Megan’s law helps local law enforcement track local offenders

by Casey Clapper
Staff Writer

Recent national abductions and local sexual offenses have renewed Athens law enforcement officers’ conviction in registering sex offenders. But understaffing may be a hindrance.

“It's hard because we're down in numbers," said Teresa Kirkendall, deputy records clerk for the Athens County Sheriff’s Department. "They need to designate one person in each (local law enforcement) office just to do the sexual offenders."

Athens County Sheriff Vern Castle said he went through the list of offenders several weeks ago and physically went out to check addresses.

When the department discovers a move, they send a warning letter to the last posted address. If the offender does not contact the station within a week, a warrant is issued, she said.

The sheriff's office registers every sexual offender who enters Athens County using a state-wide computer system that is linked to Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification (BCI).

"Once a sexual predator enters the county, the sheriff's office has to notify other law enforcement agencies in the area, schools, day care facilities and adjacent neighbors within the first 72 hours," Kirkendall said. “There’s a new law that also says we have to notify everybody within 1,000 feet (of the offender’s address).”

Another problem the department has encountered with the computer registering system is checking to make sure offenders have not changed addresses without notifying the sheriff’s department.

Castle said the program assists law enforcement officers, even though it is understaffed and difficult to maintain.

   "Law enforcement needs to know who to look for,” he said. “Especially in cases of predators. From what I've read and heard, (offenders) are never cured, and there's a strong likelihood that they're going to commit again."

 Megan’s Law, a 1996 amendment to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, requires law enforcement officials to notify the public with addresses and criminal information about sexual offenders in their neighborhood.

The law was named after Megan Kanka, a seven-year-old New Jersey girl who was murdered by her neighbor, a convicted child molester, in 1994.

In compliance with the law, when a sexual offender is convicted, their criminal information is sent directly to the sheriff's department if the offender is released or to the BCI if the offender is incarcerated, Kirkendall said.

After the offender is released, the sheriff's department is notified and the offender has seven days to register in the county, she said.

The offender's name, age, address, physical characteristics­­­such as tattoos­­job, vehicle description and photo are entered into the registry. The crime is pre-entered from the BCI, Kirkendall said.

There are four classifications and requirements for Ohio registered sex offenders, Kirkendall said. Sexually oriented offenders, the least severe classification, must register annually for ten years. Habitual sex offenders must register annually for 20 years, but depending on the severity or number of offenses, the community might not need to be notified. The highest degree of offense is sexual predators. They must register every 90 days for life.

Although the sheriff's office does not have an online registry yet, Kirkendall said they hope to have one soon. In the meantime, community members still can find out if there is a sexual offender in the area.

"The best way for people to find out about predators in their area is to call in and request a printout," Kirkendall said. “If requested, I can give them names, locations and photos."

As for the state of Ohio, anything that can be done to prevent a sexual offender from harming a child is useful, said Bret Crow, spokesman for the Ohio attorney general’s office.

“As far as empowering the community, [Megan’s Law] is a wonderful tool,” he said.