Millions of parents, employers, and others are concerned about sex offenders living in their neighborhoods. It is imperative that a citizen has the right to find identifying location information on sex offenders where they reside, work, and go to school.
There is a debate on Forbes about sex offender registries value and whether or not they actually protect citizens.
Understand that a sex predator is “normalâ€. It’s their version of normal. It’s the way they are wired. This breed of human may look like you and I, they often appear to act like us, but their thought process is one that differs significantly from ours. They have an entirely different set of boundaries that doesn’t equate to what most people agree to as proper. Talk to any psychologist or psychiatrist and they will tell you there are many versions of what normal is.
Sex offender registries have been around for over a decade and are often decentralized public and private resources.
For more than 50 years, states like California have required sex offenders to register with their local law enforcement agencies. However, information on the whereabouts of these sex offenders was not available to the public until the implementation of the Child Molester Identification Line in July 1995. The information available was further expanded by California’s Megan’s Law in 1996 (Chapter 908, Stats. of 1996). Since that time sex offender registries have popped up in every state and federally.
Some argue that people who end up on the different registries that were accused of crimes such as urinating in public, or an 18 year old having consensual sex with a 17 year old is a reason why the sex offender registries need to be abolished. I agree that laws need to be revamped and some sex offenders need to be re-categorized, But the mere fact that we have hundreds of thousands of living breathing predators in our midst, it’s definitely necessary to take a head count and keep tabs on their whereabouts.
Robert Siciliano is a Personal Security Expert and Adviser to
8 users commented in " Sex Offender Registry: Good or Bad? "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackIdentity theft is a serious crime too
Real sexual predators shold be in prison for life
There is no need for registry. Low level offenders should be removed.
If you need group of pariahs to blame and curse
go back in time in 1933 germany
Good luck
Research by Minnesota and Colorado Dept of Correction has revealed that the Registry doesn’t prevent sexual abuse. They do more to create unfounded fear and paranoia. At no time has the registry saved a child. The registry gives us one more reason to violate law-abiding former offenders and costs us 100s of millions of dollars in sending them back to prison when most of them are low-risk. The registry also has been helpful for vigilantes who use it to murder people, harass family members, and for the purpose of humiliation. All of these do not allow for successful re-entry.
I think that most “normal” men are attracted to women period. Since when is being attracted to a 16 year old, who looks 22, being “wired differently”? Many teens have lied about their age, and the young man is branded for life. A consensual act with a teen is much different than someone who touches a child. And those who do touch a child, are in prison for many years. I do not consider such consensual acts a threat to society. Punish them, but they should not be required to register and have the rest of their lives ruined.
We really need to evaluate who we place on a registry. Currenly, we have blanket laws which don’t make sense, and the cost will eventually eat up all other valuable services. These are feel good laws that don’t protect us. They are destroying many children’s lives who are related to someone one the registry.
Ask yourself this: How many men in our society have dated someone under 18? So what if we locked them all up and put everyone of them on the registry? Would that make us safer? Who would be left to pay taxes, support their families? I dated my husband of 38 years when I was under 18. Do I now report him for touching me? How far is this going to go?
And how many false accusations are out there? Once someone makes an accusation, it is not that easy to defend yourself. How many women going through a divorce find it an easy way to gain custody of minor chidren? Okay, so it most likely doesn’t happen much, but it does happen!
If you have sons, they are in grave danger in our society. Some of them will end up on a registy. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
I think that most “normal” men are attracted to women period. Since when is being attracted to a 16 year old, who looks 22, being “wired differently”? Many teens have lied about their age, and the young man is branded for life. A consensual act with a teen is much different than someone who touches a child. And those who do touch a child, are in prison for many years. I do not consider such consensual acts a threat to society. Punish them, but they should not be required to register and have the rest of their lives ruined.
We really need to evaluate who we place on a registry. Currenly, we have blanket laws which don’t make sense, and the cost will eventually eat up all other valuable services. These are feel good laws that don’t protect us. They are destroying many children’s lives who are related to someone on the registry.
Ask yourself this: How many men in our society have dated someone under 18? So what if we locked them all up and put everyone of them on the registry? Would that make us safer? Who would be left to pay taxes, support their families? I dated my husband of 38 years when I was under 18. Do I now report him for touching me? How far is this going to go?
And how many false accusations are out there? Once someone makes an accusation, it is not that easy to defend yourself. How many women going through a divorce find it an easy way to gain custody of minor chidren? Okay, so it most likely doesn’t happen much, but it does happen!
If you have sons, they are in grave danger in our society. Some of them will end up on a registy. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
finally some people who are not scared to express themselves for what they really know and believe. I know a couple of people men and women) who are on the “registry” and they should NOT be. I believe the registry should be used for Predators and repeat offenders only. Not statutory rape (which is a misnomer) or teenage lust. Especially when both instances are mutually consensual and harmless.
ericjham does know some people on the registery, including himself…
http://www.forsythsheriff.org/sexoffender/search.php?id=192
A man in his 40’s getting a minor drunk and having sex with her is NOT my definition of ‘consensual and harmless’.
its time to stand up and tell your politicians you are tired of them spending your taxes on policies which don’t bear any fruit. its time to pull the plug on the registry, public notification, CORI after five years. you want to allow non dangerous non violent people to work, get married live decent lives and you dont want to stand in the way of people doing that. there is no proof that public notification prevents crimees, there is no proof that megans law saves lives, there is no proof that cori saves lives. its time to abolish any law that feeds on hatred. its time to end discrimination to people who had the misfortune of being misrepresented by their lawyers. its time to end slavery. we will as of this day free 747,000 americans from the scarlet letter and let them be good citizens again. we will not punish twice people who have already paid their debts to society. we will not listen to people like john walsh, who’s kid was never sexually abused in the first place, and people who are no better than any of us. This is the land of the free and home of the brave. It’s time to make democracy work for all Americans in this country right now. Goodbye background chekcs, goodbye homeland security. i ask all people involved in this business of over-punishment to resign from your jobs today and have these ex post facto laws removed immediately. all of them. people are safe from everybody except from law enforcement, politicians, lawmakers, and public safety advocateds. its time to step down and give people their freedom back. freedom to work, find a place to live, freedom to interact with others, make a contribution to their neighborhoods, and blend back into society without further ado. Let freedom reign.
I don’t see how Sex Offender Registries make anyone safer. My cousin moved into a neaborhood thinking it was free of sex offenders, his daughter was killed from astay bullet meant for a gang member next door.
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