7 Sex Offenders In Darien: 2020 Safety Map

DARIEN, IL — Fall is a good time to take an inventory of who is living in your neighborhood, especially with children going out trick-or-treating. Darien now has seven sex offenders listed in the Illinois Sex Offender Registry. Another one is still in a state prison.

Of the seven offenders in town, five of them are labeled as sexual predators. None of them are listed as non-compliant with sex offender registry laws. All seven offenders are men, ranging in age from 32 to 83.

One of the offenders is missing a photo on the state sex offender's website. Darien Patch has left a message with the Darien Police Department about why that is the case.

Registered sex offenders are prohibited from passing out candy on Halloween. They may not appear in a Halloween costume or other child-centered holiday character, such as Santa or the Easter Bunny, in public. Registered sex offenders, however, may wear a Halloween costume in their home, according to the Illinois law.

You may want to avoid trick or treating at these houses and apartments on Halloween, or merely be aware of who's living in your neighborhood during the rest of the year.

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

Related articles:

• Sex Offender Advocates Object To Local Mapping Of Registered Sex Criminals
• Why Patch Publishes Sex Offender Registry Maps