Online Dating Apps and the Sex Offender Registry
This past week, several news outlets have republished a story that originated with ProPublica, the theme of which is that certain online dating applications are not screening for persons required to register as sex offenders and that users of those apps are somehow susceptible to sexual assault because of that.
Dallas-based Match Group, seems to have the market cornered when it comes to online dating. They own Match.com, but they also own many popular free sites, such as Plenty of Fish and Tinder. For the paid sites, such as Match, they perform identity and background checks, but for the free sites they can’t justify the cost, so they don’t. But is it really such a big deal now?
Dating websites have been around for a couple decades already and before that there were personal ads in magazines and newspapers. What’s also been around forever has been the inherent risk of meeting up with someone you don’t know under any circumstance. A decade ago we had the “Craigslist Killer” and a century ago we had the “Want Ad Killer”.
A spokesperson for Match pointed out that the 157 (reported cases of sexual assault) “need to be put in perspective with the tens of millions of people that have used [their] dating products.” The same study from which the 157 number was derived, found that “only a fraction of these cases involved a registered sex offender.” Even by the most conservative analysis of those statistics, the percentage would be less than 1/1000th of a percent that a person on the registry will sexually assault someone!
Sure, there’s a very small chance of being sexually assaulted on a dating website, but there’s also the risk of getting robbed or killed. It’s important to be careful when using dating apps, but it’s also important to be careful when meeting someone in a bar, or careful when driving a car. That doesn’t mean people should stop living normally. Realistically and statistically, it’s far more likely that you will meet the person of your dreams (or get “catfished”) on a dating website than anything too tragic happening, so stories like ProPublica’s are a bit absurd.
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Although I agree that church is a good place to meet potential partners, it’s more difficult now to find a real church that hasn’t “screened out” or forsaken registrants.
I’m no longer a believer but when I was, my personal experience just in observing the “single” women in churches is that they are too good for even themselves. I don’t recommend trying to meet your future spouse in a church.
Maestro, I am not trying to disagree with you, but have to say that my husband met me in church. I turned down his first two invitations to have dinner (I hope I was not being too good for myself), but unlike some men I had interacted with, he did not seem to resent me for it. He continued on as just a friend until I finally came to my senses and realized he was a guy I wanted to spend time with — as in the rest of my life.
Sarah, wonderful response! I have much respect for you.
I’m sorry that you had such a bad experience in church. I have not found that to be the situation in my life. I know of several couples who met in church and are now happily married. My church knows my background and accepts me as I am, flaws and all. That pretty much describes us all, truth be known. You have just not found the right church. Not all churches are serving God. Some have morphed from houses of worship into businesses and of course they have to do what must be done to protect their business…Godly purposes be damned.
Very true ….. People want to have their sins wash away. But land on the Registry and the same church members are now holy than thou and treat you worst than unbelievers. I know a lot going to disagree with but I rather go to bar to get an unbeliever woman than go to church and get a godly woman.
At Least, I have to say I had been treated better by other people who have different faiths. The sad part these people don’t believe in God Or Jesus.
And those who do well forget what it means to be a sinner. There is nothing in this world that would get me to step in a Christian church, not even getting off the registry. They sure don’t believe Matthew 25!
Professional married women are attracted to SOs for side friends don’t know what it is didn’t care I’m married now and made up for my 7 years in prison but I’m sure I’m not the only one that notices this. Thanks registry! Down side is is no real long term friends.
Met my wife on a premium dating site. As long as you get counseling and never do that again, I’ll still marry you, she said.
She really took a chance on me and understandably has second thoughts whenever the registry becomes too onerous. But we have two beautiful children, and I am highly involved in their lives, including transport to/from school (but no attendance at school plays).
Without this premium dating site, despite the best efforts of the Florida legislature, these two wonderful children never would have been born.
A lady friend of mine was called by the florida sheriff (SPOT) team advising her to tell me that I must report her name, home address, telephone number, and vehicle registration to SPOT (Pinellas County) sheriff’s office because of her association with me. If she did not comply I would be charged with failure to register as a sex offender and failure to register her information. This was in July 2019
Greg – please contact [email protected] ASAP with the details
I met my wife on an online gaming and chat site. I was on probation with the big black box you had to carry and ankle monitor. Should I have been online, no but that was almost ten years ago. So we go out to eat as a first date. I told her about my charges and stuff. Put the box on the table during dinner. She is crazy because we got married and the date will be ten years in May.
This concern about Registrants using dating apps is having the public look in the wrong direction of the dangers of it’s use.
The only real danger that has been covered in the news were women being scammed by con artists out of money through these dating site.
I have known people all over the country from my days in the Navy and since my retirement. I have spent some time educating them on Florida SO laws. They all believe them to be total ‘BS’…and that includes the victim, my daughter, and my first wife…she wasn’t prepared for Navy life. I doubt that there is anyone more adverse to sex offenses than me. I am probably out of touch with much of today’s society in some of my positions…I believe enticement should be a sex offense. How can our society be one of ladies and gentlemen when we have those running around not being ladies and gentlemen?