The following appeared in ActionNewsJax.com.
Don’t you love the use of the term “loophole” – as if sex offenders devote their time to exploiting the laws and are choosing to be homeless just so they can live closer to children. What a bunch of idiots!
DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. —
There are dozens of transient sexual predators and offenders in Duval County.
The family friendly Jacksonville Beach Pier is listed as the address of a sexual predator, the most violent kind of offender. Action News found dozens of sexual predators and offenders registering with the state and listing public places as their address.
“Sit by the lake and listen to the water. Feel the breeze,” said Darnetta Youngblood, a mother of four who often walks her dog along Ken Knight Road.
Youngblood was startled to learn that the peaceful fishing hole she passes almost on a daily basis is listed as the address of a transient a sex offender.
“It’s scary, very alarming, especially when you have kids out here playing and stuff,” Youngblood said.
Action News reporter Samantha Manning searched the Florida Sex Offender registry and found 33 transient sexual predators and 39 offenders in Duval County alone.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement database shows that one predator claims to live in an abandoned bar. Another sex offender lists a public bus stop. Nine predators claim to live along a stretch of West Beaver Street.
I never thought it was this close to me, you know?” said mother and beachgoer Vita Gudnyy.
“It’s just a location where they laid their head that night or the night before,” said Sgt. J.C. Ladue with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office offender tracking unit.
Florida law restricts sex offenders from living close to schools, parks and day cares. But that law doesn’t apply to homeless offenders, as long as they don’t stay in one place for more than five days in a year.
“They don’t actually have a permanent address, if they’re located on the website near a school for just that block, it’s actually not a violation,” Ladue said.
Action News Law and Safety Expert Dale Carson said offenders and predators can avoid detection by registering as transient.
“Clearly it’s a hole in the system,” said Carson. “You don’t know where they are tomorrow or the next day and certainly a 30-day repeat cycle to see whether they’re there or not isn’t sufficient to protect the community.”
“I don’t think that homeless sexual predators should be around any type of neighborhood at all, especially where kids are,” Youngblood said.
It’s not illegal to be homeless, but as a way to keep closer tabs on predators and offenders who list themselves as transient, a new law went into effect late last year. It now requires them to re-register with law enforcement in person, every 30 days.
Action News will check in with law enforcement to see if this new system is working.
Here is the link to a comment I posted on ActionNews Jax website in response to this story. I would encourage everyone that can, to “comment bomb” stories such as this on the Jax news websites. They are ridiculous when it comes to putting out stories about SO’s. ActionNewsJax and News4Jax are the main ones. First Coast News is actually decent and did a really good story about Miracle Village a few months ago. Anyway, this is a good way to get involved.
http://www.fox30jax.com/news/news/local/action-news-investigates-uncovering-law-doesnt-app/nk4MM/
Here is the email address for Action News Jax’s News Director in case anyone wants to respond to this dumb article and news piece: [email protected]
No name was given, so I guess address him as Mr. Longo.
Ok, I live in Jacksonville and just started laughing when I saw this story on the local news. All the Jax news stations are really bad about always doing stories like this. Ok first of all, Ken Knight Rd that was mentioned earlier in the article is in the middle of a HIGH, HIGH, HIGH drug, gang, and crime-infested area. That should be the mother’s main concern there! Whether or not her kids are gonna get sucked into a life of drugs with all the “drug predators” around there! And c’mon, let’s get serious, Jacksonville Beach is the MAIN place to party and do drugs and everyone knows it. All the bars and clubs are out there, not here in town. Again, your kids getting killed by a drunk driver or approached by a “drug predator” are far more likely out there than being approached by a SO or SP. My best friend is from there and his life of crime started when he was 16 and older guys influenced him into a life of drugs and crime and he’s been in and out of prison for 12 years now. WTF!!!! Get serious people! We need to “comment bomb” these stupid news stations like Derek Logue does and school them on the facts. I will say that Jax police officers and probation officers are very reasonable in dealing with us as you could tell from the officer’s response in the article. They have bigger fish to fry than worry about technicalities like the news is trying to bring up. They’re having to deal with a major gang violence problem right now. There have been at least 15 shootings from my last count here in Jacksonville just in April alone!! So, ActionNewsJax, what’s the REAL problem here in town huh?????!!!!
Agreed – MJ you’re very good about staying on top of this stuff. Can I suggest we start a committee that will put responses out there? It would fall under Media, but I’d appreciate if you’d be involved. Please send an email to Anita through [email protected]. You (and anyone else interested) should take up that role.