Child molester moving into our neighborhood.

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BamBam-31

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My wife just informed me that one of our neighbors, who's renting his home, is being evicted by the owners so that their son, a convicted child molester, can move into the house. This is the next block over, but that's still too close for comfort. I've got an 8 month old son, and our whole neighborhood's filled with infants, toddlers, etc.

The neighbors we're best friends with have two sons (one 2 yr. old, one 7 months), and the convict is moving in right next to them. They just spent a ton remodelling their entire home, and now they're trying to figure out a way to finance a move if the guy really does move in. Needless to say, they're pretty upset. The guy that's getting evicted just started getting to know all the neighbors, too, and now he's getting the boot.

We've read up on the subject a bit, and it seems there's not too much we can do. Our neighborhood watch leader is trying to schedule a meeting to see if we can protest somehow, maybe take legal action, but it seems like there's really nothing of consequence that is available to us. In fact, there are laws protecting the guy from harassment from unhappy neighbors, so it's not like we can camp out on his lawn and chant, "Hey hey ho ho, child molester's gotta go!"

Anyways, my question is this: Aside from keeping my child home 24/7 (which will probably be unbearable for the poor kid) and away from this guy as much as humanly possible, what else can I do? I was very much looking forward to my kid growing up, visiting, and playing with all the other kids in the neighborhood, but this kind of killed that notion. And all it takes is one slip up, one incident, and the S is really gonna hit the fan. :fire:

I'm trying to be rational about it, but the reality of the situation really hasn't even hit me yet, and I'm already upset. I know we're not being fair to the guy--even child molesters need a place to live, right? Until he moves into YOUR neighborhood, however, and you've got a couple of young ones of your own, you probably wont understand. Moving is a last resort (especially with the real estate craze here in Kali), but I guess it's an option. We plunked down a bit of cash making our home nice and cozy, and my wife and I got married in the gazebo in our back yard. IOW, it's far, far easier to say, "Just move!" than to actually do it.

So, anyone with any kind of experience in this matter? How did you handle it? What kinds of extra precautions did you take? Are there any other avenues we can pursue to get this guy out of our neighborhood? Any advice would be greatly appreciated and passed along during the neighborhood meeting.

Man, there goes the neighborhood. :cuss:
 
the irony is that the sicko has paid his debt to 'society', but he can never repay humanity for the choices he made.

you dont have to be rude to get your point across. you and your neighbors could draft up a letter to him that you all sign, so he knows that everyone is on alert.
 
Don't contact this guy, don't make any public stink (especially one that has your name on it).

What sucks is that if something bad happens to this guy, then if you where engaged in some sort of protest activity then you're a suspect.

I'm thinking that an anonymous letter mailed to this guy's house saying "we know who you are ... we're watching you ... you screw up and you're going down hard!" is about all you can do.

Maybe have someone unrelated to you mail it from out of town (but not out of state).
 
Theres no rules about child molesters being in a certain distance of a school/school children?...

i feel for you...

Chad
 
We have 8 in my neighborhood (there is two low-rest trailer parks just down the road) and while we are concerned, we havn't really adjusted our life to them. I made it point to know who they are and I do not our kid play outside un supervised, but I would not do that anyway.

None of our guys are multiple rapists or child beheaders, at least according to the sherrif's Web site.

So I guess, what kind of guy is yours rated? Have you looked him up on the local dadabase to get his picture and stats?
 
Be a good neighbor and bake him a ricin pie :evil: <---DISCLAIMER- JUST KIDDING.

I'd try to get as much info as I can on him, including his past crimes.
 
1. Is it legal for the property owner to evict the tenant? Unless it's stated in the lease agreement, evicting someone for a family member probably won't fly.
2. Talk to a Lawyer (have one on retainer), there a plenty of ways to legally harass someone. You're going to need a lawyer.
 
2. Talk to a Lawyer (have one on retainer), there a plenty of ways to legally harass someone. You're going to need a lawyer.
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I like that line. It is good that you are informed. I bet most people have no idea how many sex offenders live near them.
 
