Newtown 2018 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map

NEWTOWN, CT —Before kids go out trick or treating on Halloween, fall is a good time to take an inventory of who is living in your neighborhood. Newtown and Sandy Hook currently have 11 registered sex offenders listed on the Connecticut Sex Offender Registry, which is maintained by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection (DESPP).

The pins on the map mark the addresses of offenders convicted of one or more sex crimes. Roll your cursor over the pins, and you will see more information pop up, including the registered sex offender's name, address, date of birth, and convictions.

Law enforcement officials and researchers caution that the registries can play only a limited role in preventing child sexual abuse and stress that most perpetrators are known to the child. The U.S. Department of Justice, which oversees the National Sex Offender Public Website, estimates that only about 10 percent of perpetrators of child sexual abuse are strangers to the child.

The Justice Department estimates 60 percent of perpetrators are known to the child but are not family members but rather family friends, babysitters, child care providers and others, and 30 percent of child victims are abused by family members. Nearly a quarter of the abusers are under the age of 18, the department estimates.

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It is important to note that the DESPP has not considered or assessed the specific risk of re-offense with regard to any individual prior to his or her inclusion within the Registry, and has made no determination that any individual included in the Registry is currently dangerous.

CT State Police also posted the following warning in regards to the registry:
"ANY PERSON WHO USES INFORMATION IN THIS REGISTRY TO INJURE, HARASS OR COMMIT A CRIMINAL ACT AGAINST ANY PERSON INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRY OR ANY OTHER PERSON IS SUBJECT TO CRIMINAL PROSECUTION."

Source: Connecticut Sex Offender Registry

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