Last week a woman knocked on the door at 8pm. I was a little leary since I wasn't expecting company. As soon as I opened the door the woman started to ramble and point to some papers she was waving around.
I immediately shuddered when I realized that the woman was talking about a convicted child molester. She showed me his picture and pointed down the street.
My brain processed the house number and I became aware that the address was just 3 houses away from ours and on the same side of the street. I can see him in his back yard when I'm in mine. Ugh...
The woman went on to say that the sleaze had a conviction for first degree sexual assault (meaning penetration) on a minor less than 13 years old. I found out later that the child was 11.
The neighbor lady had taken it upon herself to talk to the police first to find out her rights as far as notifying the neighbors. Since this information is listed on the Michigan State Police Sexual Offenders Website, it is perfectly legal to inform others. She had seen the girls and knew that they lived close and wanted us to know that we should be on the lookout.
Unfortunately, this guy committed this offense in Illinois and served his probation before moving. He isn't in violation of any laws since he registered with the state.
Now, I'm left feeling like my children are prisioners in their own home. I don't want them playing outside at all and especially not in the back yard where we have a pool.
The stupid part is that he's lived there since October. We've been totally oblivious to this for almost a year.
After checking out the Sexual Offenders Registry, I found that there are 117 creeps in our zip code. There are six zip codes (at least) in our city so this is just the tip of the iceburg.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
This Makes Me Want to Throw Up
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11 comments:
You should be able to check your county sheriff website too.
I check mine all the time, not just for child molestors, but for anyone convicted of a sex crime. The are two that live three streets over from mine.
I am sorry your children have to live in lock down mode. You may want to join this lady and inform others. She was kind for letting you know. I could go on, but don't want to scare you even more. Just keep an eye out. Know where your kids are at all times. It's sad because your children have earned your trust and you want them to have lives. Just tell them the truth as to why you need to know where they are at all times. They in turn can inform their friends. Everyone needs to know!
I have one living about 3 tenths of a mile away and another about a mile and half away. Both are living in apartments. Luckily I don't have kids but it amazes me that someone can move in right next to you and unless you keep checking you will never know.
To bad it is not set up like when a person has been convicted. When they get out of jail/prison the vicitim can get an email to let them know the status change. They could set that up for the offenders list with a little effort but not to bad.
Sorry to hear about the situation there. You have to be going crazy about your kids.
SG~Your girls are smart...remind them STRONGLY about the rules of strangers, and men they don't know. If it makes you feel better, tell them to avoid him in particular, but don't keep them on lockdown. It's not fair to them. And while I truly believe you can't rehabilitate pedophiles, he's done his time and has the right to live wherever he wants. Just keep an eye out and leave him alone.
How did you find out the child was only 11? The bad thing about the registry is that it's very vague. It doesn't tell you when someone committed the crime, or what the circumstances were. Many men on the registry were young men that had the misfurtune of having girlfriends just under the age of consent and parents prosecuted. Obviously 11 doesn't fit into that category, but I just give a friendly warning that you don't know the details....don't get yourself into trouble over this man.
Jumping down off my soapbox, and NOT a defender of the perverted.
I don't think your girls need to be prisoners. But I do think they need to be aware of this deviant. An extra watchful eye is certainly indicated.
We have one who lives one block up from us. I don't let my children outside alone-at all!
I am going to check out my neighborhood right now!
.. you cant let him living so close bother your childrens lives.. just be extra watchful...
I know thats hard to do.. but you dont want them growing up remembering being closeted away because of the scary bad man down the street...
just watch the bastard
Jenn, we don't have these publicly viewable registers over here. I wish we did.
It seems the convicted child offenders have more rights over here than their victims. It sickens me to the core.
You cant let him ruin your lives, be vigilant but don't make your lives a misery, although I know you must be terribly worried.
I'll try to dig up the website I use to periodically check out such criminals. You can actually pull up a map with dots color-coded by specific crime.
You can also type in certain addresses and schools to determine where the criminals currently live.
Granted many people in that population are transient, but I think people would be shocked to learn how easily sex offenders of all kinds blend into neighborhoods.
It's so scary to think about your children out in the world faced with danger..........how do we ever learn to let go?
I'm with you, I wouldn't want them alone outside at all
We have one here, and it lists their place of employement too.
Sickening, no doubt.
Be careful not to imprison the girls, but use this as a tool to teach them just exactly what a monster can look like. Your next door neighbor, a normal looking person.
Good luck....
When I first moved to my apartment 5 years ago I would get all kinds of matter of fact calls for a person to call this number that it was very important. as time went by, i would inform these people who i thought were bill collectors that said person did not live here and i would tell them how long i lived at that #. it went on for a couple years, although by the end (it's been about 3 years since I was called), it was much less frequent. sometimes other people speaking spanish would call for her in the middle of the night and when i spoke english they knew something was amiss. i was oblivious to who this person was until i checked the local offender site to see who lived near me and low and behold...
this woman was on the list.
it's a messed up world.
it's even more messed up when the good people have to live in fear of the bad ones.
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