How Do I Search The Sex Offender Registry?

While most thinks in life seem complicated, searching the sex offender registry is not one of them. Although it's a painful task that can be quite alarming, it's a very user-friendly database that helps you find the information you need. Do you think someone in your community may be a sex offender? If you're interested in finding out, there are certain ways to optimize your sex offender registry search. The following tips are intended to assist you:

1. Be Specific
If you know the name of a person living in your area that you'd like to 'check out' on the sex offender registry, be certain to enter their full legal name. Nicknames like "pop, whitey, and bubba," aren't going to assist you with your search. Even though that might be a sex offender's alias, their legal name is required to do a statewide search.

2. What if I don't know anyone's name?
It's alright if you don't know the name's of everyone in your neighborhood. Some people are terrible with names, but they never forget a face. You can type in your zip code, as well as the zip codes around you, and browse through the photographs of criminals in the sex offender registry.

3. What do I do if I recognize a face?
Nothing. We can not choose who lives amongst us. The information provided to you by the sex offender registry is for your protection. It let's you know that there is a sex offender in your neighborhood. The address let's you know how close the person actually lives. Do not go to the address, as that's considered harassment. If a sex offender listed on the sex offender registry is bothering children in your neighborhood, contact authorities immediately. Do not take the law into your own hands.

4. A person from the Sex Offender Registry waved to my child. What do I do?
This is when you have to have a sit-down with your child. Kids today are very bright and they know that there are dangerous people out there. Explain that there's a dangerous person that lives on that block and that they are never to go on it unattended. If the sex offender registry lists a person that resides on your block, keep your children as far away from the house as possible. If anyone from the sex offender registry tries to make any kind of contact with a child, whether it's talk--or physical touching--contact authorities and report them immediately. If he/she waves at your child, tell the child not to look at them nor wave to them.

Find resources for Sex Offender Registry.