42 sex offenders near campus

Convicted sexual offender says he understands the reason why offenders are required to register after serving their jail terms

By MICHAEL CULVER

The government has created another place for convicted sexual offenders to congregate after serving their jail terms — the Internet.

On Aug. 24, 2004, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 488, which directed the California Department of Justice to post specific information regarding serious and high-risk sex offenders on a Web site for public viewing.

As a result of the bill, sponsored by Nicole Parra (D-Hanford), the California Megan’s Law Web site was launched Dec. 15, 2004.

Now, with the click of a mouse, more than 63,000 sexual offenders can be seen on the new Megan’s Law Web site.

“I haven’t seen the Web site but I understand the reasoning behind it,” said Edward, a convicted sexual offender who preferred to keep his last name private to protect his family.

Edward, who was convicted in 1995 of performing lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, is one of 1,105 registered sexual offenders in Fresno that can be found by searching the new Web site.

The law’s purpose is to give community members a way to monitor their neighborhoods and schools by allowing people to identify registered offenders.

But criminology professor John Dussich said the Web site is not well targeted.

“Ironically, the attention is on the offender, not the victims,” Dussich said. “The intent of the law is to protect potential victims. There needs to be more information on how parents can use the Web site.”

The Megan Law Web site posts pictures, addresses, physical descriptions, known aliases and convictions of the offenders. Searches can be done using names, addresses, cities, schools or ZIP Codes.

According to the Web site, abusers seldom use force, but instead gain access to their victims through deception and enticement.

“Typical child molesters don’t rape or murder,” Dussich said. “Most are molesting children in a non-violent way.”

Shannon O’Neill, a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism, said the Web site should only be a temporary punishment.

“I believe everybody deserves a second chance,” O’Neill said. “Once they have fulfilled their legal obligations, they should be taken off the Web site.”

According to the Fresno Police Department Web site, with few exceptions the registration requirement is for life, and failure to register can be a felony, which may count against offenders under California’s Three Strikes Law.

In a majority opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist said, “Sex offenders are a serious threat in this nation.”

And when convicted sex offenders re-enter society, they are much more likely than any other type of offender to be re-arrested for a new rape or sex assault.

This has made the requirement for sexual offenders more strict.

“It used to be that after 10 years you could get off the list,” Edward said. “But now it’s a lifetime requirement.”

Because of the lifetime registration requirement, with a simple Web search, you can find out what Edward looks like, where he lives and more facts about his life.

A web search using the 93710 ZIP Code, a zone adjacent to Fresno State, returned 42 registered sexual offenders, one of whom is in violation of his registration requirements.

Fresno State, however, has only three offenders living within a half mile of the campus. The offenders near Fresno State are classified as “serious.”

Fresno City College has more than 20 “serious” offenders within a half mile of the college, and Fresno Pacific University has 14 sexual offenders within a half mile of the college. Two of the registered offenders around Fresno Pacific University have been classified as “high risk” while the remaining 12 have been classified as “serious.”

Samantha Freitas, a sophomore majoring in public relations, said she would be more careful about her movement.

“If I noticed someone who made me feel uneasy, and I found them on the Web site, it would make me be more careful and cautious of what I do and where I go,” Freitas said.

Megan’s Law went into effect because of the 1994 murder of Megan Kanka. Kanka was 7 years old when a neighbor, who had two previous convictions for child molestation; raped and murdered Megan and stuffed her tiny body into a toy chest, prompting national outrage that changed sexual offender registration laws.

Jesse Timmendequas, Megan’s killer, lured the girl to his home with the promise of a free puppy.

Samantha Macias, a sixth grader at Kratt Elementary, said she would not fall victim without a fight.
“That would never happen to me,” Macias said. “I would kick him in the [groin].”

But according to the Department of Justice Web site, peer pressure may sometimes cause victims not to resist attacks.

Edward said his conviction was difficult to deal with at first, but nobody knew. And when he told people, it was “no big deal.”

“We’re just people, just like everybody else,” Edward said. “I’ve had awhile to deal with what I did, and I turned a negative into a positive.”

Edward said he has spoken to Fresno State and Fresno City College students, and their reactions varied.

“A few students get hostile, and I understand why, but most show very little (emotion),” Edward said.