Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel we should have the right to know where sex offenders live

204 replies

midwifeandmum · 06/04/2014 21:28

Im watching Louis Theroux program and over in the USA they have an app to search for sex offenders in their area.

Why do the UK not follow their lead!! Very scary especially if you have children Angry

I have a sex offender in my street and didnt find out he had been charged with sex offences for 2 years.

This man lives over 2 hedges from me and walks about the street thinking he owns it. Has a real bad attitude. grrr makes my blood boil

OP posts:
Coldlightofday · 07/04/2014 15:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TrevaronGirl · 07/04/2014 15:07

If you think its a good idea, watch The Woodsman and then decide.

OneMoreChap · 07/04/2014 15:14

Oh FFS.

The majority of sexual abuse of children happens in the family, from people known to the family. "Stranger danger..."

If I said be careful walking down dark streets at night, I'd be called a rape apologist and told that the majority of rapists are known to the person raped.

OnlyLovers · 07/04/2014 15:35

Marcus, seeing as anyone can have a child they are not exactly 'entrusted' with bringing up the next generation; they just are. No one's made a conscious decision to let certain people have children, but this discussion is about making a conscious decision to let people have access to information about sex offenders.

And I agree with Chap.

haveyourselfashandy · 07/04/2014 15:39

I watched the programme and do not agree with this app whatsoever.I think its just easier to presume that a convicted sex offender does live near your family!
Someone upthread mentioned that most sex offenders end up in deprived areas but that is just not the case anymore,a lot more thought is being put into where to house offenders who are being rehomed.You would be surprised at the amount of houses,buildings local councils actually own and where.
I think the people responsible for finding places to live are finally cottoning on that rehoming these offenders close to the community they offended in is not such a bright idea!
Sorry have derailed somewhat but just be aware that if you are in a lovely,leafy well to do area don't automatically assume these offenders are kept in the deprived areas.They are not.
I don't work in this area by the way it's just something that's close to my heart.The app though,not a good idea.

NurseyWursey · 07/04/2014 16:03

This would just lead to them going deeper underground.

whois · 07/04/2014 16:24

No one could have watched the Louis program and come away thinking 'what a good idea!' Surely?

A woman has an affair with a 14 year old boy. Wrong, yes. A danger to other children? No. She's not even allowed to contact her own children!

I think it's far more important tob e able to check that your new boyfriend beat up his last girlfriend, or has a child abuse conviction, than to know that bob down the road flashed a woman in 1993.

There is a real worry that the rules in California drive the people affected underground and push them further out of society which makes them more dangerous.

IdkickJilliansAss · 07/04/2014 16:27

I dont think paedophiles can be reformed but gont need to know where they live, I just mind my children.

IdkickJilliansAss · 07/04/2014 16:30

If you are stupid enough to flash your willy on a night out and get caught and found guilty you have to sign the sex offenders register

Nicknacky · 07/04/2014 16:32

Idkick, you know it's not a physical piece of paper they sign?

IdkickJilliansAss · 07/04/2014 16:34

Er yes, and that's relevant how?? You'd still be a registered sex offender

Nicknacky · 07/04/2014 16:35

It's relevant as they don't sign it, so it's incorrect to say they do. You may have known that but perhaps others didn't. I was just clarifying that point.

gordyslovesheep · 07/04/2014 16:36

Peadophiles make up a very small section of child abusers ...I really dislike this obsession with them

Most abuse has fuck all to do with sexuality just like most rapes

IdkickJilliansAss · 07/04/2014 16:40

Erm ok Nickynacky we used to call it that in the CJS because they have to come in and re register once a year andbut go to the top of the class anyway!

Nicknacky · 07/04/2014 16:42

Sorry, idkick, is there any need to be so rude? I explained why I clarified it.

IdkickJilliansAss · 07/04/2014 16:46

You came across as patronising and I wonder what would happen on the off chance someone did infer that you had to sign a piece of paper?

Nicknacky · 07/04/2014 16:48

I have no idea what your point is, but ok!

IdkickJilliansAss · 07/04/2014 16:49

Tge point is (clearly) if a poster took my post literally what is the worst that could happen?

Feminine · 07/04/2014 16:50

I lived in the US for 7 years.

We were able to find out where the Sex offenders lived in our town/further afield.

One chap lived in spitting distance from our home, seemed perfectly normal to talk to. The conviction he had was for rape of a minor ( when he would have been in his 30's) I'm glad I knew where he was, and the others.

There is strict stipulation in the US that you don't approach the offender, otherwise you may find yourself in jail.

YANBU. if it is policed as it was there.

Nicknacky · 07/04/2014 16:52

Obviously the worst that can happen is that they think information they hear is correct when it's not. That's why I think if you post something on a forum then try and be accurate.

It's not the end of the world, obviously but why post something that you know to be incorrect?

IdkickJilliansAss · 07/04/2014 16:54

It is just an expression we used, but whatever gets you through the day I guess...

Cupid5tunt · 10/04/2014 17:53

Sorry just catching up on this thread now...

in the examples you've given Im shocked that you are minimising the fact that they're sexual offenders, and providing excuses for it. 'he did not know

This comment was with regards to the fact that he didn't know the girls age. To be perfectly honest at 13/14+ I was in nightclubs. I did have sex whilst under the legal age on consent, 1 or 2 people I slept with didn't know my age. I'm not proud of that but never actually thought about the seriousness of it at the time. I looked 18, I was in an 18+ nightclub. Should they have asked for my ID? I don't think it's shocking for someone to say I didn't know her/his age. How many of us have asked for proof of age before sleeping with a girlfriend/boyfriend? People can lie.

but the same judge sent down a 17 year old boy for 47 years having consenting sex with his girlfriend that was 2 days off being 16

Really? Hmm

I did find the way in which these sex offenders were treated by authorities very bizarre. There were notices on the doors of their homes saying "this house is not taking part in Halloween, please do not knock", they may as well have stuck an illuminated sign outside saying "paedo lives here

I wouldn't automatically say "oh yes that's a paedophiles house" I would probably think they were a Jehovah Witness. People will see paedophiles everywhere if they actively go looking for signs.

I personally have grown up in a nice area with 2 well known paedophiles in the village. I have chosen to move back since having my own daughter. They are left to themselves. I wouldn't approach either one to warn them off looking at my child, that's a bit insane and quite frankly it's also drawing attention to your child.

Most on this thread are thankfully sensible but bloody hell, some really are not.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 10/04/2014 18:11

Once again, some people fail to realise that the real danger lies inside their tight circles of family and friends, not next door.....

ilikebigbutts · 10/04/2014 18:40

If there is no doubt as to their guilt then brand their forehead.

Whatsyourpoint · 10/04/2014 18:59

ChelworthBrond People like that do not reform. If you think they can be then you have rocks in your head.

My stepfather is a pedophile, no charges were brought against him for what he did to me and my siblings. Years later I found out he ran a firm of executive cars whose main customer was a public school. Nothing could be done as there was no official record despite a thick ss file on him.

You can never be safe, maggots like that are all over the place. They should be put down.

Swipe left for the next trending thread