Have you looked at the various websites to see if there are others living near you that you aren't aware of? It might surprise you just how many are out there.

The best advice I can give you is to continue to live your life like you normally would. Teach your children how to protect themselves (just like you would if the sex offender hadn't moved into the neighborhood). Tall Pine is right, they have cars and they can prey on your children no matter where they live.

Getting involved in a campaign to run him off is a good way to become a suspect if anything happens to him, the property or his parents or their property. Don't think that an anonymous letter threatening him won't be looked into by the police. Don't think that mailing it from out of town will eliminate you as a suspect.

There isn't anything legally you can do. You know the threat is there, that's half the battle to keep your kids safe. The threat is always there.

Teach your kids not to have contact with strangers, to tell you if an adult approaches them, not to take anything from anyone they don't know etc. Just all of the basic rules for living safely.

Jeff

Note to members: WE WON'T ADVOCATE OR DISCUSS ILLEGAL WAYS OF DEALING WITH THIS SITUATION. This is a good opportunity to review the things that all parents should do to keep their children safe.
 
I was just going to say... many people are branded a "sex offender" for life just because their girlfriend in high school's dad didn't take kindly to the fact that his little girl wasn't the angel he thought she was. First, check to see if the guy is actually a real child molester, or just an 18 y/o with a 17 y/o gf many years ago. If it turns out the guy really is dangerous, only you can decide based on your circumstances what the appropriate action would be. If your son is only 8mos old, he's a long way from unsupervized outside play anyway... maybe the guy will be long gone by then. Hopefully you can raise your son such that he knows to tell you if anyone makes inappropriate moves toward him. As someone else mentioned, child molesters have cars too. I've looked at the internet public records for my town, a very small place, and there are several listed.

Can't keep a kid cooped up forever. One day he has to go out and discover the world... at that point, he will have only what you have taught him as a guide.
 
Just remember that even if there isn't a known child molester living in your neighborhood, your children are still at risk
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Good point. I wonder how many of us are living near child molesters who haven't ever been caught. Assuming you're "safe" just because there's no registered sex offenders in your area is just false security.

Note to members: WE WON'T ADVOCATE OR DISCUSS ILLEGAL WAYS OF DEALING WITH THIS SITUATION.
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/me hangs head in shame

True ... don't break the law umkay.
 
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bam-bam... first, make sure he really is a child molestor, and not a victim of circumstance (eg, he was 18, his g/f was 17, and they didn't like him - or something similiar).

second, go to your sheriff's office and find out how many more molestors are near you - you may be shocked.

last... a child molestor decided to move into town here, within walking distance of the school. of course, this didn't set well... word has it that the guy got a letter from somebody pointing out to him that he was now living in the middle of pheasant country and farmers, where every home he sees has shotguns. incidentally, it was supposedly pointed out to the gentleman that a double-barrel shotgun leaves almost no evidence behind, and in a town of about 600 people and around 2000 shotguns, he might be careful, especially around pheasant opener... the non-residents that invade s.d. are careless shots.

the guy didn't care for pheasant hunters i guess, because he left town within a month...

--disclaimer-- i did not write, sign, send, deliver, or anything else w/ the letter. its just something i heard that happened as to why the guy left town so soon after closing on a house.
 
bam-bam... first, make sure he really is a child molestor, and not a victim of circumstance (eg, he was 18, his g/f was 17, and they didn't like him - or something similiar).
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Took the words out of my mouth.
 
We have 8 in my neighborhood.
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You got us beat; we only had 3. It is a nice (well... nice except for the convicted child molesters) suburban subdivision, built in the 60’s. Apparently the 3 guys we have got out of prison and moved back in with their parents (original owners) because they had no place to go. 2 of them have moved on, and the one still here is on parole. The talk around the neighborhood is the terms of parole for all 3 was they had to stay a minimum distance away from kids under 18, but I don’t know if this is true or not.

