Nobody is thrilled with the idea of having a registered sex offender in the neighborhood.  However there is a disturbing trend sweeping the country that might actually cause more harm than good.  First of all there are many types of sex offense and just because someone is on a list doesn't necessarily mean that person is a danger to children. 

That being said, we do believe that you should learn where offenders live in your area... Knowledge is Power. Click here to see registered sex offenders in your area.

At Child Rescue Network we are concerned with the actions of many communities when it comes to restrictions being placed on where registered sex offenders can live.  Most communities have "buffer zones" around places where children gather... parks, schools, daycares, etc. and offenders are not allowed to live within a certain distance of those locations.  It makes sense that we don't want a potential sexual predator living across the street from a park.  However many municipalities around the country have started increasing those buffer zones to the point where registered sex offenders cannot live within the city limits.  The results could be potentially dangerous!  If we force sex offenders out of town where are they going?  The fear is that they might just drop off the grid and fail to register their whereabouts, or they might move to rural areas where there is no treatment and little law enforcement.  One of the things that is happening is offenders are congregating in small areas of town where they can still legally live.  Having dozens of sex offenders living near one another is not a very good idea either. 

The reality is that there is zero research to show that where an offender lives, outside of prison, affects whether or not they re-offend.  In fact, most predators will travel outside of their immediate area to search for potential victims.   At Child Rescue Network we encourage communities and politicians to think carefully before taking the knee jerk reaction of trying to kick sex offenders out of town.  If they are a danger to our children then keep them in jail or in a secure treatment facility.  If they are less likely to re-offend then let's figure out how to keep them on track and work to find a real treatment that produces real results.

The Facts:

• The average sexual predator will impact 75 kids over the course of their lifetime!
• Most child molesters were molested!
• The average child predator will commit crimes against children over 100 times before they are ever caught the first time!
• At this point there is no treatment available that has proven to be 100% effective.
• Depending on which report you view, the recidivism rate for sex offenders is anywhere from 50% - 90%.