How to Find Out if a Sex Offender is Living in Your New Jersey Town
As every parent knows all of our children are at risk of being abducted or killed by a convicted sex offender. Some people feel that once these sex offenders have paid their debt to society they should be allowed to live their own normal life. They feel that it should not be made known to their community that they were once convicted of this crime. But what do you think? According to government statistics most sex offenders repeat their crime once they are released from prison. They say that about 90% of convicted sex offenders commit the crime again once they are out on bail.
Does this mean that we have a right to know if our neighbors are convicted sex offenders? Of course it does. Parents have a right to protect their children, and should be immediately alerted when a convicted sex offender moves into their neighborhood. There is a website called family watchdog, which can be found at www.familywatchdog.us. This website will allow you do search your own neighbor hood to see if there are currently any convicted sex offenders living there.
I would also like to point out the fact that I continuously use the word convicted. Everyday someone is accused of committing some sort of crime, but it does not mean that they are guilty. Everyone in this country has a right to fair trial in a court of law. If would be wrong to condemn someone just because they are accused of a crime. Remember that everyone is innocent until proved guilty. But if they are convicted then this means that they have had a trial and the evidence presented proved that they committed the crime.
However others will argue that dozens of convicted sex offenders can be wrongly prosecuted. In the past there have been cases of innocent men or women being convicted. But it is still crucial that parents be aware that a convicted sex offender is in their area. Even if they were falsely convicted it is better for parents to err on the side of safety. So if you have young children you should take the time to visit the website mentioned above and see if there is currently any sex offender’s living in your area. If there are you should let your children know this, and inform them of the precautions that they need to take to protect themselves.
There are also additional ways to find out if a convicted sex offender lives in your area. This can be done by visiting your local police station and asking for a list of any sex offenders that have recently moved to your area. This information should be public record, which means they legally have to tell you. But in some states they still may not. If this occurs in your state, you will want to take the time and speak to an attorney who will be able to advise you on your legal rights in this matter. They will also be able to offer some suggestions on what steps to take.
They may begin by recommending you speak to your local councilman. Regardless of what direction they point you in you should continue your search until you have the address of every convicted sex offender in your area. The bottom line is that you are looking out for the best interest of your children. If you don’t do so then who will.