We did some research when the first guy moved back home. Apparently the “experts“ currently think these guys are never cured; they will always have the desire to go after kids. While they have them in prison and on parole, they try to train them to remove temptation from their lives, and stay away from kids even after they are off parole. So the neighborhood association prints their photo and address in the newsletter, with the advice that if any one sees one of these guys close to a kid, drinking in public, not wearing a seatbelt, spitting on the sidewalk, we call the police. Newsletter is delivered to every house in the neighborhood, included where the released pre-vert lives. Maybe this is why the first 2 moved out.

Teach your children how to protect themselves (just like you would if the sex offender hadn't moved into the neighborhood).
Can't keep a kid cooped up forever. One day he has to go out and discover the world... at that point, he will have only what you have taught him as a guide.
I wonder how many of us are living near child molesters who haven't ever been caught.
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+1
 
Ugh! Feel for you, man.

First, I'll repeat what has been said, The sherrif's website should say if he's actually a child molester or the 18yo wth 17yo girlfriend. Secondly, the eviction sounds fishy. Renters and landlords both have certain rights and obligatons and an eviction for familial preference violates the renters rights and the landlords obligations, I believe. Suggest to him that he contact an atty. All you good neighbors might help him with this one. He wins, you win. He loses, you all lose, too. Thirdly, there is pleny of opportunity to politely let someone know that you don't like them and wish they would move on. Gathering your kids close and a hard stare when he's around will send the message. Especially if everyone on the block does it.
 
Thanks for all the advice, folks. I'll pass it along during the meeting. :)

As for the guy in question, here's what I've gathered: He's a middle-aged Caucasian who molested his 12 year old stepdaughter. One of the neighbors who'll be living right next to him is an attorney, and she did as much research into the guy's background and criminal case as she could. He's been in jail for the past three years, and he's getting out in May. That's when he'll be moving in. I only know the guy's first name, so I couldn't check www.meganslaw.ca.gov using his name. He hasn't moved in yet, obviously, so I couldn't use my zip either. I'll get his full name from our neighbor first thing.

One bright note: The guy that's getting evicted has already found another house to rent one street over. Landed right on his feet, this guy. Good for him. As for local eviction laws, I'm a landlord with properties in the city of L.A. There, strict rent control laws protect poor innocent tenants from big bad landlords like me, and even there, eviction of a tenant to move in an immediate family member (as long as that family member lives there for a specified period of time) is as legally legit as non-payment of rent. Needless to say, the local laws around here give the landlord even more leeway.

You know, we live right in the middle of two elementary schools. I mean we're literally within about a mile of each school. Aren't there laws about how close a registered sex offender can live to schools? Gotta look into that.

Anyways, with all the "Best caliber for Bears/Zombies/Mutants/Aliens" threads, I was hoping for some advice along those lines for a real life monster. :p :neener:

One more thing: After discovering that it was a 12 year old girl that was molested, I thought my 8 month old son was safe. Not really, according to my child therapist wife. Sex crimes arent always about sex (huh?), and the children they prey on don't have to be ambulatory yet, either. Man, that's so sick, it's beyond me. :barf:
 
Bam-Bam, he was convicted of molesting his 12 yo stepdaughter. Keep in mind, he could be a victim of a divorce gone bad. Research is the key. Maybe he was railroaded, and he has nowhere else to go.

He's probably scum, but keep the other possibility in mind.
 
Bam-Bam,
In most states the sex offender can't be within 1000 feet of a school. If he's just been released, he's certainly on parole and his parole officer is going to have to approve where he lives. I bet they have already checked to make sure the proposed residence is in compliance with the conditions of his release.

Jeff
 
Check the local laws, if he cannot live within a certain distance of a school get together with the local parents and open a licensed in home day care.

just a thought.
 
Until he moves into YOUR neighborhood, however, and you've got a couple of young ones of your own, you probably wont understand.
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I have two children. I have and do live in neighborhood(s) wherein convicted child molesters have also resided, let alone those who have not yet been caught (a few reported around schoos already, schools that my children attended). We just received notice recently that another sexual offender has moved into the neighborhood. So what? You seem to be writing out of mostly emotion. Your neighbor who is moving seems to be panicking. Sure a child molester, if that is truly what he is (as opposed to a lower level sexual offender) can try to molest more children or, he can go straight and cease the bad stuff. You never know. The thing is though, yu do not move out of your neighborhood because a neighbors kid was seen drinking, or drinking while intoxicated. There are two other crimes (yes both are crimes) that can easily lead to your child being killed; and I think if you did sone checking you would see that your child stands much more of a chance being hurt or killed by a car than by a child molester.

