What Mr. Rogers Didn't Tell You

Who Are the People In Your Neighborhood?
Trina L.C. Sonnenberg

How well do you know the people in your neighborhood? Unless you live in a small town, chances are that you probably don't really know your neighbors at all. Regardless of the size of a community, it is probable that there are sex offenders living there, and in many states, unless a convicted sex offender is considered, by the law, to be a sexually violent predator, you won't know it. For example: In the small, neighboring Colorado towns of Nucla and Naturita, where I live, there are three convicted sex offenders living among the communities; information I discovered myself, while researching this article.

In Colorado, a sexually violent predator is defined as:
(I) Who is eighteen years of age or older as of the date the offense is committed or who is less than eighteen years of age as of the date the offense is committed but is tried as an adult;

(II) Who has been convicted on or after July 1, 1999, of one of the following offenses committed on or after July 1, 1997:

(A) Sexual assault in the first, second, or third degree (felony);
(B) Unlawful sexual contact;
(D) Sexual assault on a child;
(E) Sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust;

(III) Whose victim was a stranger to the offender or a person with whom the offender established or promoted a relationship primarily for the purpose of sexual victimization; and

(IV) Who, based upon the results of a risk assessment screening instrument developed by the division of criminal justice in consultation with and approved by the sex offender management board, is likely to subsequently commit one or more of the offenses specified in subparagraph (II) under the circumstances described in subparagraph (III).

Based on the results of such assessment, the court or parole board shall make specific findings of fact and enter an order concerning whether the defendant is a sexually violent predator.

Sections 16-22-102(9) and 18-1.3-1008, C.R.S. define a sex offender as a person convicted of one of the following sex offenses:

" Sexual assault in the first, second or third degree; unlawful sexual contact; sexual assault on a child; sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust; sexual assault on a client by a psychotherapist; enticement of a child; incest; aggravated Incest; trafficking in children; sexual exploitation of children; procurement of a child for sexual exploitation; indecent exposure; soliciting for child prostitution; pandering of a child; procurement of a child for prostitution; keeping a place of child prostitution; pimping of a child; inducement of child prostitution; patronizing a prostituted child; engaging in Sexual Conduct in a Penal Institution; wholesale Promotion of Obscenity to Minors; and promotion of Obscenity to Minors; criminal attempt, conspiracy or solicitation to commit any of the above offenses.

All convicted sex offenders are required to register with local law enforcement agencies; however, those agencies are not required to notify the public of a sex offender's presence in a community, unless they are considered to be a sexually violent predator. All registered sex offenders are listed in a publicly accessible database, but it is up to the public to educate themselves on who is living in their area. All sex offenders, even those who have not been convicted of child molestation, are strictly prohibited from having any contact with children.

Sex offenders come from all races, economic backgrounds, professions, and ages. Recently, a ring of child pornographers were arrested, including psychologists, lawyers, teachers, and others in positions of trust. Sex offenders are not, 'dirty old men,' hiding in the bushes, or drug crazed men waiting in an alley. Statistically speaking, most sex offenders are heterosexual teenage or adult males; many are married with children of their own. Approximately 95% of sex offenders assault people they know. While there is no such thing as a, 'typical sex offender,' there are some commonalities. Most are manipulative, secretive and deceptive. They rarely commit just a single type of offense, and at least 50% of all child molesters have assaulted an adult. Approximately 80% of those convicted of an adult rape have admitted to assaulting children as well, and about one third of convicted offenders report assaulting both males and females. Studies have shown that sexually deviant behavior usually starts in adolescence, and those managing sex offenders regard sexual offending as a behavioral disorder with no cure.

Sex crimes are not typically spontaneous and include: window peeping (voyeurism), exhibitionism, oral, vaginal, or anal penetration, and attempted penetration, fondling and incest. Most sex offenders plan their crimes, especially those against children. Studies also show that most sex offenders commit multiple crimes before ever being caught. This is probably because sex crimes are the most under reported crime, with about 70% of these crimes going unreported.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, 67% of all reported sex crimes are committed against children under the age of 18; of those, 34% are committed against children under the age of 12, with one out of seven victims being under the age of 6. In 2005, law enforcement agencies in Colorado, reported a total of 1,971 forcible rapes. Of those, 91% were reported as completed rapes, with the remainder being reported as attempted sexual assaults.

In a 1998 study, 1 in 150 Colorado women had experienced a completed or attempted sexual assault. And, 1 in 4 women had experienced an assault within their lifetime. Only 4% of sex crimes are committed by women.

So, what can you do to protect yourself and your family? Talk to your children about it. Remember, sex crimes are most likely to be perpetrated by someone the victim knows. Therefore, simply warning your children about strangers is not enough. Talk to your children about inappropriate behavior, and tell them to talk to you if anyone ever does something that makes them feel uncomfortable, no matter whom that person may be. Remember… anyone can be a victim, at any time, and the victim is never responsible for the attack.

There are also many resources online that you have access to, under the Freedom of Information Act. One place to start is the FBI web site: http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/registry.htm. From there, you can find links to web sites listing sex offenders in your area. For those who do not have Internet access, you may visit your local law enforcement agency and request a sex offender list.



Copyright © 2006
The Trii-Zine Ezine
www.ezines1.com

About the Author:
Trina L.C. Sonnenberg
Publisher - The Trii-Zine Ezine - Internet marketing and home business resources and information. Serving online professionals since 2001.
http://www.ezines1.com/triizine
http://www.trinaschiller.ws

Keywords: sex offender, sex crimes, sexual predator, forcible rape, child molestation, sexual assault