A 1st degree sex offender recently relocated to our community. He sexually assaulted my daughter at knife point when she was just 9-years-old.  Absolutely NO community notification was given prior to his move here thru current day.  Victim services failed to notify us of his move.  Local law enforcement was not aware of his presence in our local community until we brought it to their attention.

Often the community receives notification when a 2nd or 3rd degree sex offender is relocated into a community, the individual I am referring to was convicted of a 1st degree sexual offence and yet there was NO public notification.  In times when there is no notification, the public often turns to websites such as familywatchdog.us or nsopw.gov to identify where dangerous sex offenders may live in their community.  Such websites are believed to contain information such as a current photo, current address, and a listing of the specific charges related to anyone that is listed on the National Sex Offender Registry.

Unfortunately, such transparency does not truly exist.  familywatchdog.us and nsopw.gov do not truly provide a comprehensive listing of all sex offenders that are currently ordered to adhere to the terms of the registry.  In fact, many of the MOST DANGEROUS sexual assault offenders remain hidden from the public's view on the National Sex Offender Registry.

For example, the sexual offender that penetrated my 9-year-old child, while using a dangerous weapon and resulted in significant injuries, is unable to be found on the National Sex Offender Registry.  Even though he committed a SERIOUS crime, a 1st degree felony, he managed to slip through political loopholes and cannot be found by the general public.  Despite being convicted of one of the most serious crimes of sexual assault, his identity remains hidden from public view--hidden until there is another victim.

This is unacceptable.  The purpose of the National Sex Offender Registry is to prevent crimes of a sexual nature by predators that have been convicted of committing such offences.  The individual that assaulted my daughter was 3 weeks shy of his 14th birthday, and was technically an adjudicated delinquent, which enabled him to find a loophole and not be visible to the public on the registry.

While one may argue that he was a juvenile, I think it is important to point out that he had 3 charges of sexual nature that were being investigated at the time of the assault.  If there was true transparency in the National Sex Offender Registry, assaults such as that which happened to my daughter may have been preventable.  I carefully studied the whereabouts of the offenders listed on the public's view of the registry before moving to my neighborhood, and had diligently checked it from time to time, thinking it was a complete, comprehensive listing of all registered offenders.  Never did I think that the most dangerous type of offender was living right across the street from me.

For the safety of the community, I ask you to consider mandating that ALL 1st and 2nd degree sexual offenders are made visible to the public when checking the National Sex Offender Registry.  Sex offenders that committed a 1st or 2nd degree sexual offences, are often perpetrators of offences committed against children, those that involve the use of threats or force, and those that result in significant injury to the victim.  1st and 2nd degree sexual offenders terrorized their victims, and often engaged in acts that resulted in great harm.  Given the serious nature of their crime and the danger that such offenders present, informing the public and allowing them to make informed decisions should outweigh any justification for keeping the identity of such predators hidden from public view, regardless of the offender's age at the time of the crime.

Public awareness and the ability to prevent another travesty from occurring should be of utmost importance.  Offenders that committed 1st and 2nd degree Sexual offences committed horrible acts of violence against another human being.  The existence of the National Sex Offender Registry is to inform the public of the presence of dangerous sex offenders.  Providing loopholes for some of the most dangerous of all the offenders is irresponsible.  True transparency of the offenders required to register for the sex offender registry is critical to ensure the purpose of the sex offender registry is honored, by enabling the public to prevent such a devastating act from occurring.

Providing true transparency of those contained on sex offender registry is crucial for the safety and security of the public.  Juveniles that commit such heinous offences often receive a break at the time of sentencing.  Rather than be held accountable for the mandatory 25 years to life in prison for committing such serious offences, their maximum sentence is often capped at just 5 years.  While some may argue that such offenders are young, and can be rehabilitated, the impact that such juveniles have on their victims is no different, whether the offender is 13 or 30 years old.  It is traumatizing enough for the victims of such offenders to not be granted with a minimum of 25 years of guaranteed freedom from encountering their offender in their community.  In my daughter's case, 3 weeks made the difference of allowing her offender to be released into the community in just 5 years, from the probability that he would have been sentenced to 60 years to life in prison, for the acts of violence he committed against her.

There are reasons why 1st and 2nd degree sexual assault crimes typically result in up to 40 years to life in prison.  The danger and severity of the crimes that such offenders have committed are nearly unthinkable.  Allowing such dangerous predators the luxury of attaining their freedom from the confines of a prison cell, or other treatment option, after just 5 years is a huge privilege.  However, given the nature of their offences, their release into the community without any public notification or transparency on the National Sex Offender Registry is completely irresponsible and self-defeating.  ALL 1st and 2nd degree sexual offenders MUST be presented on a truly TRANSPARENT registry for it to properly serve its purpose.

1st and 2nd degree sexual assault offenders that were convicted/adjudicated of very serious felonies, directly harmed their victims.  Most of the victims of such offenders are children--children that put their trust in the legal system, believing that sharing their stories would somehow prevent others from falling prey to their predators.  Mandating the presence of ALL registered sex offenders that committed a 1st or 2nd degree felony to appear on the registry, and providing true transparency of those on the registry, provides the victims of such crimes with a sense that their victimization is truly being acknowledged by authorities and that their bravery in coming forward and reporting such acts of violence, will enable the community to prevent victimization of another individual by their offender.

The current lack of transparency gives the community a false sense of security.  The lack of transparency prevents schools from being able to keep their students safe from such predators.  Organizations such as daycares and youth centers that often screen their volunteers or employees to protect the children entrusted to them, are unable to identify the very predators they are striving to eliminate by conducting their screening.  Without transparency in the registry, parents and citizens are unable to make informed decisions and adequately provide their children and neighbors with critical information that could prevent another act of sexual violence.  

1st and 2nd degree sex offenders often target children as their victims.  They inflict pain and injury to the children they harm.  They use threats of force or violence to get their victims to comply with their intentions.  I cannot rationalize any way to look at the situation and not see the protection of the community as needing to prevail over the needs/protections of the offender.  If an offender is capable of such calculated acts of violence, and targets innocent victims that are so young, how can one fathom not informing the public, and preventing the possibility of another tragedy?  

I have seen the damage and destruction that such an assault has had on my daughter for the past 8 years.  She has experienced very little healing, if any at all.  How can you justify the need to have another victim be harmed before releasing the stark reality, that law enforcement knew of the danger presented by the offender, yet chose to remain silent?  Please consider filing a motion or amendment to ensure that any individual that is CONVICTED of 1st or 2nd degree sexual assault is PUBLICLY listed on the National Sex Offender Registry, and that notification be given in ALL communities where such offenders choose to reside.