The sex offender internet sites are not a representation of every perp that has ever been convicted of a sex crime, as many people believe.

In Hudson County, the prosecutor's office decides how an offender is tiered (one for the least likely to re-offend; two for mid-range offender; three for most likely to commit another act). It is at the discretion of the prosecutor who gets put on the list - mostly tier two's and three's.

I know personally of an offender who raped and impregnated an 11-year-old NJ girl and was never placed on the Meghan's Law list.

Another man (who used to live on my block) was listed as an offender in NY, but not in NJ (he was arrested on his way to an encounter with a 13-year-old he propositioned online).

Plus, the registration requirement for offenders can be manipulated as demonstrated in the article I link to below. The article provides a pretty good overview of the holes in the Meghan's law program in New Jersey, including the significant delays in listing newly released offenders online.

Look on the right sidebar for more useful resources.

If you're doing a search in your area, visit the larger Meghan Law sites like the one mentioned above and go to the NJ Sex Offender registry also. They list the photos (not always - and they're not always clear which is irksome to me) and describe the tier and offender profile. It's very disturbing stuff to read.

Meghan's Law Article

Quote:

I saw something on the Today show two weeks ago, where if a teenager sends pictures of his naked girlfriend to his friends, he is being tagged as a sex offender. I've never looked at the websites - Do they say what crime? Congrats on your upcoming baby.

Does anyone have a problem with the rather broad definition of the term "sex offender" as it pertains to Megan's Law? As someone on the verge of being a new father, I'd certainly like to be informed if a convicted child molester lived next door. But aren't the "sex offenders" on those public lists sometimes not those who we should fear, e.g. 18 yr old girlfriend convicted of statutory rape upon her 15 yr old boyfriend?

I'm honestly asking because I'm ignorant of how the NJ reporting law works in this regard.

This is one of the best ones:

http://www.familywatchdog.us

It shows where schools and parks are as well. It also has pictures of the pervs and details about their predilictions. Here are your local sex offender's homes:

http://www.familywatchdog.us/ShowMap.asp?frm=0

Happy hunting.

Isnt there a website to see where these sex offenders live if they are in your neighborhood. We all should know who have kids.

'No sex offenders' zones KO'd
NJ Supreme Court: Megan's Law already restricts residency

Friday, May 08, 2009
By MARY FUCHS
Journal staff writer
and DAVID GIAMBUSSO
THE STAR-LEDGER

TRENTON - Towns cannot restrict where released sex offenders can live within their borders because Megan's Law already makes that call, the state Supreme Court ruled yesterday.

This 6-0 ruling essentially strikes down more than 127 laws passed around the state, including in Bayonne, East Newark, Guttenberg, Jersey City and Secaucus in Hudson County.

The justices said municipalities can't ban sex offenders from "living within a designated distance of any school, park, playground, public library, or daycare center."

The court said Megan's Law already protects children from sexual predators by providing communities with information about the offenders and allowing parole officers to decide where they live. It said towns should not ask the court for "guidance" to change the "stark language of Megan's Law" that keeps them from making their own rules.

It's now up to lawmakers to decide whether towns should have that power. Four bills with bipartisan support would enforce similar rules throughout the state or allow towns to tailor their own restrictions.

The Hudson County ordinances restricted sex offenders from living within 2,500 feet from sites where children gather, including schools and playgrounds.

Jersey City's ordinance, which was adopted in November 2006, went further than most, restricting them from living near day camps, libraries, sport facilities and even convenience stores. Jersey City's chief attorney, Bill Matsikoudis, said yesterday the city never enforced the ordinance because immediately after the city passed it similar laws were struck down across the state.

Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, D-Mercer, sponsor of one of the bills that would allow municipalities more leeway, predicted the Legislature will move quickly on the issue.

DeAngelo said he has heard both sides of the issue but feels more stringent laws are needed to keep the "temptation of children" away from sex offenders.

Sen. Bill Baroni, R-Mercer, said towns acted "in good faith" in passing local restrictions.

"The Supreme Court told local municipalities they don't have the power to protect their children, but they are wrong," he said.

The case on which the court ruled yesterday stemmed from a challenge to local laws in Galloway and Cherry Hill townships in South Jersey.

Frank Corrado, a lawyer for a sex offender who challenged the Galloway Township law, said states like Iowa and Georgia that had enacted such restrictive laws have now rolled them back.

Amy Sara Clark contributed to this story.