The Registry Did Nothing to Protect this Child from Florida Deputy.

Here we go again. Another child victimized — this time by a Florida sheriff’s deputy — and once again, the Sex Offender Registry did absolutely nothing to prevent it. A deputy with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has been arrested for exchanging explicit photos with a 10-year-old girl on TikTok. That’s right — not someone on the registry, but someone with a badge.

So where was the registry’s magical power to “protect the public”? Did it issue an alert? Flash a warning sign on TikTok? Pop up a message saying “Beware: trusted authority figure may be grooming your child”? Of course not. The registry can only track those who have already been caught — and even then, it mostly punishes those trying to rebuild their lives, not prevent new crimes.

Meanwhile, children are still victimized by people with no prior record — teachers, clergy, coaches, and yes, even police officers. Yet we keep pouring millions of dollars into maintaining and expanding a public shaming database that does nothing to predict, deter, or protect.

Maybe it’s time we stop pretending that this bloated, feel-good system is keeping anyone safe. The registry didn’t save this child — and it won’t save the next one either!