same street...just me though.
Complete. absolute. deal-breaker.
I'm house hunting now and there are cute houses in my price range but they are in a small pocket in the worst part of town (worse school and highest crime, for an overall low crime town). Whenever my mom says "oh look at this new listing online" I check the location and say, "nope it's in the sexual offender neighborhood" because those streets light up with cases left and right like a Christmas tree.
Another nice neighborhood had one sexual offender living there - though it made me uneasy, I still would have bought, because the area was safe.good schools.
Do you have a sense of the concentration of sex offenders in other neighborhoods? Is there a high concentration just in that neighborhood? If you're planning on selling this home in the future, remember that this will be an issue for others as well.
It's a tough call in any case. I find that there are more of them in condo or townhome developments. There was one within a mile of one of the houses we looked at and even that made me a bit concerned.
If there are a few and they're low level offenders - not a deal breaker at all. Many of those on the list are there because his/her boyfriend/girlfriend was underage and they got caught.
If it was a street full of serious offenders - no way.
I agree with this. There are plenty of perverts out there who aren't on the list. One of DH's college friends was arrested for seducing a middle-schooler, and got off with probation. He was not required to register. The bottom line is you need to be aware of people interacting with your kids, whether they are on a list or not.
This exactly.
To those of you who are saying it would be a deal breaker: Check your current zip code in the registry, if you dare.
FYI: Sex offenders are everywhere.
Yes. Also to consider - some of these cases could be an adult who had consensual sex with a 16 year old. Definitely not right and they deserved to be punished - but also probably little threat to you or your child.
This. It always amazes me that people freak out about the ones that a) got caught and b) actually register. Yep, lets all worry about the people that weren't crafty enough to not get caught and convicted or the ones crafty enough to not reigster themselves.
I just did and it turns out that there is one sex offender in our zip code and he lives in OUR complex two buildings away. Good thing we're renting and don't have to sell the place!
Lurker here:
I agree 100%, many of these people are put on the list with very minor (in my eyes) crimes. Some of them could be people who peed on a building while drunk or whacked off in their car and got caught. I figure if they are low level crimes and it is a nice neighborhood I wouldn't bat an eye.
This comes from having a family member on the list who was charged due to being at the wrong place wrong time and isn't a sexual predator at all. They already have enough stigma attached to them.