News that District Attorney John Sarsfield will prosecute a sex
offender who failed to register with local police since moving to
San Benito County should send the message that those who are
convicted of these malicious acts and do not follow the rules of
their release will not find a haven here.
News that District Attorney John Sarsfield will prosecute a sex offender who failed to register with local police since moving to San Benito County should send the message that those who are convicted of these malicious acts and do not follow the rules of their release will not find a haven here.
The presence of unregistered sex offenders in our community pose a serious threat of possible danger to local residents and Sarsfield would be remiss in his duties if he did not prosecute to the fullest extent of the law – a maximum of six years in prison in this case. We hope this isn’t another case the burdened DA’s office plea bargains.
Richard Allen Bray, 55, was convicted of lewd acts with a child in Santa Clara in 1985 and has since been required to register with local authorities in every community he lives in. However, the last time Bray registered was in Modesto in 2001. For three years now, he has been flying under the radar and living in communities unaware of his prior offense. The fact that he was living across the street from San Benito High School is only further cause for alarm and suspicion as to why he would choose not to register.
Convicted sex offenders must register with local police departments within five days of relocating. It’s an important caveat of their release to make the public aware of their presence in the community.
Since the passing of California’s Megan’s Law in 1996, any citizen can travel to a police station and request to view the Megan’s Law CD that locates all registered sex offenders in an area. If the governor signs Assembly Bill 488, California will follow other states in making the information widely available on the Internet for anyone to view in July of 2005. The law is not intended to punish the offender and specifically prohibits using the information to harass or commit any crime against an offender. It simply satisfies the public’s right to know of any danger to members of a community.
Megan’s Law is the term used to describe the laws passed by states throughout the country allowing the public information on registered sex offenders by their homes. It is named after Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old New Jersey girl murdered by a sex offender living across the street from her, unbeknownst to her parents.
Local police fulfilled their duties by unveiling Bray’s failure to register and we hope to see Sarsfield complete his in the court room. He’s said he intends to.
Let’s make it loud and clear that San Benito County is no place for unregistered sex offenders to hide.
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