As for precautions take the same precautions you would take in bringing up your child as usual. Give them the whole don't go near or talk to strangers bit, secure your home, buy a dog that is at least a watch dog size or maybe one that is a guard dog type (I am not talking about training it to kill or anything but about the variety of dogs suitable to the task). Watch your young children when they are outside the house playing. Make sure the house and grounds are secure when they are inside. Check on them frequently. Buy older children a cell phone. Make sure they know and agree for you to be checking on them every couple of hours.

As you plainly stated, a convicted (and probably therefore already punished)child molseter has to live somewhere. While it may be extremely uncomfortable to have one in your neighborhood, at least you know exactly where he is and who he is. Sure he is likely someone to still worry about, recidivism is high among child molesters - so take precautions but; remember that the ones you don't know about are even more dangerous. It could be uncle Harry, aunt Mildred, or maybe your parish priest, rabbi, a school teacher, chief of police - who knows.

If you ever come across a heinous act in progress wherein a molester is actually physically molesting a child, such as raping, then make sure to do the right thing.
 
As for precautions take the same precautions you would take in bringing up your child as usual. Give them the whole don't go near or talk to strangers bit, secure your home, buy a dog that is at least a watch dog size or maybe one that is a guard dog type (I am not talking about training it to kill or anything but about the variety of dogs suitable to the task). Watch your young children when they are outside the house playing. Make sure the house and grounds are secure when they are inside. Check on them frequently. Buy older children a cell phone. Make sure they know and agree for you to be checking on them every couple of hours.
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Excellent advice. Many child molesters lure their victims with some type of "help me" story, such as "help me find my lost puppy." There have been studies done where most of the subjects will fall for these types of lines. One way to combat this is to tell your children that adults almost never need a child's help. If they lost their dog or need help changing a flat, they can find another adult.

I have been a family therapist for the last 10 years or so and have worked with hundreds of child victims. I realize that this is not a representative sample, but rather anecdotal. It is my understanding that most molesters pick children that they know and have some type of relationship with. In my practice, this is was definately true, as I never treated anyone that was molested by a stranger. All of them were molested by a relative or "family friend." My advice is to get to know all of the adults that your child interacts with on a regular basis. This includes parents of their friends, teachers, scout masters, etc.
 
You know, we live right in the middle of two elementary schools. I mean we're literally within about a mile of each school. Aren't there laws about how close a registered sex offender can live to schools? Gotta look into that.
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I thought that as well, and Im pretty sure its a law in Florida....check your local laws.

Good Luck

Chad
 
All of our kids are going to be (or are) running the risk every day.

Those who prey on children will unceasingly find their way into jobs/professions/situations where they can be near kids. That might mean school itself, church, scouts, local park worker, or just a rental or even odd job right across from a bus stop or on a long stretch where kids walk to/from a bus stop. Count on it and educate/act accordingly.

The poster who mentioned its not about sex is correct. Its about control, violation, and domination of someone vastly weaker who cannot possibly retaliate, and most of the time doesn't even have the words to describe the crime. Makes the crime even sicker (if that's even possible) when you think about it.

I think the courts do a terrible disservice to the victims of such crimes. 3 years is no justice for a kid whose psyche will never be the same.

If you ever come across a heinous act in progress wherein a molester is actually physically molesting a child, such as raping, then make sure to do the right thing.
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+P+
 
People have been quite successful in getting child molesters out of the neighborhood by picketing night and day, nothing illegal just voicing your displeasure that the guy is in the neighborhood.

If something happens to him, who cares that you and all the other picketers are suspects. You did nothing wrong other than exercise your First Amendment rights. It cannot hurt to let him know, very vocally, that the entire neighborhood depises his presence.

Good luck.
 
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