Oregon’s sex offender database limits information. Is it too much or not enough?

Out of the state’s roughly 34,000 registered offenders, fewer than 2,000, are on the public database, or just 5%. State law only permits Oregon State Police to publish Level Three registrants – the group with the highest risk of committing a new sex crime. Information on other registrants must be requested through Oregon State Police, with a reason for that request. However, some offender information is only releasable if requested by the offender themselves.

But, as a KATU investigation learned, not every expert agrees that knowledge is power. Katie Gotch–a certified clinical sexual offense therapist–claimed that if anything, Oregon’s public database goes too far. “It provides a false sense of security,” Gotch said. Gotch argued that parents rely too much on public registries and ignore warning signs in family members or friends who could pose a danger to their children. She has advocated for limiting sex offender databases to law enforcement only.

“Are you confident parents in Oregon can protect their children without a public database?” KATU asked Gotch. “I would say that with appropriate education and similar, yes, because what the research has shown is that community notification does not prevent sexual abuse,” Gotch said. Gotch pointed to a 2008 study that observed 20 years’ worth of sex crimes arrests in New York and found 95% of the suspects had no prior sex crime conviction. In other words, those people would not have shown up on any public registry. Gotch said other research shows sexual abuse is most commonly perpetrated bysomeone known to the victim, 93% of victims under 18 knew their abuser, according to the American nonprofit RAINN.“The reality is, you are more likely to intervene and protect your children by paying attention to who they’re spending time with and how those individuals are interacting with your child,” Gotch said.

Oregon Voices–a volunteer, non-profit organization that provides resources and advocacy for people who have committed sex crimes and their loved ones–argued the public registry doesn’t just punish one person, it punishes entire families. “We work with parents who tragically can’t find housing because their spouse or child is on the registry. Children of registrants are bullied at school. Entire families become isolated,” a spokesperson for the organization told KATU in a written statement.

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