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March 23, 2005
Registry offers an early warning
The rape and murder of a Florida child provides a gruesome reminder for mid-Michigan parents, authorities say: Check to see if sex offenders are living nearby.
As of Tuesday, Saginaw County had 359 registered sex offenders, the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry shows.
Under ZIP code 48601 -- which encompasses the city of Saginaw, Buena Vista Township and parts of Bridgeport Township -- the registry shows 151 sex offenders.
Tuesday, Florida authorities charged convicted sex offender John Evander Couey in the sex assault and slaying of 9-year-old Jessica Marie Lunsford, who lived near him.
"We need to do everything we can to protect the children," said Suzanne Greenberg, president and CEO of Saginaw's Child Abuse and Neglect Council.
Greenberg said she wonders whether the tragedy would have occurred if the parents of the slain girl were aware of the suspect's background.
Michigan law requires sex offenders to tell police where they live. People can check the state Web site at www.mipsor.state.mi.us.
The registry lists each offender's name, gender, race, birth date, height, weight, hair and eye color, address, city and ZIP code, and it describes the conviction.
The most serious conviction, which carries a possible sentence of life in prison with the possibility for parole, is first-degree criminal sexual conduct. It involves penetration of the victim.
Other convictions include second-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves serious variations of touching; third-degree criminal sexual conduct involves penetration without injury to the victim, or without a weapon or without coercion; and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves less serious variations of touching.
People convicted of possessing child porn, assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, accosting a child for immoral purposes and indecent exposure also must register as a sex offender.
The list is a way for parents to check whether any offenders live in their neighborhoods, said Saginaw County Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Wil Yancer.
Parents moving into new neighborhoods can use the registry to see if an offender already lives on the street, especially when there is concern for children who walk to school, he said.
"Statistics show that a lot of sex offenders are repeat offenders," Yancer said.
Since the Internet registry became available in 1999, few people come to the Sheriff's Department to check its listing, Yancer said. One or two people a month ask for the list, he said.
Registries are not fool-proof, he warned, because some offenders move and fail to give authorities their new addresses, Yancer said.
Failing to do so is a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. However, law enforcement doesn't always have the manpower to check on offenders, he added.
The Florida incident should "send a message" to parents that they need to look at sex offender registries, Yancer said.
Truth-in-sentencing laws could have kept Couey behind bars longer after his 1978 conviction for sexual assault in Florida, said Saginaw County Prosecutor Michael D. Thomas.
A judge sentenced Couey to 10 years in prison, but he served only 18 months, Thomas said.
At the time, Florida didn't have truth-in-sentencing laws, he said; Michigan does.
Michigan's truth-in-sentencing law took effect in 2000. It states that a criminal who is sentenced to two to five years in prison must serve at least two years before becoming eligible for parole, Thomas said.
The registry "gives citizens a chance to protect their children," he said.
"This allows people to keep track of convicted child molesters," Thomas said. "That's why it's important to have steps in place to make sure they are where they say they are."
Prosecuting offenders who fail to register is "pretty easy to prove," he said.
Couey, 46, is among sex offenders who moved without reporting where. Authorities booked him Sunday on charges of violating probation by failing to register his change of address.
He faces charges of capital murder in the asphyxiation death of Lunsford, kidnapping and sexual battery on a child younger than 12. Citrus County Judge Mark Yerman denied Couey bail.
Jessica's family members last saw her when she went to bed Feb. 23 after attending church, police said.
Investigators found her body Saturday behind a house about 150 yards from her home.
Posted by Nealus at March 23, 2005 06:28 PM
