Jennifer Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Little 7yo walking home from school-ran ahead of her friends and vanished. So sad. I hope she is found soon and is safe. My children walk to/from school. Hearing about things like this always fills me with anxiety for my own kids. DH and I have determined that it is safe for the kids to walk (big groups of kids and parents walking together, crossing guard, school is 1/4 mile away) but I'm sure this little girl's parents thought it was safe for her to walk, too. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 (edited) :( It did not end well... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569202,00.html?test=latestnews (I know the feeling on foxnews, but its where I saw the story, not trying to offend anyone) 161 s*x offenders live within a 5 mile radius of this child's house, according to the live news story. I simply cannot imagine this family's horror. Edited October 22, 2009 by LauraGB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 That's terrible. The are no words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I only heard about this tonight, and suddenly I do not feel like a bad parent for being overprotective and not allowing my children in the front yard unsupervised. What is it about this area that makes it such a magnet for sex offenders? It is such a sad, sad situation. I am horrified for the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 That is just horrible! We have a school just four blocks away that Aaron used to walk to, but I haven't let Nathan and Ben off our street alone yet. I am so much more cautious now. I had read that she was walking home with her siblings, but they had an argument, and she ran on ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 :( It did not end well... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569202,00.html?test=latestnews (I know the feeling on foxnews, but its where I saw the story, not trying to offend anyone) 161 s*x offenders live within a 5 mile radius of this child's house, according to the live news story. I simply cannot imagine this family's horror. Sounds like 161 members need cutting off. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Sounds like 161 members need cutting off. :tongue_smilie: At the risk of someone coming to defend the rights of these people... :iagree:In fact, I couldn't agree with you more. Makes me sick right to my stomach. And as another poster stated, What is it with that area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I'm starting to wonder what's up with the area as well. We used to live in this Orange Park area - we moved about 20 miles south two years ago. This year it seems so many young ones have just disappeared. Afterwards all you hear about is all the offenders in the area. Yesterday on the local news there was someone who stated that the number of offenders was not uncommon in a suburb of a large city. I am disgusted and horrified. I cannot help but be a little more watchful of my dds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 At the risk of someone coming to defend the rights of these people...:iagree:In fact, I couldn't agree with you more. Makes me sick right to my stomach. And as another poster stated, What is it with that area? Yeah -- I shouldn't have said it, though. It's my knee-jerk reaction to reading too many news stories. I've also read about many cases in which the men are released only to commit another crime. It's scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 The lawyer in me feels the need to point out...nothing has been released by the police that would conclusively point to a sex offender - past or current. It could just as easily been - another child, someone in her own home (she would have reached home earlier than the other children), a hit and run that someone tried to hide, etc... There is lots more to learn in this case before we get out the pitchforks. That being said, I wonder why so many sex offenders are allowed to live so close to a school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 The lawyer in me feels the need to point out...nothing has been released by the police that would conclusively point to a sex offender - past or current. It could just as easily been - another child, someone in her own home (she would have reached home earlier than the other children), a hit and run that someone tried to hide, etc... There is lots more to learn in this case before we get out the pitchforks. That being said, I wonder why so many sex offenders are allowed to live so close to a school? I know. I know. I should just stop reading the news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I knew you knew! ;) Just thought it needed to be said! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 The lawyer in me feels the need to point out...nothing has been released by the police that would conclusively point to a sex offender - past or current. It could just as easily been - another child, someone in her own home (she would have reached home earlier than the other children), a hit and run that someone tried to hide, etc... There is lots more to learn in this case before we get out the pitchforks. That being said, I wonder why so many sex offenders are allowed to live so close to a school? Because everyone's rights have to be upheld even if a perverts rights put a helpless child in danger. Children are just chattel right? The dirty old man has a right to live anywhere he wants to. The laws are too restricting and you would put the perverts on the streets and homeless if you didn't allow them to live close to schools and daycares and family neighborhoods. I understand rights. But I have never understood how you could lose the right to own a gun and vote if you commit a felony but you get to live next door to victim or potential victim if you rape a child. I guess guns are more important than children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Actually, many, many states have pretty strict rules about how close to a school/park/other places children congregate a sex offender may live. Sounds like they don't have laws like that in Florida? