Anthony Westbury: Going the distance with sex offenders

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:48 pm

Anthony Westbury: Going the distance with sex offenders

By Anthony Westbury (Contact)
Sunday, July 27, 2008

It's every parent's nightmare: A registered sex offender moves in to the neighborhood.

Many people say, "Get rid of the scum. We don't care where they live, as long as it isn't here."

There's a movement gathering force across the Treasure Coast that might achieve just such a result.

While a state statute already restricts sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of places where children tend to gather, St. Lucie County is working on a new ordinance that might make the distance even more restrictive.

Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce are watching the county's progress closely and may piggyback onto county legislation.

But will more restrictive laws do any good, other than giving us a false sense of security?

To start with, national statistics suggest the vast majority of sex assaults don't come from strangers cruising near playgrounds. They come from people known to the child: relatives, friends, people in positions of authority. In other words, residential restrictions wouldn't prevent up to 90 percent of cases that get reported.

Most sex offenders are already subject to close supervision. That includes the former art teacher out on bail and living in Port St. Lucie before he serves a 43-year sentence for abusing a young boy. They must contact law enforcement at least four times a year. Port St. Lucie police have checked on Aaron Mohanal 16 times since he moved here from Broward County. Neighbors may be scandalized the guy's out on bail, but restrictions wouldn't have prevented that.

More restrictions might drive sex offenders underground, according to a 2007 report by the Human Rights Watch group.

A growing number of cities have residency requirements so strict there's simply nowhere for sex offenders to live. You might think that's fine, but denying residency could be unconstitutional â€” the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office is appealing restrictions that forced offenders to live under a highway bridge.

There's a widespread feeling that sex offenders should be behind bars and the key thrown away. Yet studies show that's not only more expensive, but treatment of offenders can suffer in prison. Often they benefit from the support of family and friends. And another myth, that sex offenders are beyond redemption, simply isn't borne out by the statistics. Recidivism rates are a lot lower than you might imagine.

In all the discussions I've sat in on, the politicians aren't distinguishing between "regular" sex offenders and the really nasty guys, sex predators. There are about 130 sex offenders in PSL, but only six predators. Roughly the same ratio applies in Fort Pierce and in Martin County.

We need to be very careful how we write new laws on this topic. Perhaps we need to see past our fears and look at the facts. Sending these people underground rather than where we can see them could prove much more dangerous in the long run.

Associate Editor Anthony Westbury may be reached at (772) 409-1320 or anthony.westbury@scripps.com.

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