Registered Sex Offender in the neighborhood we're buying a house in (Denver: sex offenders, crime)

[New2CO]

We are in the process of buying a new house and almost ready to close. We are done with inspection and appraisal. This house has pretty much everything we wanted, in a good neighborhood with good schools.

I don't know why I didn't do this before but today I went online to check the registered sex offenders in the area. I was really shocked to see that there are two of them registered two streets down from where we are buying. They are not our neighbors or even in the same street, but within 0.5 miles. Also in order to go to our neighborhood elementary we have to pass through the street where either one of them reside.

We have two young kids and I am super freaked out. I told this to my husband and though he is concerned I don't know if hes concerned enough to rethink our decision to buy the house. I don't even know at this point if we can back out of it.

Is there something, if any, I can do to get more information on this? I am really surprised and shocked to see that a sex offender can live so close to an elementary school. Gosh I am totally freaked out at this point !!!

[resipsa]

It's a shame, but the sex offender registry is almost worthless due to their inclusion of all kinds of "lesser" crimes. There is a big difference between living next door to a rapist vs. someone who had consensual sex when they were 17 with their underage girlfriend.

[JWEvergreen]

Don't jump to conclusions... it could possibly be something as simple as a guy got caught taking a pee into a bush or changing clothes in the woods. A lot of the reports on offenders don't explain exactly what they did to get in trouble. Let's be honest... most of us have been walked in on while using the bathroom, showering or changing clothes at one point or another (especially if you have kids). It doesn't mean anything.

If you found information to verify that an actual assault occurred, then I would be concerned.

[cowboyxjon]

I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think there are laws in Colorado regarding sex offenders and proximity to schools. I live near a school and a sex offender recently moved into a house two doors down from mine. While I'm not THRILLED about this, I can say that he was convicted of his crime in the early 1990s, it didn't involve children, and my neighbors and I haven't had any problems with him. I guess my point is that this might not be as big of a deal as it seems.

[JrzDefector]

They're everywhere. Any house you buy in Denver is going to have at least a couple in walking distance. They're kind of like 7-11s :-/

But here's the thing - your kids are more likely to be assaulted by someone they know, not some random person a few streets over. Also, any sex offender with 3 IQ points is going to go outside the area where he lives to find victims if he re-offends because he will be one of the first people the police look at in the event of a crime in his area.

The problem with the sex offender registry is it is basically a red herring. And anywhere you buy a house, a sex offender can move there afterwards.

My friend just had a violent sex offender with a HIGH LIKELIHOOD of re-offending move into her very high-end neighborhood. Her house has to be worth in the vicinity of $600,000, and she's got a creep show living a few blocks away.

Short of a den of perverts living in the house right next door, there's really no reason to worry about what the sex offender registry tells you. It's just useful information.

[denverian]

My neighbors freaked out a couple years ago when they discovered a "sex offender" 2 blocks from ours. I looked him up and IIRC, they did specify that his offense wasn't rape or something violent or a pediphile. And I realized I had talked to him while out walking the dog (he had a dog too) and he was probably upper 20s, good looking, and lived with a girlfriend. I have no clue what he did to get on that list, but he seemed very normal and I had no worries.

[2nd trick op]

Originally Posted by denverian

My neighbors freaked out a couple years ago when they discovered a "sex offender" 2 blocks from ours. I looked him up and IIRC, they did specify that his offense wasn't rape or something violent or a pediphile. And I realized I had talked to him while out walking the dog (he had a dog too) and he was probably upper 20s, good looking, and lived with a girlfriend. I have no clue what he did to get on that list, but he seemed very normal and I had no worries.

Maybe when he walked the dog, they both used the same tree? (with credit to Jeff Foxworthy)

[Apple Tree]

Just tell your kids about the houses, and to stay far away. I would not kill a deal over this. For all you know, the search could have been fine now but two could have moved in within months. Nothing stays the same. Good chance they will move at some point anyway.

[ayoitzrimz]

Originally Posted by Apple Tree

Just tell your kids about the houses, and to stay far away. I would not kill a deal over this. For all you know, the search could have been fine now but two could have moved in within months. Nothing stays the same. Good chance they will move at some point anyway.

Valid point, a sex offender used to live in our house so when you look up sex offenders our address would come up. I have no clue how to get our house off that list, but just something to think about. Tyrone isn't my name and I am not black so my neighbors can put 2 and 2 together but if you are just moving into the neighborhood it may seem like a sex offender is living right next door.

[johnrex62]

With all due respect to the intent of the sex offender registry intent, in a sample of 100 people you will find 1 registered offender and 98 that have committed a registerable offense in their lives without being noticed. Most of those offenses would be laughed at over coffee if you got down to it. Besides, the ones you really have to worry about usually move and do not register at their new locations. It is only the law abiding ones that keep the registry updated.