Even if nobody else outside the bishopric knew, I’d known there were several sex registrants in our ward for a long time. Running a sex crimes unit for a major west coast police department, I’d long ago used the facilities mandated by Megan’s Law to check on all the sex registrants in the suburban community where I lived. While there was only a smattering of registrants in my home community, compared to more than 5,000 in the city where I worked – or the 85,000 in the state – it still startled me to find three of them to be fellow ward members.

For those unfamiliar with the legislation, Megan’s Law is named after Megan Nicole Kanka, a seven-year-old New Jersey girl lured into a neighbor’s house, where she was sexually assaulted and murdered by a twice-convicted child molester. At that time in 1994, nobody in Megan’s small peaceful township was aware of the suspect’s background.

Shortly after the discovery of this shocking crime, New Jersey legislators mandated public information access regarding convicted sex offenders who posed a moderate to high risk of re-offending. Under the federal laws that quickly followed in 1996, it became compulsory for all fifty states to release information about known sex offenders when it was necessary for community safety. These laws, however, did not mandate active notification – in other words, citizens were still responsible for requesting the information.

As other tragic crimes involving re-offending sex criminals occurred, the laws pertaining to the registration of these individuals and public notifications continued to evolve. Unrelated cases involving eleven-year-old Jacob Wetterling, twelve-year-old Polly Klass, six-year-old Adam Walsh, and others – all abducted, molested, and murdered – enraged the nation and raised the public’s consciousness regarding sex offender registration and the presence of these individuals in almost every community.

Since the inception of Megan’s Law, state justice departments and local law enforcement agencies have scrambled to meet all of the legislated requirements. Today, most states are in compliance, with those lagging behind facing federal funding losses. Megan’s Law computers, usually located at the front desk of local police stations, can be accessed to run a specific name or a zip code area to obtain sex registrant information.

Running a zip code calls up the names and photos of all sex offenders classified as Serious or High Risk living within those boundaries. The first time I did this, I spotted a local scout leader who was quickly removed from having further contact with youth. This tool should be used by anyone considering moving into a new neighborhood. In some states, realtors are required to inform you if they are aware of sex offenders living in the area. However, it is far better to check for yourself.

Clearly, one of the best uses of this system is to run the specific names of the sports coaches, music teachers, day care providers, and other individuals who may be spending a lot of time with your kids when you are not around. This service, however, is hardly infallible. Not all sex offenders have been caught and convicted (requirements for registration). Furthermore, as many as 90% of sex crimes involving child victims are committed by family, friends, or acquaintances. Further on we’ll discuss what can be done to minimize this threat.

The Individuals Around Us

It was through the use of the Megan’s Law computer at the police department I first found out about the sex offenders in my ward. Of the three, two were active members with young families, and the third an elderly, long-term inactive. From my position in law enforcement, I was able to check further and discover the actual crimes committed by the two active members that required them to register.

Therein lies my dilemma. While these isolated incidents had occurred long ago, the criminal cases resolved, and no repeat offenses, these were still the types of criminals I spent my days pursuing. I struggled with my interior responses as I interacted regularly with both active members. I learned one had completed the process of repentance and had his priesthood restored (however, it should be noted, the Church would not be calling him to positions involving the youth). The other was working hard toward the same goal.

How could I judge these men? In my secular life, I harshly judged men (and in some cases women) like them every day. I arrested them. I sent them to prison. I monitored their activities after release. Yet, my spiritual interactions were requiring me to follow the guidance of church leaders whom I considered inspired by God. If they forgave, if they restored, how could I not?

The best I was able to do was to keep my own counsel – to reserve judgment – and conduct myself in a professional manner. I could fellowship these individuals, but I did not have to open my heart to them.

Then things changed.

Internet Access

Last year saw a number of changes in the availability of sex crime offender information. While the computers in the police stations remain available, much of the information captured by Megan’s Law has been placed on State Department of Justice web sites on the Internet.

No longer do individuals need to actually go to a police station, provide identification (which was checked to make sure the person was not a registered sex offender looking to find other offenders), and receive limited information regarding a suspect’s residence and crimes. The new Internet sites provided photos of each convicted felon, a synopsis of the sex crime(s) they had committed, and – controversially – an exact address and a map to the sex offender’s home.

Could this influx of additional information be a bad thing? If used improperly, yes.

Too Much Information?

The publicity surrounding the new Internet sites put the news pundits in a tizzy. The public was repeatedly urged to get on their computers and check if anyone associated with their kids – from teachers to weird old uncle Ernie – was listed as a registered offender.

Although one of the offenders in my ward was not on the Internet listings due to the minor nature of his crime, the other active member was listed – mug shot-style photo and all. It didn’t take long before the ward gossip started and his wife and children (from youngsters to early teens) became the targets of barbed comments regarding something that happened almost two decades earlier.

