It's outrageous how ridiculous the laws have become as far as defining a "sex offender." People are being labeled & charged w/ crimes that label them a monster when in reality they aren't. For example, if you're on a float trip & don't want to urinate in the water, instead you go into the woods far from the crowd. But a cop or fellow floater catches you & reports you. You're labeled a sex offender. If you go down to mardi gras & flash some skin for beads, if you are caught you are labeled a sex offender. These people aren't monsters, like the rest of us they're just trying to have fun. But I guess we can't do that anymore. How about "statutory rape," I strongly feel that this law should be re-examined. Girls these days are not as innocent as people want to believe they are. Our little angels are doing things a lot sooner than we did, but the sad thing is, they know what they are doing, but is any responsibility placed on them? Why is it a child, someone under the age of 17 can be tried as an adult, but when it comes to having "sexual relations" w/ someone over 17 they aren't considered an adult. We all know that's bogus, the statics show. Isn't there a high school in the Ft. Zummwalt district that has the highest rate of teen pregnancy or STDs in the state? The whole issue about teens sending nude pics via cell phones, if the ages of the people involved aren't just right someone gets labeled a sex offender/ "monster." I too am a wife of a so called "offender" his situation was circumstantial, he was young & stupid, made a bad decision, that's all. He didn't seek out victims, he didn't lure them in, he wasn't acting in a malicious way. He was approached, there was flirting from both ends, & as one thing always leads to another his life was ruined. The best part about the whole thing, the parties involved didn't want to prosecute. It was the parents, possibly over protective & overbearing. "God forbid their daughter knew what she was doing, she had to have been taken advantage." BS, nothing but BS. Parents need to get over the denial & face the fact that our children are as innocent as we hope them to be. Kids these days want more responsibility then why don't we give them for responsibility & consequence for their actions.
Why doesn't Missouri do the "tiers" like other states. If they differentiated between the harmless ones & the dangerous ones then they would be able to spend more time & resources on those who are true predators & monsters, not people like my husband who made one bad choice & now have to live w/ it the rest of their lives. Missouri doesn't want to "rehabilitate" they just want to make some easy money. What better way than this?

As a spouse of a "sex offender" I want you to understand that when you place all these "laws" on them you are placing them on the family. When you talk about all the kids that have had their lives messed up - most of the offenders are victums from someone in the past. If the offender is following all the rules, attending counseling and provided no threat since release - then leave them alone!
I am also a mother of two children. My son was shot at the age of 18 because he was driving a red car and in the wrong neighborhood. Do I know where his killer is today? NO!!! They don't have to register and have their address open to everyone. And, yes he was released from prison less than 10 years after the crime. If we registered every ex-criminal that is released from jail the internet would be so full that nothing else would exist. Yes, I am smart enough to know that is a stretching it quite a bit. But you get my drift.

"Ignorance of the law is not an excuse with these people. If we know of an offender that moved into our jurisdiction, someone calls us and tells us. We are proactive about this, and we knock on the individuals door and bring them into custody if they are not abiding by the rule," says Captain Jimmy Shinn with the Marion County Sheriff's Department."

A little over a month ago, I called Palmyra Police Dept. and turned in a registered sex offender that was staying at his girlfriend's apartment in the apartments near the high school and that have a daycare behind them. All that happened is that he was told to leave. Another resident of the apartment complex also turned him in at a later date. Again, he was not arrested. He is registered as residing at his grandparents. Obviously, he doesn't stay there much.

This is the same offender that was found noncompliant after I went through different levels of law enforcement all the way to the MO. State Hwy. Patrol. To get anything done, I had to contact our state representative. I even contacted this station who ran a story on it. (Thanks to KHQA!) He had been noncompliant for over a year and only got 90 days in Marion County jail for punishment.

This individual still does NOT have a parole officer!
As far as I'm concerned with this matter, it's all talk and no action.

First of all let me say that the writer that was a victim of sexual assault has it right. My hat off to you for posting your comments. Now lets look at some of the numbers the US Dept.Of Justice has come up when doing studies on the issue of sex offenders. 90% of sexual assaults are commited by a person well known and trusted by the victim, with over 50% of them being a family member. 95% of sexual assaults are commited by a person with no prior arrest record at all. 3.5% of sex offenders are re-convicted of a new sex crime within 3 years of release from prison. This makes them one of the lowest recidivism rates amoung all criminals, with murders being the lowest. Other criminals are at a reconviction rate of 40% to 75%. What we as a public should demand of those elected to office? We should demand that those in office write a law that would REQUIRE ALL KNOWN SEX OFFENDERS PAY FOR TESTING THAT IS AVALIABLE TO SHOW HOW MUCH OF A DANGER THEY ARE TO RE-OFFEND. And then only post those sex offenders on a public sex offender registry. The others should be able to re- build their life, so they do not become one of the 3.5%.

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by FIVE different FAMILY MEMBERS and the wife of a RSO I can assure you that these zoning laws have done nothing and will do nothing to prevent any type of criminal behavior. In fact, statistics have shown over and over that all any of these laws have done is cause more problems to include an increase in vigilante activity.

If you seriously think about any of the sex offender laws and how "effective" they are all you have to do is look at how well the "war on drugs" have worked... or should I say have NOT worked.

Fact is the highest percentage of sex crimes are done by someone the child or family know and trust. Most often within the childs own home by a family member. It is true that SOME sex crimes, just like any other type of crime is done to a stranger. However, sex crimes are of the LOWEST rate of all criminal activity and of the LOWEST recidivism rate.

Truth is that as soon as someone mentions these laws are " for the safety of the children" thats all society needs to hear. What people don't realize is that their children are in MORE danger of getting hit by a car or given drugs then they are of being "attacked" by a sex offender. My gosh, a child is in more danger of being stung by a bee and going into anaphylactic shock. How and why do I say that??

Realistically, IF a child is being watched and not left unattended the chances of any criminal activity happening to them would drop to an ALMOST non existent level. However, the majority of people don't take the time to watch their own children. ( I have no doubt I am getting bashed right now for that comment even tho it is ever so true)

I've often heard people say they can't afford day care for before and after school. All they would need would be another parent who is home and going to the same school to walk their child.... So what they are saying is, my child's safety isn't worth the .... maybe $25.00-$50.00 a week it MIGHT cost . ??? You have to be kidding me! Most people spend more on fast food or getting their nails done... or even cigarettes in a weeks time!

I am NOT saying that I don't think their are true criminals out there and I am NOT saying that I don't think we as a society need to protect the innocent. What I am saying is it is time to stop thinking the problems of society can be resolved by acting in fear of the unknown. The only way to solve anything is to think with logic. Its also time to stop blaming all sex offenders for the crimes done by a handful of pedophiles.

I also want to add that in all these cases where laws are under a childs name, that child was KILLED. That now makes that crime a murder. It also needs to be noted that in the case of Adam Walsh, his mother left him alone in the toy section while she was shopping for a lamp. Also, it is NOT proven that Adam was sexually assaulted at all since all they ever found was his head in a storm drain.

Thank you,