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Actually, many, many states have pretty strict rules about how close to a school/park/other places children congregate a sex offender may live. Sounds like they don't have laws like that in Florida? Yes, they do. When we lived in central Florida, at least in our county, the minimum distance from school boundary was specific, but not great enough in my opinion... something like 500 yards? A mile at the most? I cannot remember the exact distance now, but it was surprisingly close to school grounds. Anyway, we regularly pulled up the registry for our area, which included a map. It was shocking to see the stars on the map, many, many of them the first available property on the legal side of the distance boundary. Like these people were purposely thumbing their nose at the regulations by staying a hair's breadth within the law. Disgusting, and scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Also, meant to say that when I sat down and read the news that she had been killed, I just cried. I imagined my own b/g twins in this situation... so incredibly heartbreaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyX8 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I heard on the radio that she disappeared on her MILE LONG walk home from school. Hello?? She is 7 years old. I think that not one person on this board would just let our 7 year old walk a mile anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 As long as I live, I will never forget what I just heard the mother say a few minutes ago on tv- "They just threw my daughter away like trash." I will NEVER forget that statement, that voice, that moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodle Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I heard on the radio that she disappeared on her MILE LONG walk home from school. Hello?? She is 7 years old. I think that not one person on this board would just let our 7 year old walk a mile anywhere. I did when I was a kid. There were no buses provided to where we lived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I heard on the radio that she disappeared on her MILE LONG walk home from school. Hello?? She is 7 years old. I think that not one person on this board would just let our 7 year old walk a mile anywhere. I think from some of the debates here, quite a few would. Especially since she appears to have been walking with a group which included her sibling. Here's hoping this doesn't start another debate. I just want to think about the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I did when I was a kid. There were no buses provided to where we lived. Every day, to school and back, starting at age 5. In Australia, I walked even further. I was never frightened, ever (except being dived on by those big piebald Australian magpies). I'm sorry the world has changed. Imagine being the children she walked away from! It must have been on the radio, because when I got home, my son said a 7 year old was missing. How horrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) Anyway, we regularly pulled up the registry for our area, which included a map. It was shocking to see the stars on the map, many, many of them the first available property on the legal side of the distance boundary. Like these people were purposely thumbing their nose at the regulations by staying a hair's breadth within the law. Disgusting, and scary. I agree that having a sex offender nearby is something to know about and I check it often too, but I also keep in mind that some of these "offenders" could have been teenage boys who were charged for having sex with their minor girlfriends or boyfriends (or visa versa). Sex offenders are all grouped together without distinction and some of them were just not being careful when they were teenagers or young adults dating underage girlfriends (boyfriends) and are harmless people, but branded for life. They have to go by these same rules as a serial rapist. I know of a few young men where this has been the case and it is really sad that they have this hanging over them for the rest of their lives. Edited October 23, 2009 by Seeker typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Actually, many, many states have pretty strict rules about how close to a school/park/other places children congregate a sex offender may live. Sounds like they don't have laws like that in Florida? I have a hard time believing that someone who would violate a child like that would honor a law about where he may congregate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Also, meant to say that when I sat down and read the news that she had been killed, I just cried. I imagined my own b/g twins in this situation... so incredibly heartbreaking. So did I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I agree that havinga sex offender nearby is something to know about and I check it often too, but I also keep in mind that some of these "offenders" could have been teenage boys who were charged for having sex with their minor girlfriends or boyfriends (or visa versa). Sex offenders are all grouped together without distinction and some of them were just not being careful when they were teenagers or young adults dating underage girlfriends (boyfriends) and are harmless people, but branded for life. They have to go by these same rules as a serial rapist. I know of a few young men where this has been the case and it is really sad that they have this hanging over them for the rest of their lives. In VA, you can see what the crime was, so it helps a little. I know someone who is a VA sex offender b/c he had relations with an older teenager. I agree that I am more worried about men that violate children than I am about consentual relationships. I know there's problem there as well, since the consentual could be happening between an 11 year old and an older man, but I still worry more about the child snatcher types. Perhaps it helps that I have all boys, and my young boys don't go anywhere without me except the front street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 When we lived in Maryland, there was a registered child sex offender in our neighborhood. He lived directly across from the neighborhood park, which also doubled as the neighborhood school bus stop. One day, I just happened to check the registry or I'd never have known. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 In VA, you can see what the crime was, so it helps a little. I know someone who is a VA sex offender b/c he had relations with an older teenager. I see that we also have that in our area now as well, which has changed in just the last year I think, but still...I am not sure this works the same nationwide yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) I agree that having a sex offender nearby is something to know about and I check it often too, but I also keep in mind that some of these "offenders" could have been teenage boys who were charged for having sex with their minor girlfriends or boyfriends (or visa versa). Sex offenders are all grouped together without distinction and some of them were just not being careful when they were teenagers or young adults dating underage girlfriends (boyfriends) and are harmless people, but branded for life. They have to go by these same rules as a serial rapist. I know of a few young men where this has been the case and it is really sad that they have this hanging over them for the rest of their lives. :iagree: I think the labeling of people as sex offenders is a little extreme in some cases. It makes it much more difficult to know when you truly do have someone in your neighborhood that is a threat to your children. I've looked up the