to ask how I can find out if the man down the road is a pedophile?

[Robyrollover]

Potentially this is just gossip, but I have been told that there is a man in my road that is on the sex offenders register for looking at indecent images of children.

I have 3 young DC.

Is there a way to find out?

Elendon I meant only that you cannot uninvent the internet (or the camera or the printing press) - or to change the metaphor, you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.

Elendon: I think you misunderstood my post. I wasn't saying that homeless people in general are peadophiles.
I was pointing out the reasons why my estate, in particular, is an attractive place to house people who are in the homeless system because they are due to be released from prison for sex offences against children.

That Guardian article is really frightening.

Need to have another conversation with my eldest. Thank the Lord he is both rules bound and extremely obedient, as part of his disability, given he's also invincibly innocent and trusting as part of same.

There was always gossip about suspected paedophiles in my area. Might have been true might not.

Unless you will be leaving your children with him op there's nothing you need to worry about, there's probably quite a few of them living locally to you tbh

Obviously sexual abuse by family members hardly ever makes it to the news, the one that we hear about are those rare cases where an unrelated person takes away a child

So rather than trying to find out if the neighbour’s is a paedofile or teach your children about stranger danger, you should concentrate on making it clear where boundaries are when it comes to their body and to trust you enough to tell you if they ever find themselves in such a situation

Great post Notsure You are absolutely right and I had that conversation 17 years ago with my DC. Teach children to be physically aware and know their boundaries when it comes to physical and emotional contact. By far the majority of abusers are close relatives and friends and people in capacities of trust ie people you expect to go to when something of the very same precise nature happens - people in positions of authority and respect: GPs, teachers, play workers, social workers, tutors even police etc. People who are not known about and have passed all CRB, DBS checks with flying colours!

Trying to find out if one person down the road who is already under surveilance is a paedo is fairly pointless.

I don't understand why it's an either/or situation? Protecting your kids is a multi layered thing.

Teach your children about boundaries to do with their bodies, even if it's ''nice uncle x, y z'' ect, ect.

Teach your children not to get into cars with a stranger or go to see any puppies in a strangers house ect, ect.

If there's a convicted pedophile living nearby don't let them get pally with your kids.

None of this is mutually exclusive.

I doubt anyone would allow a guy they don't know who lives down the street to get pally with their kids, though. Thankfully, people are more aware and savvy these days. Whereas they do trust friends. People assume someone they know and like couldn't possibly be a risk. That's why it needs more attention. It's the most common abuse scenario, yet the one we spend least time fretting about.

There will be all sorts of offenders, convicted or otherwise, living close to you (paedophiles, rapists, those who have assaulted people etc). That's just life. It's not your place to go on a witch hunt. The best you can do is teach your children about safety (whether it's "don't get into a car with strangers" or online safety or all sorts) and make sure they would be comfortable confiding in you if someone did something inappropriate to them. Statistically if something were to happen, it would most likely be a relative (especially non-biological) or close friend, so just be alert to who spends time alone with your kids.