Identifying a pedophile to his neighbours

[Bipitybopityboop]

If you found out, through work, that a pedophile was going to live on a certain street near you.
Would you anonymously let the neighbourhood know?

Would you want to know?

This could not be traced back to one individual.

[AMillionMilesAway]

[quote BitOfAFaff]@AMillionMilesAway Of course you'd still be as vigilant but I'd still want to know.

Who wouldn't want to know if a perv is living next door to them. [/quote]
On an emotional level, of course everybody does.
On a practical level, if we had an American style law where they listed sex offenders names and addresses, apart from anything else, it's false reassurance (if you think there are none)

[Ginuwine]

I agree with other posters. You shouldn't identify them especially if you received this information through your work.

[Maggiesfarm]

I don't understand how you would be able to let the neighbourhood know. Would you deliver leaflets, knock on doors or send something anonymously through the post?

It's also not clear what you think you might achieve by this action. I foresee panic and chaos.

Stay out of it, at least the police know who this person is, we live amongst all sorts of violent criminals and perverts and nobody has a clue about the majority of them.

[bioluminescence]

I'd want to know, but not sure whether I'd share the information. I would quietly inform anyone I knew who lived near them or might have reason to come into contact with them, assuming it didn't put my job at risk to do so.

Tbh, I'd do the same for anyone with any violent or dangerous criminal history, if I felt it might prevent someone being victimised in the future.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

I’m not sure I would want to know-
I’d end up living on edge in absolute fear- fact is I’m vigilant with my children 24/7 and just because another neighbour hasn’t been caught or charged doesn’t mean they aren’t one. I’m therefore not entirely sure the benefit of knowing

[sykadelic]

It depends.

In the US there's the sex offender registry. Anyone can look up their own town and see where people who are on the registry live, and the charges they have. It's easy, free, and requires no registration.

That said, I don't always agree with that. For instance in my small town there's on guy on the list. The charge says "lascivious acts with a minor" which of course got me really concerned. I mentioned it to my daycare who happens to know the person (again, small town) and knows the charge was actually from a boy who turned 18 when his gf was still 17 and her father pressed charges.

I think it's bullshit that he's on the registry with a charge listed like that. If they're going to list shit, where they list the age of the offender, they need to list the age (or range) of the "minor". My 4 y/o son is not at risk from him.

[wombat1a]

Leave it, you don't know what the charges are and with the laws as they are now a 14yr old girl who sends an unasked topless photo of herself to a boy can be herself guilty of breaking the law because she used the internet to post a photo of a minor to another.

[Waxonwaxoff0]

No I wouldn't. It would inevitably lead to vigilante behaviour which I do not agree with.

[Crispychillibeef]

How do you know about it op?

[mpsssm]

My ex was cautioned for a sex offence. As soon as he was interviewed I threw him out. He now lives 300 miles away. I have a daughter and teach in the local school.

I live in absolute terror of people finding out, and not knowing that he no longer lives here and therefore targeting me and my little girl.

[mpsssm]

And when I say terror, I mean every knock on the door, every unusual car, every piece of post that I don't recognise sends a chill down my spine.

If parents are talking and then glance at me in the playground, I think "that is it, they know" rather than at the worst complaining I am 2 mins dismissing the class...

I will never be able to get over this.

Every sex offender has a family. Most of them are completely innocent and just as horrified. But trust me, they are watched and monitored.

The police described me and my daughter as collateral damage when this happened

[Prokupatuscrakedatus]

It is interesting that you want to make sure you stay anonymous.
So if he - or somebody innocent - becomes a vigilante victim, you are well out of it.

[MikeWozniaksGloriousTache]

If you found out, through work, that a pedophile was going to live on a certain street near you.
Would you anonymously let the neighbourhood know?
It's not my job.
So basically you know fuck all.

[SadieCow]

You haven't found out through work, you've found out through gossip. Be very careful.

