Do you believe that sex offenders' information should be available to the public? Why or why not?

Question

please inlcude your name and title/profession

Answer 1

No. Because if a sex offender is still considered dangerous, the only rational thing to do is to change the laws to make all violent sexual assault and child molestation crimes have mandatory life sentences.

Either they've paid their debt to society and are free, or they should be behind bars or 6' under.

It is the height of folly to let criminal sex offenders out of prison, then turn around and label them dangerous. What politicians need to do is make these mandatory life sentences.

Am I wrong?

Answer 2

I understand the reasons used to have this information available to the public. As an attorney, I see many problems vs. good.

1. I see and have heard of cases arising from normal citizens taking the law into their own hands.

2. Is a sex offender worst than a murderer? The victim of a sex offender is yet still alive, vs. victims of murderers. I ask this because a murderer could live right next door to you and you would not even know it.

3. The offender is basically serving a life sentence. How is an offender suppose to become a normal citizen when all of their info is broadcast.

Again, I feel that if you do it for one class of people then all class of violent persons should have to suffer from the same disclosure of information.

Answer 3

First of all, I have to ask why you would want our name and title/profession? It really isn't too safe to give that out.

Anyway, I definitely feel that sex offenders' info should be available to the public because coming from a person who has kids, I would want to know. I would be devasted if someone took my kids. I even worried about that when I sent my child to school and they were away from me. I know that as a parent it should be available because you never know who lives right next door to you.

I won't let my kids go outside unless I'm with them. They know there is no exceptions. Where we live we have anywhere from 29-40 sex offenders and we have one living about a block from us. You just can't afford to take chances anymore.

Answer 4

I think that yes, at a certain level of offense, the name should be made public--it is anyway, as court proceedings are a matter of public record. Publishing the name woudl be helpful to those who would be unwitting victims, and I am much more concerned about protecting those people's rights than those of sex offenders. The sad fact is, many sex offenders are repeat offenders...

Answer 5

When they committ a felony, then I believe they give up their right to privacy. If laws were stricter, maybe they would think twice about doing those things. In my state, there are restrictions where they can live, like not within so many miles of a park, school, or daycare. Does that prevent them from repeating an act? I don't think so, but at least the state is trying to look out for the innocent children.

Answer 6

Well then you have to worry about justice vigilaties who will take matters into their own hand.

Sex offenders are still people and some are wrongly labeled. Child sex offenders are another story. ( but not anyless complicated)
They may be doing ok taking their medicine and trying to change their lives and then

bam... some neighborhood people kill him/her because they are scared or hatred for the once offender.


I think a notice of a sex offender living in your neighborhood may be ok with certain restictions but not any personal information


it could turn ugly if everyone new where these offenders lived... you'd get gangs of hatters and a rise in crime and discrimination


I in no way support sex offenders but I think it would be more wise to keep it low key.

Answer 7

No. This is nothing more than an overreaction to media driven hype that appeals to the less than bright. That an act contains a sexual component does not make it any more or less heinous than any comparable act, except to those who are so involved in what's going on in other peoples pants that they are incapable of reason.

The "living next door" argument is ridiculous. Would you be more comfortable having an individual living next to you that burned, beat and otherwise tortured a child to the point of disfigurement? Or, someone who engaged in non-violent sexual activity with a minor (who, in many cases, would have been of marrying age 50 years ago) who is damaged to a much greater degree by the reactions to the act than by the act itself? What about murderers, burglars, arsonists, spouse beaters, those with a history of assaulting neighbors and others? Because sex wasn't involved, they're welcome?

It's time people stop following media fads like a bunch of mindless sheep, get their heads out of their crotches and re-assess their priorities.

Answer 8

Yes. Do I believe an 18 year old whom sleeps with his 17 year old girlfriend deserves to be charged with Stat Rape because her parents freaked out, No. He too is considered a sex offender. If we properly identify who should/should not be labeled offenders, I am all for it.

Answer 9

I agree with the first poster. Predators who have raped people of any age, or go after children, need to be identified. (Could you imagine taking your kids out to trick-or-treat without this information?) However, when it's a matter of a high-school senior who had sex with his girlfriend, a sophomore in the same school, and got charged for statutory rape by her pissed-off parents....well, that's different.

My name is Jayelle; I'm a human resources secretary.

Answer 10

Yes I do believe the information should be available because they offended someone and that person has to deal with it for the rest of their life so the offender should also have to deal with it for the rest of his/her life. Michael K. / Marine