Seal Beach 2018 Halloween Safety Map: Sex Offenders

SEAL BEACH, CA — Along with picking out the perfect costume for the Halloween holiday, safety as to where you trick or treat should be at the top of most parents' lists. Just as, when porch lights are off but someone is home, parents should be aware that there are residences that should be avoided due to limitations placed on sex offenders in neighborhoods.

Patch has prepared this map for all who are interested in knowing which houses to avoid on your candy hunting adventures. In Seal Beach in 2018 there were 13 "postable" registered sex offenders living within the city limits. One, in violation, according to the site.

According to the California Department of Justice's Megan's Law website, there are approximately 52,800 registered sex offenders living in the state's 58 counties. Of those, officials have the full address on record for some 40,000 individuals. But those numbers are both actually higher if you take into account those who have been granted exclusions from the site.

Here in Seal Beach, there are 13 offenders listed on the Megan's Law site. Here are the ones we were able to map.

NOT ALL OFFENDERS LISTED

As stated above, it's important to keep in mind that the Megan's Law site does not list every sex offender living in the community. Under California's Penal Code section 290, the DOJ is only authorized to display certain types of sex offenders online, according to the agency.

"Not every registered sex offender will appear on this Internet web site," the California Megan's Law site states. "As explained on the Summary of the Law page, approximately 25% of registered sex offenders cannot be posted online by law. Whether public disclosure is permitted is based on the type of sex crime for which the person is required to register."

People who have been convicted of a registrable sexual offense that falls into one of the following categories can apply for exclusion from Megan's Law website:

• Felony sexual battery by restraint (Pen. Code § 243.4, subd. (a))
• Misdemeanor child molestation (Pen. Code § 647.6), or former section 647(a)
• Any offense which did not involve penetration or oral copulation, the victim of which was a child, stepchild, grandchild, or sibling of the offender, and for which the offender successfully completed or is successfully completing probation
• Felony child pornography conviction (Pen. Code §§ 311.1, 311.2 subd. (b), (c) or (d), or Pen. Code §§ 311.3, 311.4, 311.10, or 311.11) where the victim was at least 16 years of age or older

What's more, on any given offender profile, take note of the statement which reads “THE REGISTRANT MAY HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY RELOCATED.”

"Unfortunately, a sex offender may knowingly violate the law by relocating prior to their annual update (which occurs each year on their respective birth date) without notifying the last registering agency," California DOJ officials tell Patch. "This may not become known to local law enforcement until after the sex registrant has changed their address or moved out of the jurisdiction."

For more information, visit: www.meganslaw.ca.gov

Image, Patch