Illegal to distribute information about sex offenders?

[spoiler]

What is the name of your state? UTAH

My sister and I are trying to alert parents in our children’s school boundaries about local sex offenders. We are planning to print out maps of the school boundaries that will show where the sex offenders live and would also like to print there name and address as it is stated on the Utah sex offenders website. Does anyone know if this is against the law?

 

[Shay-Pari'e]

You could get in serious trouble with this. I don't disagree with what you want to do, but there is an alternative.

Send the flyers directing them to "Megans Law", and they can see the offenders that way.

 

[spoiler]

I just think the alteratives never work....parents these days are just too busy and they never take time out of there day to get on the internet and go through all of the names on the list to see who is living close to them.
Here in our school district there are ten sex offenders to every elementary school! I figured by getting a map of the school districts and putting a star where all the sex offenders live....they will start to pay closer attention to their children. I have filled out a few maps already and there is real shock value in the maps when you actual SEE with your own eyes.
Does anyone know if you can actualy get into trouble for this? Would there be a fine? Jail time? I have been tryint to contact local authorities to see what I can do...but of course I have yet to recieve any answers. When did child molesters rights become more important than the saftey of our children??

 

[CdwJava]

Your best bet would be to contact your local District Attorney's office. Ask them if it is legal to do what you suggest.

In most states there are different levels of offender. Some of the offenders you might publish the information on could be in a class that prohibits the public dissemination of their information other than reading it from the Megan's Law information. Others may be open game. Your DA can clarify these issues for you.

In my state there are classes of offenders that we cannot publicly announce to the world where they live ... but, we can suggest people check out the Megan's Law information.

- Carl

 

[calatty]

How could it be illegal to disseminate information legitimately available to the public on a government website? The problem with what you are planning to do is you are generating hysteria, not doing a public service. If your neighbors care, they can access the same information you can. Are these sex offenders all child molesters? Is their m.o. to grab children off the streets? Are you offering any solutions?

 

[spoiler]

you are generating hysteria, not doing a public service. If your neighbors care, they can access the same information you can. Are these sex offenders all child molesters? Is their m.o. to grab children off the streets? Are you offering any solutions?

I do not feel I would be generating hysteria. The problem is not that neighbors don't care...but that they don't care enough. They are busy and do not think about what is happening UNTIL AFTER IT HAPPENS. I would be doing a public service by creating awareness. Sexual abuse will only continue to grow unless we make our children aware and keep them away from predators. Do you have kids? What if you decided to let your nice friend next door babysit for you for a couple of hours. She's nice trustworthy seems fine...then a couple of weeks later you find this nice friends husband has been molesting your child. Wouldn't you have been better off knowing that the man next door was a sex offender? The solution I am offering is awareness of who is around you and who your childrens friends parents really are.

 

[CdwJava]

I do not feel I would be generating hysteria. The problem is not that neighbors don't care...but that they don't care enough. They are busy and do not think about what is happening UNTIL AFTER IT HAPPENS. I would be doing a public service by creating awareness. Sexual abuse will only continue to grow unless we make our children aware and keep them away from predators. Do you have kids? What if you decided to let your nice friend next door babysit for you for a couple of hours. She's nice trustworthy seems fine...then a couple of weeks later you find this nice friends husband has been molesting your child. Wouldn't you have been better off knowing that the man next door was a sex offender? The solution I am offering is awareness of who is around you and who your childrens friends parents really are.

What you believe and what Utah law says are different things. Here is an excerpt from a site covering Utah sex offender registration:

Members of the public are not allowed to publicize information obtained from the Internet or use it to harass or threaten sex offenders or members of their families. Harassment, stalking, or threats against sex offenders or their families are prohibited and doing so may violate Utah criminal laws.
(Utah Code Ann. § 77-27-21.5(21)(c))

It would NOT be tough to articulate that your actions are in violation of this statute, and you could face criminal charges yourself.

Here is the full link:

http://www.sexcriminals.com/megans-law/us/utah/



- Carl

 

[spoiler]

Thankyou for your help carl.

 

[Love My Husband]

I wish what you want to do is legal, but contact the DA and police department and ask if they could do something to alert parents of offenders who live within, say, 8 blocks of the school. But you can't do anything yourself.