Law Is Backwards...

[Unregistered]

I bought my house as new construction 7 years ago, unfortunately our neighbor closed on his house 2 months later. We later found he's a registered sex offender. This is NOT a Romeo and Juliet situation as the website lists his victim was under 12 years old. He has a family with young children and kept pretty much to himself. I started a daycare about 1 year after moving, and fenced in the yard and NEVER let the children out of my sight. All parents were aware of the situation and most of them were my neighbors who had to deal with the same situation. I am a State licensed day care provider and would be 'notified' he lived there on a regular basis. (required to send the big list of offenders to licensed day care providers). I guess someone did their due diligence and ran the two reports against each other to determine by IL state law, he's not allowed to live within 500 ft. away from a licensed daycare and he was told he needed to move within 7 days. As you can imagine, he did not react well to this news, and even blamed me. He 'moved' to a different nearby city, while his family remains in the house. The kicker... He's ALLOWED to visit anytime during day care hours, just not 'live' there. He can be in his house up to 5 'nights' per year, however a 'night' has not been defined so there's a loop hole. There are domestic disturbances there with 3 or 4 police cars there every few months. I was told they were getting divorced, and was hoping they'd move soon, but it's been months and they're still there. Basically, I'm on edge ALL the time. Why is he not allowed to live there, but can sit outside whenever he feels like it and watch me with the daycare kids? It's creepy!! We live in a really nice suburban neighborhood, this shouldn't be allowed and I'm considering going to the states attorney to ask more about changing this law, but don't want to poke the beehive if you will. I have small children myself and do not want him to seek revenge.
Isn't the law missing the mark here?

[youretooloud]

I think this happens often to a lot of people, and even though it's completely unfair to you, there's nothing that can be done until he does something first.

Do you have any idea what his crimes were? I think that would make a difference in how I feel about him. I've known people who have to register as a sex offender because they were 18, and their girlfriend was 16.

We have a guy in the neighborhood who is a registered sex offender. His crimes were violent, and against children. Yet, he lives across the street (and within easy sight) of a community center and playground. He can sit in his backyard and watch the kids playing at the park. I think that should be illegal. Not only that, when the school district found out about him, THEY had to move the school bus stops a 1/4 mile in the other direction so the kids would not have to stand by his house. So, instead of standing in sight of the community center, they actually go stand in the desert.

[Blackcat31]

My family member works in the probation department and she always tells me something that makes ALOT of sense:

The sexual predators that are registered and living near by are NOT the ones we should be concerned about. It is the ones we do not know about who are committing these horrible acts without yet being caught!

The registered offenders are being monitored. The un-caught ones are people we would NEVER suspect and may possibly be VERY experienced predators having years of practice....right under our unsuspecting noses.

That might not be a ton of comfort in your situation but it does make alot of sense.

[daycare]

My family member works in the probation department and she always tells me something that makes ALOT of sense:

The sexual predators that are registered and living near by are NOT the ones we should be concerned about. It is the ones we do not know about who are committing these horrible acts without yet being caught!

The registered offenders are being monitored. The un-caught ones are people we would NEVER suspect and may possibly be VERY experienced predators having years of practice....right under our unsuspecting noses.

That might not be a ton of comfort in your situation but it does make alot of sense.

ditto this!!
I can speak about this first hand!!!

[momofsix]

My family member works in the probation department and she always tells me something that makes ALOT of sense:

The sexual predators that are registered and living near by are NOT the ones we should be concerned about. It is the ones we do not know about who are committing these horrible acts without yet being caught!

The registered offenders are being monitored. The un-caught ones are people we would NEVER suspect and may possibly be VERY experienced predators having years of practice....right under our unsuspecting noses.

That might not be a ton of comfort in your situation but it does make alot of sense.

Usually true, but there are exceptions-think Jaycee Dugard. Better to be safe and diligant than sorry later.

[sharlan]

ditto this!!
I can speak about this first hand!!!

I can attest to this as well.