Neighbors notified of sex offender IN ERROR

[Trinity]

Toledo man is not the person on a card sent by the sheriff's office

A Toledo man gets a letter saying a sex offender lives at his house. Even his neighbors were notified!

The problem: he's not a sex offender and he's the only one living there. It's a major mistake by the Lucas County sheriff's office that could happen to you.

A card shows a 23-year-old sex offender living on Nevada. The guy who actually lives there is forty years older than that. Stephen Nero may look young for 67, but he's certainly no 23-year-old.

Stephen and his neighbors got a postcard saying registered sex offender Donald Rink lives at his home at 1721 Nevada. Neighbor Kelly Keesse says, "You would think before they pass cards out, someone would come out here and question who lives here."

So we went to find out why nobody in the sheriff's office checks these addresses. Acting Sgt. Becky Hussing told us, "We have 900 sex offenders in the city and one detective for all of them."

One detective to keep 900 sex offenders honest. When we asked how effective is the program, Hussing said we would "have to check with the detective and the lieutenant, and they're both on vacation."

In the meantime, the acting seargent in the records bureau tells us new cards will go out to Stephen and his neighbors with a correction.

A neighbor said, "Should have had somebody come out here and make sure he lives here before start printing these papers." But it didn't happen and with one detective to check, it could happen again.

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/local&id=6952342


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[5stringJeff]

The story is tragic - and anotehr reason why sex offenders should not have to register - but the caption on the video is humorous. "Stephen Nero - Not a Sex Offender."

[avatar4321]

this registry is ridiculous. If they arent safe enough to live in the community, they shouldnt be released back to the community.

[gabosaurus]

I brought this up at a town hall meeting once.
We are notified if a "sex offender" lives in our neighborhood. But we are not informed if a murderer lives in our neighborhood. Or someone convicted of drunk driving. Or someone convicted of armed robbery or drug dealing/manufacturing.
I was informed that, once someone has done their time, they are entitled to privacy. Except for sex offenders.

So if you grabbed some girl's butt, you are more dangerous than a person who killed a person, pulled a gun and robbed someone or operated a meth lab.

Last point:
In the Orange County area, there is a legal firm that runs big ads that say "I defend DUI and DWI!"
But you never see an add that says "I defend suspected rapists and pedophiles!"
Americans are WAY too obsessed with sex.

[PostmodernProphet]

So if you grabbed some girl's butt, you are more dangerous than a person who killed a person, pulled a gun and robbed someone or operated a meth lab.


statistically yes....significantly so.....incidence of repeat offense is very high....

[Trinity]

statistically yes....significantly so.....incidence of repeat offense is very high....

actually repeat offense is not high.

Recidivism

* Of the 272,111 persons released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, an estimated 67.5% were rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within 3 years, 46.9% were reconvicted, and 25.4% resentenced to prison for a new crime.
* The 272,111 offenders discharged in 1994 accounted for nearly 4,877,000 arrest charges over their recorded careers.
* Within 3 years of release, 2.5% of released rapists were rearrested for another rape, and 1.2% of those who had served time for homicide were arrested for a new homicide.
* Sex offenders were less likely than non-sex offenders to be rearrested for any offense –– 43 percent of sex offenders versus 68 percent of non-sex offenders.
* Sex offenders were about four times more likely than non-sex offenders to be arrested for another sex crime after their discharge from prison –– 5.3 percent of sex offenders versus 1.3 percent of non-sex offenders.



Sex offenders

* On a given day in 1994 there were approximately 234,000 offenders convicted of rape or sexual assault under the care, custody, or control of corrections agencies; nearly 60% of these sex offenders are under conditional supervision in the community.
* The median age of the victims of imprisoned sexual assaulters was less than 13 years old; the median age of rape victims was about 22 years.
* An estimated 24% of those serving time for rape and 19% of those serving time for sexual assault had been on probation or parole at the time of the offense for which they were in State prison in 1991.
* Of the 9,691 male sex offenders released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, 5.3% were rearrested for a new sex crime within 3 years of release.
* Of released sex offenders who allegedly committed another sex crime, 40% perpetrated the new offense within a year or less from their prison discharge.


Child victimizers

* Approximately 4,300 child molesters were released from prisons in 15 States in 1994. An estimated 3.3% of these 4,300 were rearrested for another sex crime against a child within 3 years of release from prison.
* Among child molesters released from prison in 1994, 60% had been in prison for molesting a child 13 years old or younger.
* Offenders who had victimized a child were on average 5 years older than the violent offenders who had committed their crimes against adults. Nearly 25% of child victimizers were age 40 or older, but about 10% of the inmates with adult victims fell in that age range.


http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htm#recidivism

[gabosaurus]

So you want to know if a sex offender lives near you, but not a murderer or a drug dealer?

[5stringJeff]

So you want to know if a sex offender lives near you, but not a murderer or a drug dealer?

