This does not sit well with me...

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#42
Let me tell you a little story:

My last year in college, I moved into some brand new duplexes built onto a dead-end street right outside the city part of Hammond, LA. I thought it would be great because they had no issues with me having my dogs, and there seemed to be lots of people my age moving in.

About a month after I moved in, I got a new neighbor. I remember vividly the day he walked across the front lawn area to introduce himself. I was standing outside with Wrigley, my 90+lb Shar Pei/Cane Corso. While Wrigley was very intimidating in looks-wise, he had never so much as growled at a person. Well, as the guy approached, Wrigley watched him like a snake watches its prey. Next thing I knew, Wrigley had placed himself in front of me between my legs, and was pressing back against me forcing me to take a few steps backwards. He had his hackles raised, and was emitting the most horrific growl I had ever heard out of dog. Let's put it this way: even though he had a typical Shar Pei head/muzzle, he had those lips lifted so high you could see the gleam of white off each and every tooth.

Needless to say, the guy stopped approaching, and just introduced himself as "Josh", my new neighbor and chef at Copeland's in Metarie. I was so shaken by Wrigley that I just said hello and excused us.

I lived there for 9 months, and Wrigley never let him get close to me or my front door. Because of Wrig's behavior, I never really liked or trusted Josh, but he seemed alright. All of us on the street used to even have "neigborhood" suppers together (although never at my apartment).

About 3 months after I moved out, I found out he exposed himself to my neighbor's (across the street) 6-yr-old son. This was done during one of those neighborhood dinners, and he actually had the nerve to do it while sitting in the living room while the women were right there in the kitchen (open concept...completely open to the living room). I know he was arrested, but I then lost contact with my neighbor (I had moved back to Baton Rouge).

Fast forward many more months, after I was married, and one night while watching the local news, I saw police had captured the man impersonating an officer and pulling women over on I-55 (an interstate over a bayou) and raping them. I nearly choked on my own tongue when they flashed the mugshot on my t.v. screen: it was my old neighbor! His name certainly wasn't "Josh", and turns out he was a convicted child molester, who had already served time for molesting a 7-yr-old boy (before the incident with my former neighbor's son). The system had "lost" him for a short time, as he moved without notifying where he moved to-the other half of my duplex.

I fully believe that Wrigley saved my life. My APBTs were no real deterrent, as they liked everyone. But "Josh" always tried to engage me in conversation, and he always invited me over to eat with him and his girlfriend, but because of Wrigley's reaction to him every time upon seeing him, I always declined. I can only imagine what could have happened to me had I not had Wrigley there to warn me as to this guy's true character.

(bogart, you may remember the story of the I-55 rapist guy)

So yes, on one hand I understand not freaking out, but on the other hand, a person who has committed such acts isn't immune from branching out into other acts of force, domination, and/or perversion.

There's no way I would sit back and let a sex offender peacefully lived next to me. One of us would be gone. Period. And spare me the lectures and eyerolls. I refuse to take the chance with one of my boys.
THAT is a terrifying story...my god.
 

Dakotah

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#43
Mia - that is a terrifying story. Thank God for your dog! And I never heard about the I-55 rapist. That is scary itself.

Mom is going to the sheriff's department tomorrow to talk with them.

The guy who told me about our neighbor being a sex offender, is a good friend of mine. Apparently his dad called another couple out here that has 3 boys that are 10 and under, and told them about our neighbor. Our neighborhood is small and EVERY house can be seen from everyone's front porch. There is about 20 houses out here.

Lets just say the mom of the 3 boys was NOT so happy. Her husband is in the Army Reserves and his unit is getting deployed 2 weeks from this coming up Tuesday. She is a very cautious woman anyways due to one of her kids already being molested while in school when he was 6 (he is 10 now) so this did not sit well with her.
She called me today to come to her house and talk. So we talked, I showed her where I found the guy and all that jazz. Her husband said that while he was deployed that his wife & 3 sons would be staying as her mom's house until he got back then they would be moving.
To some, she is taking it to far, but when you have a son that has already been molested, I think she has every right to be a bit more paranoid than most.
 

Paige

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#44
I'd be gone so fast if a sex offender moved in beside me. I have been sexually abused and I have children. It's bad enough not knowing what people are capable of but if I did... well other people can give that person a second chance. It's not going to be me.
 

Dakotah

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#45
I'd be gone so fast if a sex offender moved in beside me. I have been sexually abused and I have children. It's bad enough not knowing what people are capable of but if I did... well other people can give that person a second chance. It's not going to be me.
Yea that's how I feel.
I think everyone in this neighborhood will know he is a sex offender soon. And 95% of the people out here have kids. So either everyone out here is moving out or the guy who owns all this land and most of the houses will find out & he will ask the S.O. to leave. Idk if land lord's can do that, so I won't say for sure if that will happen. But mom and ken (step dad) have already said they are glad they are moving in July or else they would be moving sooner.
 

