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October 11, 2005
Sex offenders listed on Web site
In the days before the Internet, sex offenders could live in near anonymity. Police kept track of their whereabouts and locked them up if they moved without giving notice, but neighbors had no clue they were living among a child molester or rapist.
A sex offender could blend into suburbia, work a 9-to-5 job and date without anyone knowing his past. The roughly 385 sex offenders registered in Vanderburgh County don’t have that luxury anymore.
Their pictures, home address and criminal history are posted on vanderburghsheriff.com, the department’s sex offender registry. The Web site has received more than 22,000 hits since it was launched April 28, an average of 200 a day. And people aren’t just going online. They also are calling Cpl. Tom Wedding, who manages the Web site.
Wedding has received tips from convicted criminals, business owners and concerned parents. Some parents have called to ask about contractors they have hired to work on their homes while their children are home alone, Wedding said. Landlords are also quick to pick up the phone when a sex offender moves. But the real frenzy comes when a kidnapping makes national news.
When a child was abducted in Florida earlier this summer and all the major cable news stations ran the story, the tips poured in, Wedding said. "That (scares) a lot of people," he said. Some of the sex offenders have complained about being on the Internet. "That tells us that it’s working," Wedding said. The Web site allows users to create a map of their neighborhood. Stars mark the location of each sex offender. Users can search by address, name or zip code. Each profile lists the type of crime, prison sentence and age of the victim. So far, tips from callers have led to 12 arrests.
"It has exceeded our expectations," Chief Deputy Sheriff Eric Williams said.
Recent legislation in Indiana, IC 5-2-12, has transferred jurisdiction and the responsibility for the monitoring and maintenance of the local Sex Offender Registry to each county within the State of Indiana and to each county sheriff. With those changes and enhancements of this legislation, Sex Offenders are now required to register with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office at least once a year, and sex offenders are further required to update with the Sheriff's Office any changes of residency, employment and place of study or vocation. Failure of the Sex Offender to comply with this recent legislation or failure to provide notifications of changes or updates required under Indiana Law, IC 5-2-12, is a Class D felony and the second offense is a Class C felony, if the registered sex has a prior unrelated offense. These offenses will be investigated by the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office and may result in criminal charges being filed against the offender by the Vanderburgh Prosecutor's Office.
Posted by Nealus at October 11, 2005 03:03 PM
