The photos and addresses of 70 of San Benito County’s most
dangerous sex offenders are just a click away thanks to the state’s
new Megan’s Law Web site.
Hollister – The photos and addresses of 70 of San Benito County’s most dangerous sex offenders are just a click away thanks to the state’s new Megan’s Law Web site.
The site – www.meganslaw.ca.gov. – was unveiled last week by the Attorney General Bill Lockyer, six months ahead of schedule. Seventy of San Benito County’s sex offenders are on the site, but only 48 of them have specific addresses listed. The remaining offenders have a photo, full
description, distinguishing marks, city of residence and offense.
Prior to the Web site, the information was only available at the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department, but people had to make an appointment and be accompanied by an attendant while viewing the information.
Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller said he waited until Tuesday to access the Web site because of the large volume of people viewing it, but was pleased to see how user-friendly and informative it is.
Viewers can navigate the site by city, county, zip code or name, and can type in the name of a park or school to locate sex offenders living nearby, according to a statement issued by the Attorney General. It’s updated every 24 hours and indicates which registrants are in violation of their registration requirements.
“I only have one caution – for people not to get complacent and figure these are the only threats that are here,” Miller said. “These are the people who’ve been caught. You still need to practice personal safety even though this list is out there.”
There are almost 150 registered sex offenders in San Benito, but about half of them are not listed online because their crimes are minor, such as a Peeping Tom arrest. The Web site lists the home addresses of the most serious offenders, which include individuals convicted of committing sex crimes with a child under 14 or ones that involve force or fear, said Mariam Bedrosian, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office.
The home addresses of offenders convicted of two or more sex offenses in separate trials and those considered sexually violent predators are also listed. The Web site does not delineate which offenders are considered a sexually violent predator – someone who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense, such as rape, against two or more victims and who is likely to re-offend. Of the 63,000 registered sex offenders in the state, 33,500 of them have their home addresses listed.
Interest in the site has been high. There were 14 million hits in the first four days that the site was up, causing severe delays and error messages, Bedrosian said. Technicians quickly added more servers and the site is working well now, she said.
When the site was activated Wednesday, Sheriff Curtis Hill said he spent about an hour cruising through the site and believes it’s very user-friendly, well organized and encourages all county residents to take a look.
More than 30 states already provide sex offender information on the Internet, and allowing Californians to access it wherever and whenever was a long time coming, Hill said. He said all the feedback he’s received concerning the site has been positive.
Megan’s Law is the term used to cover a set of laws that allows the public to access information about sex offender registries and requires residents to be informed of neighbors with violent sex-crime convictions. It is named for Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old New Jersey girl murdered by a known sex offender who lived across the street from her, unbeknownst to her parents.
Hill is not worried about the availability of suspect’s addresses inciting vigilante justice because the information has been public since 2002, and there’s “laws that come down if you do that.” Before entering the site, every viewer must read a disclaimer warning them that any vigilante act committed against a sex offender can be criminally prosecuted or subject them to civil liability.
If someone logs onto the site and discovers they live, work or play near a sex offender, don’t panic, but be cognizant about your surroundings, Hill said.
“People need to be aware,” he said. “Pay attention and be engaged.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