Did the family know? Did they not know? It’s almost certain the kids didn’t know. Yet how was it that Church members thought it incumbent upon themselves to show their disdain for the suspect and anyone associated with him? Did the wife or children commit the sex crime? Why should they be a target? And what were the circumstances behind this crime? Exactly how serious was it? Nobody knew the answer to the last question because the Internet sites do not provide that information.

Unfortunately, a self-inflicted tragedy soon followed the Internet release of the sex registrant information regarding this individual. Now a family wasn’t just devastated by past revelations, but also by heartbreaking loss. Were ward members to blame? For their own actions perhaps, but not for the original choices made by the suspect that caused him to become a registered offender. However, a little compassion, a little less voyeurism, a little less condemnation may have gone a long way.

For my part, I struggled mightily with the situation. I need to remain detached in my professional position, but could I have been more supportive of a fellow human being who fell within my spiritual stewardship? Had I shown an understanding, could tragedy have been averted? These are impossible questions to answer. I do know, however, that Father expects me to forgive if I expect to be forgiven.

Serious Crimes

Aren’t all sex crimes serious? Yes, they are. But after more than twenty-years investigating them, I am aware some are far more serious than others. Sex crimes investigations are rarely simple. There is a vast gray area into which many of these cases fall requiring an understanding of human motivations beyond comparatively straight-forward crimes such as robbery, burglary, or auto theft.

In California, it is illegal for a nineteen-year-old to have sexual interaction with a consenting seventeen-year-old. This suspect, however, is not likely to start stalking your nine-year-old daughter. Unlike ‘gateway drugs’ such as marijuana, which can lead to stronger and stronger drug usage, there is no evidence of ‘gateway sex crimes.’

Flashers and peeping toms rarely evolve into rapists. Their sexual orientation is triggered by exposure or voyeurism, not violent confrontation. Research has shown a large majority of pedophiles were victims of sexual abuse themselves and target children usually in the same age group the suspect was when they were victimized. This is not an excuse for their vile actions, but understanding of motivations is law enforcement’s key to capture, confession, and conviction.

Of the five hundred sex offenders my unit is responsible for monitoring, only five of them are considered High Risk – more than three violent crimes on their record, one involving a sexual act – and pose a real threat to offend again. These individuals are visited personally on a monthly basis and have telephonic contact regularly. Their places of work are checked, their travel monitored, and their activities and companions vetted. Any violation, no matter how small, is cause to send these individuals back to prison. They know this, we know this, and the dance goes on.

The remaining four-hundred-and-ninety-five registrants fall into the Serious category. Their crimes range from indecent exposure to rape to crimes against children. Some of them have just been released from prison. Others committed their single crime decades ago. All of them are required to register with the police department yearly or within ten days of moving. We talk to them, we check on them, we monitor their lives from a distance.

When an unknown suspect commits a sex crime, these are the people who get our attention first. That being said, most of them have ongoing jobs, families, and lives. They are neighbors, co-workers, and churchgoers. They are upper-class, middle-class, and lower-class, as sex crimes cut across all racial, sexual, and economic boundaries.

They are not, however, slavering fiends waiting for any opportunity to scoop up our children or wives and have their way with them.

Are those predators out there? You bet they are, but they do not form the vast majority of individuals required to register. What is called for here is a modicum of common sense and the ability to restrain ourselves from becoming vigilantes.

What Not to Do

Recently in a pleasant suburban neighborhood, residents began picketing a two-story home. Somebody had accessed the Internet and discovered the adult son of the owners had recently been released from county jail for after being convicted of Unlawful Sex – a catch-all charge covering consensual sexual intercourse with minors between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. One neighbor erected a sign announcing in attention grabbing letters SEX OFFENDER, with arrows pointing to the offender’s residence.

The registrant had been convicted of engaging in sexual intercourse with a student athlete he was allegedly ‘coaching.’ As a result of all this continued attention, the offender waited until his ‘victim’ turned eighteen and then fled the state with her – devastating the family she left behind and leaving his parents to deal with the wrath and indignation of the neighborhood.

In another incident, a wheelchair-bound twenty-year-old with minor mental challenges was convicted of having consensual sexual intercourse with a teenage girl. When he returned from court as a sex registrant on probation, his house was sprayed with graffiti proclaiming him a ‘baby raper’ – a far cry from his actual crime. The following morning he was found dead by his own hand.

In my own neighborhood, I have torn down homemade printouts from the Internet data bases plastered over the group mailboxes perched on numerous street corners. This anonymous ‘outing’ does nothing except create fear, loathing, and agitation, when what is needed is awareness and calm.