Zhucca

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#46
Maybe I'm being naive...


but frankly I would not care. My opinion on child molesters, like most, is very very negative. But seriously how many people are you going to go out of your way to avoid? Where are they supposed to live? You're aware of his past now and your family's job is to just be vigilant about what the children are doing, which I'm sure, is not anything different than how you've been with them so far.

People with bad intentions can find you whether they live next to you, down the block, or across the city. People with criminal pasts are all over the place. Be smart, and have common sense. Unless this dude was outwardly being creepy and inappropriate, I'd stay put if I were in the situation.
 

Hillside

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#47
At least you aren't sharing a building with him...this thread made me check the registry...apparently my directly upstairs neighbor is a sex offender...and not the creepy older guy, it's the younger, not creepy guy.
 
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#48
Sigh, just looked mine up again as its been awhile. More have moved in...one just a couple doors down. Convicted of having child pornography and then a block away, a 53 year old (at time of conviction) 1st degree molestation of a 12 year old. There are plenty more too, and I live in a fine area. (Also a rapist several blocks away and a bunch of other more "minor" offenses all around)

This is the thing...I can not move anywhere were this is not going to be the case, you know?
 

Kimbers

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#49
Our neighbor three doors down is a sex offender. (Not the only one in the neighborhood, but the closest.)
Anyway, I used to think it was just for some trivial or minor charge because he lives within a mile of the elementary and middle schools.
Until he started saying things that could only be taken as sexual to my sister and I...
Thank God for giant fluffy GSD's that seem to know a creep when they see one!
 

PlottMom

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#50
What registry are you guys looking at/how are you searching?!?

The closest dude I found is 1.3 miles away, but no idea what he did.
 
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#51
I just did a search for MO sex offenders and the page came up. You type in your street or address and it gives you a map of all the registered sex offenders within the radius you pick. Then each on gives information on the conviction, the victim (age), and offender.
 

Jules

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#52
I would definitely find out, for sure, what he did before letting the whole neighborhood know that there's a sex offender living there.
 

Brattina88

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#53
I think it depends on the laws in your area. When my brother and I were minors a sherriff brought a flier to the door whenever one moved in close to us. Once I hit 18 (even though he was still under) we did not get any more fliers, but that didn't mean any more didn't move nearby. It just meant they didn't have to give them to us anymore. I still occasionally check the website. You could sign up for e-mail alerts too
At the day care I work at, we get fliers when one moves within a certain mile radius (I dont know the exact number off the top of my head). Every now and then, I flip through them just to be observant and aware (facial recognition). And yes I see them when I'm shopping and stuff, outside of work.
But its a pretty thick packet, lots of people. Both men and women, young and old.

they're everywhere.

The only difference is, now you know.
And just think, those are just the registered offenders. How many have never been caught? Or convicted? Or how many have moved and failed to check in correctly... and so on, and so forth
 

joce

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#54
I have not read the entire thread but your local sheriff site should have a link to let you view local offenders. They are listed in tiers depending on what they did. Here in Ohio no one is convicted for being 18 and sleeping with a 16 yr old. There must be a four year differance.

It's disturbing how many are out there. You have to be alert. Working where I do I want to scream protect yourself and any child because that can never be taken back with any amount of therapy or medication. I have heard some sick things.
 

Miakoda

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#55
I would definitely find out, for sure, what he did before letting the whole neighborhood know that there's a sex offender living there.
The neighborhood has the right to know regardless of what crime was committed to warrant a title of sex offender. Don't want people to know you're a sex offender? Don't become one.

I signed up for email alerts for a 3-mile radius. It's nice being informed.
 

Doberluv

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#56
Without going back through the thread, something really floored me. I mean...I read so much stuff on here sometimes that floors me regarding other matters and how people have become so tolerant of everything. All this political correctness and going along with things as sheep would has really made people desensitized to so much wrong. Someone said that these sex offenders living among us have served their time and now they "have the right" to get on with their lives. Yes, they certainly have been given that right by our tolerant and politically correct society. But imo they most certainly shouldn't have ANY rights. They destroy little children and adults in the most horrific sense. Their time served is nothing but a blink of the eye. The time lost for the lives they destroy is often forever. They should be eliminated from society, not put back into it. It is well known that they can not be rehabilitated. They are an incredible danger to society. They should get the death penalty just like a murderer should. If a sex offender who molested children or raped women lived close by me, I would hope he would try something. I would think of ways to bait him into doing something so I could be sitting with a shot gun on my lap and blow his ass away and have it be self defense.
 

