Know your neighbors!

[JoJoDapyro]

Err... I need to think about moving...

509 in my zip code. But, how big is your area? Mine is quite large, and pretty packed.

[JacksonCash]

Yeah, we are pretty densely populated. Looking back home where I grew up, there are 25 in a town of 1500, so percentage wise, we're better off here!

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

I've read horror stories about how in some areas even children can end up on the list and unlike your other records you don't get off the list at 18, one of the folks in the article I read got on the list at age 8 or 9, him and another kid got caught playing doctor or whatever as happens sometimes with kids who are curious but don't really understand whats going on and the other parent called in the law over it and this 8yr old ended up on the offender list for life.

[amateurhour]

Personally I'm leery about sites like this. All they do is collate data and provide no background information unless you want to pay for the arrest report.

For instance, they've got a listing on there for someone in my neighborhood for crimes involving a minor. Now someone could look at that and think they're a real deviant. They could also just be some 19 year old who had a 17 year old girlfriend whose parents decided to press charges against the kid to keep him away from their daughter. Now that person is branded for life. I've watched that same situation happen to a former coworker and it ruined his life because he was a senior dating a sophomore in high school and her parents didn't like him.

Everyone should definitely stay safe and it's good to know who your neighbors are, but it should be more like it was when most of us were growing up where you went and talked to them and met them, not looked up their personal information online before you've ever spoken to them.

Maybe I'm crazy though.

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

Amateurhour, the official offender registry is different than those background check websites you're speaking of, but I agree that it can be misleading so use with caution.

I guess the overall message here is that this is a valuable tool that can be made even more valuable with some much needed reforms.

[JacksonCash]

While I do think some remediation process is needed for anything like this- I think the sheer volume represented here shows that we've got some serious issues with these types of crimes- Not just people messing around with kids but sexual violence in general. It's a bigger problem that you might thing- and its a difficult problem because no one can even agree on definitions. All I can say is if you have kids, teach them to respect others, and not see other people as inferior- In my humble opinion the dehumanization of others is what leads to so, so many issues.

[JoJoDapyro]

Here in Utah we have a website with all the public records available for no charge. It is called Utah's right to know. From Wages to charges. I'm on there.  Damn government jobs.

[osage outlaw]

The free information on the site shows you their age, the crime they committed, when it occurred, when they were put on the list, and when they will be removed from the list.  You should be able to get a good idea of what kind of person it is from that information.  I have showed my kids the map of our area and warned them to stay away from those houses and the people living there.  Honestly, I don't care why they are on the list.  My kids safety is more important than some guy being put on the list for a petty crime.  I'd rather be safe than sorry.  Just my opinion.   

[amateurhour]

Yeah man, no judgement. I'm mostly just playing devil's advocate about sites like that in general. There's nothing wrong with letting your kids know which houses to avoid.

[paoliguy]

The free information on the site shows you their age, the crime they committed, when it occurred, when they were put on the list, and when they will be removed from the list.  You should be able to get a good idea of what kind of person it is from that information.  I have showed my kids the map of our area and warned them to stay away from those houses and the people living there.  Honestly, I don't care why they are on the list.  My kids safety is more important than some guy being put on the list for a petty crime.  I'd rather be safe than sorry.  Just my opinion.

I pretty much pitch my tent in the exact same campground!

[Eric Krewson]

When I was 18 I had a 17 year old girlfriend, this was in the mid 60s and wasn't considered deviant behavior back then.

I married her when I was 20.

[DC]

It usually isn't considered deviant behaviour unless the 17 year old is my daugther

[JEB]

Most states have age of consent as 16 and go to jail at 17 as a legal adult.  Most crimes can be worded several ways depending on how you want to charge.

An example would be shoplifting as a misdemeanor or larceny from a building as a felony. And that is for taking a package of gum. The perps a jerk and you want to ding him you hit him with the felony. If its some kid who did what most of us did when we were young but got caught and is decent you hit him with a misd that can go away after time.

Being retired from law enforcement I check many lists often including the who's in jail again list. Interesting how grand fathers then sons and then grandsons  find their way to jail.

[Stixnstones]

Amen, Jacksoncash. Clint, i'm with ya... better safe than sorry.

[Spotted Dog]

We have one 2 blocks from my house. We have 5 granddaughters ages 7 down. Keeping my eye on them.