I don't want the government to keep a public registry of any ex-convicts. Once you've served your sentence, that should be it.

[Trinity]

I don't want the government to keep a public registry of any ex-convicts. Once you've served your sentence, that should be it.

Have to agree there.

Why should people have to continually be ashamed and humiliated after serving their sentences. Keep in mind, I am not taking sides of the "perverts". Only those who made a stupid mistake, because they were young, or ended up on it because of some stupid law, such as urinating in public. And yes you can end up having to register as a sex offender for urinating in public.

[5stringJeff]

Have to agree there.

Why should people have to continually be ashamed and humiliated after serving their sentences. Keep in mind, I am not taking sides of the "perverts". Only those who made a stupid mistake, because they were young, or ended up on it because of some stupid law, such as urinating in public. And yes you can end up having to register as a sex offender for urinating in public.

I'd say the same even for the rapists - again, not to excuse their behavior, but on the principle that once a person has served the sentence for their crimes, they should be free of further punishment. If people feel that rapists are being let out of prison too soon, then lengthen the sentence for rape. But as it is now, all sex offenders are essentially handed life sentences, part of which is served behind bars, and the rest of which is served after their release.

[Trinity]

I'd say the same even for the rapists - again, not to excuse their behavior, but on the principle that once a person has served the sentence for their crimes, they should be free of further punishment. If people feel that rapists are being let out of prison too soon, then lengthen the sentence for rape. But as it is now, all sex offenders are essentially handed life sentences, part of which is served behind bars, and the rest of which is served after their release.

And once again I agree with you.

Here is something most people don't even stop to think about. Many of these sex offenders have families; spouses, children. Their family members end up being ostracized, humiliated, laughed at, and at times are even threatened with bodily harm by the so called upstanding citizens.

[glockmail]

I brought this up at a town hall meeting once.
We are notified if a "sex offender" lives in our neighborhood. But we are not informed if a murderer lives in our neighborhood. Or someone convicted of drunk driving. Or someone convicted of armed robbery or drug dealing/manufacturing.
I was informed that, once someone has done their time, they are entitled to privacy. Except for sex offenders.

So if you grabbed some girl's butt, you are more dangerous than a person who killed a person, pulled a gun and robbed someone or operated a meth lab.

Last point:
In the Orange County area, there is a legal firm that runs big ads that say "I defend DUI and DWI!"
But you never see an add that says "I defend suspected rapists and pedophiles!"
Americans are WAY too obsessed with sex. You actually make some sense here. The main problem I have with this is the whole zero tolerance thing. If you're an 18 year old and you knock up your 17 tear old GF you could be labeled a sex offender for the rest of your life, and the label is identical with a serial rapist.

[Jeff]

Maybe they need to re evaluate what a sex offender is, I agree a 18 year old guy that gets his 17 year GF pregnant is not a sex offender, but a grown man that rapes a 7 year old girl is, I will even go as far to say when he gets out of jail he should have no record but why in the hell would we let him out of jail, as for they don't repeat, there are plenty that do, I for one don't want a child molester living nowhere near my kids

[Trinity]

Maybe they need to re evaluate what a sex offender is, I agree a 18 year old guy that gets his 17 year GF pregnant is not a sex offender, but a grown man that rapes a 7 year old girl is, I will even go as far to say when he gets out of jail he should have no record but why in the hell would we let him out of jail, as for they don't repeat, there are plenty that do, I for one don't want a child molester living nowhere near my kids

They do need to re evaluate, and they also need to re evaluate these knee jerk laws that were created to get votes.

And now I flip to the other side. A grown man that touches a 7 year old child knows better or he should know better, therefore shoot his ass! Problem solved.

[avatar4321]

And now I flip to the other side. A grown man that touches a 7 year old child knows better or he should know better, therefore shoot his ass! Problem solved.

Blame the Supreme court for that. If they didnt interpret the 8th amendment so horribly this wouldnt be an issue.

[emmett]

I brought this up at a town hall meeting once.
We are notified if a "sex offender" lives in our neighborhood. But we are not informed if a murderer lives in our neighborhood. Or someone convicted of drunk driving. Or someone convicted of armed robbery or drug dealing/manufacturing.
I was informed that, once someone has done their time, they are entitled to privacy. Except for sex offenders.

So if you grabbed some girl's butt, you are more dangerous than a person who killed a person, pulled a gun and robbed someone or operated a meth lab.

Last point:
In the Orange County area, there is a legal firm that runs big ads that say "I defend DUI and DWI!"
But you never see an add that says "I defend suspected rapists and pedophiles!"
Americans are WAY too obsessed with sex.



Your point is very good. The problem is where do we draw the line? Should like Five String says, we lenghthen the sentences? About the only way to address this issue would be to establish a colony for these rejects on a deserted island and keep them there like lepers