registry in my neighborhood, too, and it includes domestic violence cases. I'm not saying that domestic violence is not a crime, but I don't think that a wife beater is necessarily a direct threat to me or my kids. I'd rather just be alerted if someone who has actually been convicted of sexual or other inappropriate contact with a minor has moved into the area. I also agree that there are a lot of young people who have made stupid mistakes and are labled unfairly for the rest of their lives, not just as sex offenders, but as criminals, in general. I'm not defending sex offenders in any way. If I found out that someone had molested my kids, I hope the police get to them first, because I would torture and kill them with my bare hands. I just think the system we have of labeling is flawed. Edited October 23, 2009 by thescrappyhomeschooler typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I like that here where we live in Ohio, we get postcards in the mail when sex offenders move into our neighborhood and it details what their crime was. As long as they live there, we continue to get these postcards every so often. It also has their address and picture. We had one recently move in 2 streets over that was convicted of rape of a young child. Scary stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Actually, many, many states have pretty strict rules about how close to a school/park/other places children congregate a sex offender may live. Sounds like they don't have laws like that in Florida? I believe in NH it's 1 mile away from the school. UNBELIEVABLE. I'm cold hearted and don't think they deserve rights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I'm cold hearted and don't think they deserve rights. I don't think that makes you cold hearted at all. In fact, quite the opposite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I like that here where we live in Ohio, we get postcards in the mail when sex offenders move into our neighborhood and it details what their crime was. As long as they live there, we continue to get these postcards every so often. It also has their address and picture. We had one recently move in 2 streets over that was convicted of rape of a young child. Scary stuff. Wow. I don't think they do that here. I check for myself periodically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I agree that having a sex offender nearby is something to know about and I check it often too, but I also keep in mind that some of these "offenders" could have been teenage boys who were charged for having sex with their minor girlfriends or boyfriends (or visa versa). Sex offenders are all grouped together without distinction and some of them were just not being careful when they were teenagers or young adults dating underage girlfriends (boyfriends) and are harmless people, but branded for life. They have to go by these same rules as a serial rapist. I know of a few young men where this has been the case and it is really sad that they have this hanging over them for the rest of their lives. on the offender list I look at it states the birthdate of the offender, the date of arrest, and whether it was a minor or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 on the offender list I look at it states the birthdate of the offender, the date of arrest, and whether it was a minor or not. But then if you calculated that a person was, say, 19 at the time, it wouldn't say whether the victim was 17 or 4, for instance. People need to check IDs before they date, if they don't know the age for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvmy4blessings Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I go to the familywatchdog website and find out where they live . My zipcode is covered in red blocks which are child sex offenders. I don't live in a bad neighborhood either. Everyone should go to the website and be fully aware. There is no need to live in denial or be unaware . Personally I do not think that children should be allowed to walk home from school alone. If you were fully aware that your child was walking past the home of a convicted child molester (even if they walked past that home with a group of friends) would you be ok with it? Well that is what is happening each and every day. The only difference is that people are not aware of it because they choose to not look up their neighborhood and see what is clearly posted for them. I am a bit extreme b/c I think it should be against the law to have children walking home alone a mile or two past convicted child molesters home. That is candy to them. That is parading our children right past their door. If someone is a pedophile they have a desire for children. I am sure they love it when 2:45 rolls around so that they can watch the buffet come right to their door. That is how I honestly feel. I would never in a million years let my kids walk around outside alone. In fact when my kids are outside I am right there with them. Let's not forget that kids can be also grabbed at the bus stop while the parent watches from their doorstop waving. Can you get to your child from 3 houses away if a car pulls up and grabs them? When my child rode the bus I was with her until it came. I know that a lot of parents cannot be there and the school has a rule that says if you live so close to the school then they walk. The school actually says that my 5 year old child should walk 1 mile alone to the school past 5 sex offenders homes. Well that's NOT going to be happening ever . The bigger question is why would they even expect me to do that??? Where is the common sense in this? People who think your children are safe b/c they are walking home in a group. Think again. Children are CHILDREN. No matter what you tell them they will often get distracted and forget. Look at what happened to Somer. She ran ahead and that was all it took. Kids will do that . They run ahead or fall behind . The kids that are around them don't feel responsible to the other children around them. We cannot put the responisibilty on the group of kids to keep our own child safe . We are the ones responsible. Sorry if that sounded like a rant . This is just my opinion and how I feel but maybe I watch too much of the news and see this playing out every single day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 But then if you calculated that a person was, say, 19 at the time, it wouldn't say whether the victim was 17 or 4, for instance. People need to check IDs before they date, if they don't know the age for sure. ok, I just checked again. It has the birth date of the criminal, the date of adjudication, and the charge. It only states age, from my quick search, when the victim was under the age of 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 ok, I just checked again. It has the birth date of the criminal, the date of adjudication, and the charge. It only states age, from my quick search, when the victim was under the age of 