It’s easy to say these individuals deserve everything that happens to them, but do they really? Who are we as individuals to pass further judgments after the court processes have been followed? Many sex crimes are true violent atrocities. I know. I deal with the devastating results every day. But the result of vigilante action – taken by individuals acting out of fear or anger based on minimal information – always makes a bad situation worse.

Obviously, we should be on guard against sexual offenders. It would be silly to let someone baby-sit your kids knowing he/she is a sex offender (that said, I’ve arrested parents for knowingly placing their children in such a dangerous situation). However, attempting to punish these individuals further not only circumvents the intent of the law – it can also break the law that vigilantes are attempting to enforce.

It is a crime to use the information from sex registries to commit a misdemeanor or a felony. It is also against the law to publicly distribute the same information unless it is used to protect a specific person at risk. Furthermore, use of this information pursuant to employment, health benefits, loans, credit, housing, etc. can place you in jeopardy of civil actions.

Colleen Cason, a columnist friend summed up the situation succinctly: “Knowing a fact isn’t enough. It’s the applying of information in ethical, effective ways that truly matters.”

Using Information Wisely

The proper use of sex offender registration laws and technology can provide a wonderful tool to protect those who are dearest to us. As mention earlier, using the Megan’s Law computers or web sites can provide information on adults whose criminal actions should red flag any contact with our family members – especially our children. Don’t rely on another organization or individual to do this checking. Do it yourself.

Sports coaches (especially for travel teams), music teachers, dance instructors, new personal relationships – don’t let that new love use you to get to your kids – karate instructors, and the adult neighbor down the street who lives with his mother and always has teenage boys hanging around, should all be checked. Is the last one a stereotype? Absolutely. But even if the individual has never been convicted of a sex crime, the described situation is far too often a recipe for disaster. Make sure your children avoid it at all costs. Don’t be conned into thinking the individual is just somebody who likes kids. He does like kids – far too much. Normal male adults do not have the kind of tolerance for young male testosterone that makes them want to spend all their time with them. Sooner or later somebody like me is going to be starting an investigation into the individual. This will inevitably lead to neighbors in the area saying in wonder, “But he was such a nice man.”

If you are concerned about sex offenders living in close proximity to your home, there are a number of appropriate steps you can take. These don’t necessarily depend on Megan’s Law technologies, but are guidelines designed to protect you and your family.

Make sure your children and teens understand it is wrong for adults to touch them inappropriately, engage them in sexual conversation, or attempt to get them to participate in overt sexual activity. Make your children feel comfortable telling you anything, especially if it involves an adult (even if that adult is another parent or relative). Teach your children about their bodies, giving them the correct language to use when describing their private parts. Stress the importance of those parts remaining private.
Always make an effort to know the people with whom your children interact. In our busy lives this is difficult, but nonetheless imperative. You need to observe first-hand how other ‘in charge’ adults in interact with your children. If you become concerned about any behavior you consider odd, report it to the sponsoring organization.
Know where your children are at all times. Be clear about the places and homes they may visit. It should be a requirement for your children to check in with you when they arrive or depart a location and when there is a change in their plans. They will hate you for this. TOO BAD. Your job is to be their parent first, then their friend – sometimes you can’t be both. Conversely, you should also let them know when you are running late or your plans have changed. This helps your children realize this rule is for everyone’s safety – not just a way of depriving them of freedom.
If your children tell you they don’t want to be left with somebody or go somewhere, it is imperative to listen. Trust their intuition. This reluctance may indicate far more than a personality conflict or a lack of interest in an activity.
Help your children understand they have the right to say, “No,” to any unwelcome touching and to report it to you immediately. It is important to remember the vast majority of child molest cases involve somebody the victim knows, so do not allow yourself to focus exclusively on stranger danger.
The single most important thing you can do is trust your instincts. For those of us in the Church, we know this is truly part of communing with the Holy Ghost. If you feel uncomfortable with someone in an isolated situation (an elevator, a car, even in your home) get out. Do not talk yourself out of feeling uncomfortable being alone with somebody simply because they are an acquaintance. Be wary of friends or dates who test your boundaries by making unwanted physical advances and then attempting to minimize your protests.

All of the above does not mean you must live your life in fear, never trusting anyone. It is simply a call for awareness. Tools such as the Megan’s Law computers and web sites are designed to help us keep our families safe. Used as designed, they can help prevent tragedy and heartbreak. Misused or ignored, the results can be problematic.

Take care of yourselves and your children out there in the world. My unit and our counterparts across the nation are here if you need us. Hopefully, however, our contact will not be from a professional prospective, but through fellowshipping and a shared love of the gospel.