[Ravenclawsome]

I take the view that is better to know where these people actually are and be able to have children to avoid them/ be in a position for police to monitor them than have mindless vigilante mobs hound them from the house where they either go in the run (and the police can't monitor them) or the next community to be graced with their presence is unaware and don't take measures to protect heir kids.

[Mn2848589292]

I have a job where I often find out this kind of information which is exactly why I don’t live in the area I work

[VettiyaIruken]

I would want to know, yes. Obviously. Even though the paedophile you don't know about is a greater risk than the one you do know about and you should use good judgement always!

Would I tell? No. you say you found out through work but it's not your job. So that means gossip? Or personal experience.

If gossip - bad idea!

Also, they have to live somewhere. If they get driven out they go underground which can mean they aren't being monitored which makes them a bigger risk.

[Shoxfordian]

Everyone has to live somewhere op
Ywbu and wrong to disclose anything

[SchadenfreudePersonified]

You should know that when the vigilantes come to beat him up, which they will, and to throw bricks throw his window, which they also will, they won't stop there. His family will be targeted too, they'll be sent death threats, his children if he has any will be beaten up at school by the vigilantes children, they'll have their car tyres slashed and dog shit posted through their letterbox, their cat will be poisoned and left dead on their doorstep, multiple false reports will be made about them to social services and the police and the school, they'll be spat on in the street, the corner shop will refuse to serve them, and many other unpleasant things

This ^

Paedophiles are the scum of the earth, and I don't believe they ever change, and I also believe they deserve all they get - however, the risk of someone innocent being targeted - and their families - is too great to take. Say nothing.

[TotallyFloored]

@mpsssm

Your post frightens me, as I’m in the exact same situation but it is all still very new.

People don’t want to believe you didn’t know, despite these people being so sneaky and devious. And because we aren’t “direct victims” the help we get is limited.

[Whanganui]

@Rangoon

Where do you think they should live? Presumably he has served his sentence which would have been a very unpleasant experience given other prisoners' view of him. I imagine there are quite strict parole conditions on him. Yes, some of these people do reoffend but sexual offenders who target adults are, according to a NZ study of 1100 sex offenders, more likely to reoffend and not all child sex offenders do reoffend. But we're not suggesting hunting done rapists or at least I hope not. And really, this is not just about keeping children safe, but rather about people beating up these people or other people living with them such as parents. How certain are you really about your information? You'd be amazed at the number of people who have the same name and are roughly about the right age and in an area. I myself found out that an old flame of mine had killed his wife and daughter or rather a man with exactly the same name had done that and my ex while deeply unsatisfactory in many senses was not a murderer.

A very unpleasant experience in prison eh? There are many prisons just for paedos so I’m sure that they feel very at home whilst inside.

I wouldn’t keep quiet about it OP.

[SchadenfreudePersonified]

I well remember the paediatrician being hounded by idiots.

Never occurred to any of them that paedophiles don't exactly advertise their status, and that having "Paediatrician" after a name wasn't quite the clue they thought it was.

[SchadenfreudePersonified]

not all child sex offenders do reoffend

The research I've read (admittedly not a lot) suggests that almost all do reoffend, and that even when they get too old to be sexually active themselves, they continue to procure children for other offenders.

[newnortherner111]

Yes I would, but I would not be the one to post excrement through his or her door, as some would. There are many people who commit crime and then never re-offend and change their ways, but for sex crimes I work on the presumption that they will re-offend given the chance.

[Milliways]

In a previous job, many many years back, I was processing loan paperwork for a new secure house to house such offenders. I was horrified to see it would be near where friends lived, and then read the business plan where they listed all the “competitors” and realised these houses are everywhere, including my road! It was knowing they housed small numbers with 24 hour staffing and no leaving the house unaccompanied that calmed me a bit.
Initial reaction was to tell people, but again, this was my job and these homes were doing their best to keep all involved safe.
I still wonder if the house on my road is used for the same reason though.