@cmlle I’m assuming you meant to put they can’t live in a school zone. Which is still false. Depending on what tier they were assigned to, they can live in a school zone.
@acedeck It would be a dealbreaker for me, for sure. It’s only been a couple of years since he was released. Sex offenders commonly reoffend. Soliciting photos is the offense he was caught for- we don’t know if there was more. We have no way of finding out. It’s our job to keep these babies safe, a better house will always come along!
@acedeck Depends on the situation. I know of someone on the list because he was 18 and his girlfriend was 16 but they were both in the same grade at high school.
I'm very protective of my daughter and she won't be allowed to play in the street (very busy street) and there's not really a chance of her being left alone with people anyway.
@acedeck Absolute dealbreaker. In my state (MD) they list the offender's names, photos, and house they live in -- and weirdly there is a pattern where multiple offenders live in the same house. One lives there now, and like-minded creep friends can come visit or move in with them later.
It's just not worth it. With everything else about the house being perfect, I bet the predator next door is the reason it hasn't sold yet.
@aliciayoung60 It seems logical that they band together because most states with these kinds of registries also have laws restriction where people on the registry can live. Furthermore, the existence of these registries often condemns the sex offenders to be social outcasts but they are still human and still need social connections. No surprise they turn to each other.
1) doesn’t own but lives there with family, and is still young, so he could move out on his own at any time
2) I do think young offenders can change
3) you can take steps to protect your kids by not letting them have contact with this neighbor. And who knows if he’ll even be there when they’re teens. Or if you will.
But that’s just me, I understand why it’s a dealbreaker for some
@acedeck Not a deal breaker for me. It sounds like you know some of the details so maybe you know this, but the facts you've shared don't necessarily portray someone who is likely to abuse young children. Exchanging nude photos via text messages or the internet with minors is a crime in the US federally and I'd guess all states-- e.g. two 16 y/os consensually sending photos. This case may involve some other abusive element since it was prosecuted and he did time (though notably short), but I don't think someone engaging with their peers is pedophile/ child sex abuser behavior even if it was otherwise bad conduct. So, you may have reasons to avoid him and not let your kids interact with him, but I'd look more closely at the case to see this is a situation where you should worry about safety merely because proximity-- I wouldn't want someone who had a history of producing actual child pornography being able to view my kids, but someone who was 19 and sexually interested in a 17 year old isn't that.
@aussiespring This was an age gap of 5-6 years and payment involved which seems predatory. He was potentially facing a whole lot more time, but pleaded down.
@acedeck Dealbreaker. If you’re in the US you can pull up a map that shows all the sex offenders by zip code. Might help narrow down your areas available for searching for your new home. Sex offenders cannot live near churches or playgrounds, so that’s always a good area to look in. Be warned, there are a lot of sex offenders and these maps are overwhelmingly scary.
@acedeck Nope nope nope. Unfortunately this person is likely not "rehabilitated." Folks that do this are pathologically inclined to commit these types of crimes, and aren't necessarily a risk to only one age group.
I would never ever have peace of mind living anywhere near someone like this.
@acedeck Wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.
1. People can change.
2. He may move away soon.
3. You could buy another place and then a known offender moves in next door. Would you move?
4. You can take precautions. You know who it is and what to be careful about.
5. I think it's unlikely that an already registered offender would go for the neighbours, I mean, wouldn't he get caught like immediately?
6. You can't foresee every potential danger and protect your kids from everything. You have to live your life.
@acedeck Deal breaker. I wouldn’t feel safe having my children be in his sight. I would likely not get a pool. Or a sprinkler nor any of that fun stuff. And if I have to be careful of what I buy because I’m living there then it’s less like a house and more like a prison
@acedeck Dealbreaker. Down the street would take more consideration, but next door - absolutely not.
It would make me too uncomfortable knowing he could be staring out the window at my kids playing. That’s close enough to have to talk to this person for various reasons, him have a regular understanding of your family’s whereabouts and schedule, even close enough for the guy to get pictures of your children through a window.
@acedeck Dealbreaker. I grew up in a house in a nice neighborhood with a known violent criminal (shot a teenager for trespassing in his yard) and as a result my parents would never let me play in the front yard, even supervised. As a teenager my mon would be worried about my washing my car in the driveway alone. Yes, there mighhhht be an unknown creep somewhere else you live, but you won’t be comfortable knowing they’re there for sure. Being comfortable in your own space is important.
@acedeck 100% a deal breaker. Sex offenders often reoffend. I wouldn’t want to have to be constantly on alert like that while in my own home. I couldn’t ever send my kids outside to play without anxiety of the nextdoor predator. NOPE.
@acedeck Deal breaker. Whether or not something happens to your kids or someone else’s kids or no one’s kids knowing that someone was just there over the fence would make me feel like a prisoner in my own home. I would never relax, life is too short for that.
