Registered Sex Offender Databases Promote Community Awareness

You may not know all of your neighbors, but there may be one or two you should be aware of.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office monitors more than 700 sexual offenders, predators and career offenders, according to its website. A search of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s database turns up 84 offenders registered in Land O’ Lakes.

An online mapping tool, available through the Pasco Sheriff’s Office website, allows users to search by address or city to get a visual representation of offenders’ registered addresses. Follow this link, then click on “crime reports” at the bottom to get to the map.

According to the sheriff’s office website, sexual offenders and predators are required to register in person either two or four times per year based on their offense.

Individuals who have a conviction for a sex-related crime and/or a specified crime against children are required to register with local law enforcement, according to  Florida law.

The important thing is just to be aware if a registered offender is in the area, sheriff’s office spokesman Kevin Doll said. And always know where your kids are, he added.

According to the American Psychological Association, some research indicates that about 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18.

 “If you see someone who you know is a sex offender interacting with children who are not their own, report it to the sheriff’s office,” Doll said.

Online registries are made available to keep the public informed, according to the sheriff’s office.  An individual’s appearance on the registry does not indicate he or she is wanted for that crime; instead it is an indication of a past conviction.

However, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office also has an absconders list, and that one they need the community’s assistance with.

Absconders, those who do not follow registration requirements, are actively pursued, Sheriff’s Chris Nocco said.

The absconder list includes photos and information on past known whereabouts, and also indicates any history of violence.

If you see any of those people, let the sheriff’s office know immediately, Nocco said.

“We need to know where they are,” Nocco said.

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