Better Safe Than Sorry or Forgive and Forget? You Decide

The new neighbors just finished moving in.  You have been watching as you cut the grass and complete your Saturday yard chores.  Looks like you finally got a neighbor in the house that has been empty for too long. Finally, a next door neighbor, someone to chat with as you pick up the daily newspaper.  Won’t it be nice to have a friend to watch the Super Bowl with?  They seemed nice, asking about your work schedule and they are extra nice to your children. He seems approachable and she might be a babysitter when you make a shopping run. Things are looking up for your family, right?

STOP!  Who is moving in next door to your family?  If you are moving into a new area, do you know who lives up the street?  Have you checked to see if a convicted sexual offender is your new neighbor? Have you looked up your new neighbor on the Georgia Sexual Offenders Website? Georgia defines sexual offenders as a person who has been convicted in Georgia or in any other state of a sexual crime against a minor or any dangerous sexual offense.  In Dacula, we have both male and female sexual offenders on the state's list.  Have you checked to see if that extra attention being paid to your child from a neighbor, friend, or  extra activity leader is normal or the beginning of a sexual offender grooming your child for future abuse? 

The state of Georgia has thousands of sex offenders living in our state and ten in the 30019 zip code ( http://www.georgia-sex-offenders.com/mugshots/). Just down the street in the Auburn area, there are over 20 convicted sexual offenders. On this site, you can see the date of conviction, type of conviction, and where each is living.   The state of Georgia now has a public website and is doing something to alert you about your convicted neighbors. You can go on the state’s site and put in your zip code and up will pop all registered sexual offenders in that area, photos included.  If you are found harboring a convicted sexual sex offender you can be jailed for 20 years according to Georgia law.  If a convicted offender moves from their current location, they MUST register their new home address shortly after their move. Neighborhoods are trying to understand how child molesters are able to live within walking distances to their children's bus stops. 

In business, I offer these websites for all clients so they can check if a sexual offended is within arms reach of their family.  Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, Child Molestation, Sex Exploitation of a Child, and T Inter Comm Engage in Sex With a Minor, are just four types of convictions within our community.  As our community grows so does crime, including sexual crimes.  Click on, http://gbi.georgia.gov/00/channel_modifieddate/0,2096,67862954_87983024,00.html  to learn more about how to use the system to stay abreast to the security risk that are in our area. Knowing your neighbor is important. Better safe than sorry or forgive and forget?  You decide.    

Read more: Georgia Law on Sexual Predators | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6594487_georgia-law-sexual-predators.html#ixzz1olMncJ4T