13. Thanks for checking. I don't know the exact age for my state, but don't they have a cut-off in certain states that's under 18? It seems to me that I read in some states having sex with someone 16 or older wouldn't be counted as child molestation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvmy4blessings Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I am lucky in my state that I can see what the crime was and the age of the victim. Often times you will find a young man being convicted of having sex with someone under 18. Now that might be rape or that might be two consenting individuals and an angry mom who pressed charges. This is another deterrant to let our kids know they should be careful. If they decided to have sex with their gf or bf while they are underage they could end up in jail! Same is true of these kids sending inappropriate pictures of themselves to each other via text or myspace. If you have an inappropriate picture of someone who is underage....that's child porn!! There was a school that actually prosecuted some of their students when they found naked pictures on the boys phones of their girlfriends. If you're under 18 you're considered a child. Yet these people will have to register now for being child sex offenders more than likely. This might help to deter them from this behavior! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 upon searching more, it will also state under the age of 16, older than 13 but younger than 16. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I just checked our state police website for the list of sex offenders, put in an arbitrary (but real) zip code, and it lists one person as "homeless, living in a tent" behind the XYZ store. That particular site gave a map of each offenders location, but no info on victim age. It did list charges and date of offense. The photos just made me fell sick thinking about the whole thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Our kids have always trick or treated in mil's neighborhood; she's lived there forever, small community, knows everyone. All the cousins go together, dh or I and some other moms accompany the large group. Last year, we passed a house, 2 doors down from a church/elementary school. The house was decorated for halloween, but did not have the light on. There was a guy trimming the shrubs in front of the house. One of the moms along told me that the man was the older lady (who lived there)'s middle aged son who has to live with her on court order after serving his (rather short) sentence for molesting a child. She joked that all the kids in the neighborhood call him (Creepy Chris or Weird Willy - I can't remember anymore what it was, but it was something like this). She told me this all so non chalantly that I was absolutely aghast. She even chastised me for being so uptight, especially since all the kids already knew this and avoid him.:confused1: And there he was, out tending his shrubs in 30-something degree weather while all the children (most of which were NOT with thier parents) paraded right on past. So, it may not be just that people don't know, it might be that they just don't get it and have the "it'll never happen to us" mentality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Thank you for posting about the familywatchdog website. I'm headed there now. Our county's website was very difficult to navigate. Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5knights3maidens Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 A few years ago I "lost" our 3 girls (the youngest was a baby). I literally forgot that they had gone to a neighbors house. I called their names outside and they never answered. (The houses are very close.) I panicked. We couldn't find them anywhere. My body felt like I died. I just stood there and couldn't move. When they came out of the house I cried and cried. The neighbors windows were open and still didn't hear us calling. I felt so stupid but I truly, honestly forgot. I can't even imagine what this family is going through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 We have a registry thing in Canada, but it's only accessible by law enforcement agencies. The public does not have access to the National Sex Offender Registry. It is a database maintained by the RCMP that provides Canadian police services with important information that will improve their ability to investigate crimes of a sexual nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 We have a registry thing in Canada, but it's only accessible by law enforcement agencies. Why? Do they notify neighbors some other way? What about when someone moves into a neighborhood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I have let my 5 year old walk with my older daughters (13 and 16.....) and I think I am responsible:-) I also have the 11 year old... but he hasn't walked with just her yet. Carrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Perhaps it helps that I have all boys, and my young boys don't go anywhere without me except the front street. Not just little girls get victimized. I know you know that, too... just saying... some people really do think that you don't have to worry about perverts if you only have boys. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Why? Do they notify neighbors some other way? What about when someone moves into a neighborhood? I don't know if they do this everywhere, but they did in the little town near me. There was to be a recently released child sex offender who was going to move into the town. RCMP did notify all the residents there (there are only 350 people there). People on the surrounding farms were notified if they were within 5 kms of the town as well. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that the local residents made sure the offender didn't stay more than an afternoon in that town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 We have a registry thing in Canada, but it's only accessible by law enforcement agencies. Why? Do they notify neighbors some other way? What about when someone moves into a neighborhood? I've never heard of them notifying anyone about anything - well, maybe some really big high profile cases, or specific towns like Audrey mentioned... but the whole 'check this website for little red flags in your neighbourhood' thing like many states have, nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I don't know if they do this everywhere, but they did in the little town near me. There was to be a recently released child sex offender who was going to move into the town. RCMP did notify all the residents there (there are only 350 people there). People on the surrounding farms were notified if they were within 5 kms of the town as well. Curious, how did they notify everyone? Was it broadcast on the news, or did they send out letters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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