I recently read that a Hudson, Kansas judge ordered a man, who had admitted to molesting a boy, to post signs around his house and to put a decal on his car—for the duration of his five years of probation and house arrest—proclaiming that he is a sex offender. My first reaction was: Why shouldn’t we know what he did? Then more questions came up, including: How much do we have the right to know about our neighbors?
It is interesting that this subject has come up because I just had a discussion with a neighbor about a known sex felon moving into a house a few streets over. Of course news like this causes more angst and definitely makes you more aware of locking your windows and double bolting your doors at night. But are they really a threat to us, or are we and the media creating unnecessary fear? And in the case of the sex offender in Kansas, is he being persecuted for a crime he has already paid for?
This reminds me so much of the character Larry Hedges (played by Noah Emmerich) in the movie Little Children, who is obsessed with the sex offender that moved back into his neighborhood—so much so that he ends up posting signs all over town, spray painting his front sidewalk and camping outside his house, shouting obscenities at him through a megaphone. This is obviously frenzy taken to an extreme for dramatic effect, but it brings up a moral and philosophical question for debate. What would you do if a sex offender moved into your San Jose neighborhood? Would you want to know?
One of the more frightening things to do is to type your address into the Megan’s Law website and read about who is in your neighborhood. (Note that when I typed in my address, though I had heard there was a felon in my neighborhood, he had not been registered at an address of his own—even more unnerving.) Would you want such offenders to be required to post signs so kids would know not to go near their house? I am not sure yet what side I sit on in this debate. I am coming to this issue as a single gal with no children. It could be much different if I had kids to worry about.
We do, in fact, live in a complicated world, and though we know San Jose is a safe place to live, do we have a right to know more about our neighbors?
There are many types of sex offenders and I am guessing that those whose offenses involved children are in the minority.
I remember quite a few years ago that a friend of a friend advised that he became a sexual offense statistic after having consensual activity with another adult inside a vehicle in the parking lot of a bar. As I recall, it wasn’t even full-on sex. Yet this person who has absolutely no interest in molesting minors is on the list of registered sex offenders.
I know of another person who had a similar consenting adults situation decades ago and just recently came very close to having to sell his home due to its proximity to a park, based on Megan’s Law. The park is across a freeway from his house and while he may be within the designated Megan’s Law radius of the park as the crow flies, it is much further away if measured based on how one would reach the park from his home on foot or bicycle. The ridiculous nature of Megan’s Law regarding situations like this was recognized recently as unreasonable and many harmless people who were being forced to move were instead able to stay put.
Were both of these men stupid to get involved in such activity, even in the supposed privacy of a vehicle in a dark parking lot? Of course they were. They were both young and stupid. Parents should indeed be concerned if a registered child molester lives in their neighborhood or near their local school or park, but there are many so-called offenders out there that were involved with another consenting adult and whose supposed offenses can hardly be considered criminal or physically harmful activity. Should every couple who drives out to their local “Lovers’ Leap” type location to make out or go further end up a statistic and unable to rent or purchase a home that’s too close to a park or school?
The law needs to be tweaked to treat child molesters differently from consenting adults.
They should be put in jail permenantly then we wouldn’t have to worry about the kids. If you hurt a child in whatever manner you should get life.
#2- HJ- Amen to that!
Disclaimer: Willfully Ignorant Opinion here
I’ve never understood why ‘sex offenders’ are required to register and generally make the public aware of their locale.
What about someone out of jail after a manslaughter or murder? That seems more dangerous. Is it a case of high recidivism (sp?) among sex offenders?
SG_ Thank you so very much for doing this column. This is a topic LONG over due for discussion!
#4- Kenny,
Excellent question and the answer to your question is YES! There is a very high recidivism rate among sexual predators. I did a few papers on this in college. My understanding is that murders or people who commit manslaughter do it once, and rarely repeat. They are sent to jail, and rarely re-offend.
Sexual predators are always on the prowl even after doing time. These predators chose children and women and because they see them as weak and vulnerable. They threaten to kill them or their family or friends, and often times these crimes go unreported for years, if they ever are reported. Secondly, sexually predators are victimizing more than one person at a time. I read some studies done by mental health experts who conducted decade long studies and their conclusion was that this type of mental illness was the most difficult to work with and cure, if it could be cured at all.
Sexual predators start by abusing animals and helpless people. Most of these predators where victims of incest, rape, or molestation themselves, and are doing this out of rage. It is very sad to see how the cycle of abuse harms children, and leads them to do the same to others if they are not treated properly. I think people do need to know about sexual predators living in their neighborhoods, especially those who harm children.
Children are so defenseless and innocent, and that is what these creeps count on. These women and men prey on their need for love, acceptance, friendship, and in return they hurt them in such a horrific way that these children grow up into adults who never recover emotionally from this crime. Many have problems with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and difficulty-trusting people, committing to relationships, have drug or alcohol problems, eating disorders or a whole host of problems. And what is worse is that they blame themselves for what these sexual predators did to them. I have many friends who have been through this, and I can tell you that it is still affecting them after all these years. So I say YES, put a big fat sign telling the world what they did, and watch out for your children’s wellbeing because sexual predators usually attack children or women they know or have met before. They stalk their prey just like lions after deer.
#1. Excellent point, I wish other commenters would go back and read this.
#2, #3, #5. Judging by some recent local court cases, an adult male who seduces a teenage girl can expect to receive a sentence about twice as long as he would get if he had murdered her. Do you seriously think this is appropriate?
#1- Mark T. “The law needs to be tweaked to treat child molesters differently from consenting adults.” I agree 100%!
#6- My response was about true child molesters. Consenting adults don’t get arrested for having intimate relations. Any adult male who is seducing young teenaged girls, and having sex with them is sick and should be locked up. A 13-year-old girl may look and act 30, but she isn’t. She is not emotionally mature enough to make that kind of decision and live with the consequences. An adult male needs to date and have sex with a woman not a child~
#8- Alfred, “I’m not saying that seducing a teenage girl is a good thing,” Glad to hear it.
I’m not saying it rape or molestation is worse than killing someone, but I am saying that it causes such devastation that some victims never recover emotionally and it affects their whole life. The ones that do find some way of dealing with it have a very difficult time dealing with it. Think of it this way, if someone jumped you and violated you sexually, and you were helpless to stop it, how do you think you’d feel?
It is very naive to think that molestation or rape is as easy to recover from as a punch in the jaw. Victims of these crimes are offered counseling, but only for a short period of time. Then they have to find their own financial resources. There are some short-term assistance programs, but that is it.
Molesters and rapists BELONG in jail because they do not stop at ONE victim. They are filled with rage, and violence. They need help but the also need to be locked up. I guess you have never had a friend or know someone who has been molested, or raped, but I can tell you the pain they suffer is real.
I have three male, and two female friends who were molested. They have suffered immensely and on many occasions they have told me they wished their perpetrator had killed them. They feel something was taken from them that can never be replaced and reliving the assault has deeply harmed them. In some ways their spirit and the essence died during the attack. So, I guess it is up to your own perception of what dead is Alfred.
#7 I’m not saying that seducing a teenage girl is a good thing—but you seem to be saying it is worse than killing her. I really can’t understand how anyone could believe this.
In my opinion, if a person is “sick” they should receive medical care, not be “locked up” in jail. The penal system has enough problems without being forced to substitute for a mental health care system.