How many sex offenders live in YOUR area? website

[Lilavati]

Originally Posted by sillysally

Our state's site is not without information--it tells us the current age of the offender, the age they were convicted, and what offense they were convicted of.

As i said, it isn't perfect. IMHO, if someone peed on a tree somewhere or had sex when he was 18 with his 15 year old girl friend that is different than someone who victimized a 7 year old. However, that does NOT mean that we should just scrap the whole system.

And honestly, if I am walking my dog at night and there is some guy on X Street who was convicted of rape, I really don't care what the circumstances are--I'll steer clear of X Street during our walk.

And no, sex offenses against children by strangers may not be incredibly common. However, if the child molester one block over talks to and is friendly with the neighborhood kids then he is no longer a stranger to them, is he?

I think that while this system is not perfect (point out something that is), it can be an asset to the community if done correctly.

My attitude is that they had a chance to do it correctly, and they blew it. It was always questionably Constitutional. If you want child molesters off the street, then make the sentencing laws stricter, and keep them in prision. If you really must have a sex offender system, then scrap it and start over, with individualized evaluations of dangerousness and respect for the civil rights of the offenders. Or go back to the old registries that were open to the police, but not to the public.

And stranger molestations usually means not family, family-friend, or school/church/activity-related. My suggestion . . . get to know the guy down the street who is friendly with your kids, and tell you kids that if he ever touches them inappropriately, to scream bloody murder. Worked for decades before we had registeries . . . sexual molesation still happened, but it was rare, and still is. Everyone I know that has been molested as a child ( I know too many) was molested by a member of their family or a trusted family friend . . . indeed, the biggest risk seemed to be that no one believed them, and they were punished for asking for help. None of the molesters was a prior offender either.

[Squishy22]

I dont see what is keeping a man who molested his daughter from molesting the neighbors daughter if he ever got the chance.

Even a man who was into child pornography wouldn't be a guy I'd like to have my kids around.

I guess I've heard too many horror stories. And believe me, I have.

[Lilavati]

Originally Posted by Squishy22

I dont see what is keeping a man who molested his daughter from molesting the neighbors daughter if he ever got the chance.

Even a man who was into child pornography wouldn't be a guy I'd like to have my kids around.

I guess I've heard too many horror stories. And believe me, I have.

Nothing, except the crimes have different profiles. A man who molests his 16 year old stepdaughter is likely not attracted to small kids . . . they don't turn him on. He likes young women, which is what 16 year olds are, biologically. It is also a crime of opportunity . . . she lives with him, and he has power over her. Most men who molest their 16 year old daughters or stepdaughters do not molest unrelated small children. They just aren't the same kind of pervert. Such a man should not be employed in a position of trust with young women, but that is what background checks are for. On the other hand, the odds of him going after a stranger's small child are very, very small. I'm not defending this sort of guy . . . I know one, and I hate him, and I know what he did, and I know the person he did it too. But I don't think he's going to kidnap someone's little kid and molest them.

Don't worry, child pornogaphy puts you on the list. And, actually, with far more justification than many people on the list . . people who are seriously into real child pornography tend to be somewhat dangerous. Of course, with teens "sexting" qualifying as child porn, and pictures of naked babies also sometimes making the cut, and the fact you can be convincted of possesssing child pornography even if you didn't know it was there . . . well, saying someone is convicted of child porn is pretty useless too.

[Criosphynx]

Specific address not subject to disclosure

why does this come up on som' of them?

I wish it gave the date of the crime. Californias site gives very little info.

[Squishy22]

Originally Posted by Lilavati

Nothing, except the crimes have different profiles. A man who molests his 16 year old stepdaughter is likely not attracted to small kids . . . they don't turn him on. He likes young women, which is what 16 year olds are, biologically. It is also a crime of opportunity . . . she lives with him, and he has power over her. Most men who molest their 16 year old daughters or stepdaughters do not molest unrelated small children. They just aren't the same kind of pervert. Such a man should not be employed in a position of trust with young women, but that is what background checks are for. On the other hand, the odds of him going after a stranger's small child are very, very small. I'm not defending this sort of guy . . . I know one, and I hate him, and I know what he did, and I know the person he did it too. But I don't think he's going to kidnap someone's little kid and molest them.

Don't worry, child pornogaphy puts you on the list. And, actually, with far more justification than many people on the list . . people who are seriously into real child pornography tend to be somewhat dangerous. Of course, with teens "sexting" qualifying as child porn, and pictures of naked babies also sometimes making the cut, and the fact you can be convincted of possesssing child pornography even if you didn't know it was there . . . well, saying someone is convicted of child porn is pretty useless too.

My uncle was recently put into prison for child pornography. I do think its a very serious crime. Sadly some of my family likes to defend him saying that he was just looking a pictures... big deal.

I think its much more serious than just looking at pictures. A man who gets turned on by 3 year old has something very seriously wrong with them. Keep your children VERY far from these people.

[Renee750il]

Originally Posted by Squishy22

My uncle was recently put into prison for child pornography. I do think its a very serious crime. Sadly some of my family likes to defend him saying that he was just looking a pictures... big deal.

I think its much more serious than just looking at pictures. A man who gets turned on by 3 year old has something very seriously wrong with them. Keep your children VERY far from these people.

One of the things wrong with our system is that prison does nothing for people like him -- except make them unemployable and even more unable to live in the world than they were to begin with. People like your uncle don't belong in prison, they belong someplace that doesn't exist in our present system -- someplace where they can learn what makes them tick and how to control it, and even to WANT to control it in the first place.

One of the biggest failings of this system is we're operating with laws that reflect what we knew about mental health and aberrant behavior back in the 1920s and 30s.

[Juicy]

Originally Posted by Lilavati

Don't worry, child pornogaphy puts you on the list. And, actually, with far more justification than many people on the list . . people who are seriously into real child pornography tend to be somewhat dangerous. Of course, with teens "sexting" qualifying as child porn, and pictures of naked babies also sometimes making the cut, and the fact you can be convincted of possesssing child pornography even if you didn't know it was there . . . well, saying someone is convicted of child porn is pretty useless too.

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[Renee750il]

Yup. I had to crop a beautiful baby photo that was posted because of this stupidity.

[Squishy22]

Originally Posted by Renee750il

One of the things wrong with our system is that prison does nothing for people like him -- except make them unemployable and even more unable to live in the world than they were to begin with. People like your uncle don't belong in prison, they belong someplace that doesn't exist in our present system -- someplace where they can learn what makes them tick and how to control it, and even to WANT to control it in the first place.

One of the biggest failings of this system is we're operating with laws that reflect what we knew about mental health and aberrant behavior back in the 1920s and 30s.

I agree. And I also believe drug offenders do not belong in prison either.

[Lilavati]

I never said child pornography, real child pornography, was not serious and didn't lead to the abuse of small children.

That said, I concur about prision for people who have only been looking at pictures. Therapy would be much more helpful. Alas, we enjoy punishing in this society far more than helping.