~Jessie~

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#57
Without going back through the thread, something really floored me. I mean...I read so much stuff on here sometimes that floors me regarding other matters and how people have become so tolerant of everything. All this political correctness and going along with things as sheep would has really made people desensitized to so much wrong. Someone said that these sex offenders living among us have served their time and now they "have the right" to get on with their lives. Yes, they certainly have been given that right by our tolerant and politically correct society. But imo they most certainly shouldn't have ANY rights. They destroy little children and adults in the most horrific sense. Their time served is nothing but a blink of the eye. The time lost for the lives they destroy is often forever. They should be eliminated from society, not put back into it. It is well known that they can not be rehabilitated. They are an incredible danger to society. They should get the death penalty just like a murderer should. If a sex offender who molested children or raped women lived close by me, I would hope he would try something. I would think of ways to bait him into doing something so I could be sitting with a shot gun on my lap and blow his ass away and have it be self defense.
I do completely agree with this. I think that sex offenders are disgusting and it's one of the most heinous crimes that can be committed. If this were the United States of Jessie, my methods for dealing with them would not be nice (and would most likely include castration lol).

However, if someone committed a crime and served time for it, shouldn't they be given the chance at a normal life?

If you're constantly reminded of the crime(s) you've committed after serving time, there isn't a reason to stay "clean." If you're on the sex offender website, shunned by everyone around you, and constantly reminded that you're forever labeled a sex offender, then why not just continue on that path? It's not like you're ever going to be able to live a normal life anyway.

This is why criminals have such a hard time with rehabilitation and becoming functioning members of society once their time is served- they can never escape their labels, so why just keep that label instead?
 

Doberluv

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#58
The only reason I say this is because unlike many other types of criminals, these monsters are well known for being unable to be rehabilitated. They will never have a normal life in most all cases. They notoriously re-offend over and over and over again. The statistics for their improvement are miniscule. It's way too high a risk to turn them loose in society. The offense is way too heinous to risk it. The results to the victims are astronomical in proportion to some other kinds of crimes...not murder, but some non-dangerous or not directly dangerous crimes. This is why I think that they should be eliminated from society one way or another. They do not have and never will (in almost all cases) the stuff it's made of that normal humans with empathy or a moral compass have to live a normal life or be a "productive" member of society.
 
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#59
Someone said that these sex offenders living among us have served their time and now they "have the right" to get on with their lives. Yes, they certainly have been given that right by our tolerant and politically correct society. But imo they most certainly shouldn't have ANY rights. They destroy little children and adults in the most horrific sense. Their time served is nothing but a blink of the eye. The time lost for the lives they destroy is often forever. They should be eliminated from society, not put back into it. It is well known that they can not be rehabilitated. They are an incredible danger to society. They should get the death penalty just like a murderer should. If a sex offender who molested children or raped women lived close by me, I would hope he would try something. I would think of ways to bait him into doing something so I could be sitting with a shot gun on my lap and blow his ass away and have it be self defense.

Yes, TRUE sex offenders should. But included in the registry are people who are not, e.g. a person peeing in public can technically be charged with lewd and lascivious conduct. A 20 year old hitting on a 16 year old who lied about her age could be convicted of a sex crime, etc. Until the laws are clarified, I just cant agree with the above. And for the VAST majority of people, yes, you live by them. And honestly, I dont think the country has become more tolerant at ALL! Its been studied more and more, and "punished" more and more. You think they werent around before? Heck, it was even allowed before in some cases (women being raped by their husbands, young girls being forced to marry, etc)
 

ACooper

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#60
Without going back through the thread, something really floored me. I mean...I read so much stuff on here sometimes that floors me regarding other matters and how people have become so tolerant of everything. All this political correctness and going along with things as sheep would has really made people desensitized to so much wrong. Someone said that these sex offenders living among us have served their time and now they "have the right" to get on with their lives. Yes, they certainly have been given that right by our tolerant and politically correct society. But imo they most certainly shouldn't have ANY rights. They destroy little children and adults in the most horrific sense. Their time served is nothing but a blink of the eye. The time lost for the lives they destroy is often forever. They should be eliminated from society, not put back into it. It is well known that they can not be rehabilitated. They are an incredible danger to society. They should get the death penalty just like a murderer should. If a sex offender who molested children or raped women lived close by me, I would hope he would try something. I would think of ways to bait him into doing something so I could be sitting with a shot gun on my lap and blow his ass away and have it be self defense.
I am speaking as a woman who has SURVIVED being molested as a child, and raped as a young woman.

NO.......I am not tolerant of ACTUAL sex offenders. But as some have mentioned, the term 'sex offender' is a broad range. Some of it consists of very serious crimes, then you get down to verging on ridiculousness like peeing in public. While there are laws and rules and we (public in general) do not wish to see someone peeing in public........should they be called a 'sex offender' and labeled for LIFE over that?

Furthermore, I don't really think that most people in this thread are 'tolerant' of sex offenders. The truth of the matter is, you don't know WHO your neighbor is, just because someone hasn't been caught and convicted means all of SQUAT! He!!, most victims are raped/molested by people they know who have access to their home not some random person/neighbor on the street!
 

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