Paedo warning…

[ValnBen]

Hi, not sure what, if anything, I should do about this so thought I would put it to the MN jury.

DS?s school (primary ? DS in reception) have sorted out access to free parking spaces in the Council Car Park at the back of the school during drop off/pick up time.
I have been using this facility since I found out about it at the beginning of the October term.
During this time I have been ?peripherally? aware of people in the car park walking their dogs, but not thought much of it other than hoping that the dog doesn?t come near us as I?m terrified of them (but try very hard not to show this in front of DS..but that?s a whole other issue ? I digress)

Anyway, my next door neighbour happens to own one of the buildings by the side of this car park and we see him most mornings. This morning he made a point of stopping me on the way back to my car to point out a man with a Dalmatian dog saying to make sure I kept my lad away from him as he?s a know paedo and on the sex offenders reg.
Obviously this came as a bit of a shock. Horrified to think that some one like that could be so near to a school in the first place let alone with a kiddy magnet (dog)!!
Surely they have restrictions imposed on them with regards to proximity of schools/children???
Obviously I only have my neighbour?s word for any of this, but he has been around here for ever and seems to know everyone (small seaside town).

Having spent all day pondering on this I still don?t know what to do for the best.

Ignore it, but make sure I keep DS away (just in case)
Alert other parents using the car park ? even though I have nothing to substantiate the story. (again, just in case)
Speak to the school
Something else?

What would you do?

The neighbour is quite possibly wrong, or even may have an agenda.
But the fact is that given the number of schools and places where sex offenders are supported, it would be hard work to avoid putting them near each other.

However, councils don't even bother trying, and since their ownership in land is typically blocks, they end up closer to each other.

Also councils know from experience that it's less hassle to put them near council estates, since any objections can be more easily ignored, and of course again the land is cheaper. They then throw up a wall of secrecy around it.

Even if councils were better, it isn't their fault at the core.
It's yours.
Politicans make the choice to let these people out. You voted for them.

Oh that's a ridiculous argument. We vote for many different reasons and very often don't vote for those in power. After all it was a minority in this country that voted Labour at the last election.

So, if I didn't vote Labour, is it my fault that they let sex offenders out? Of course not. Even if I did vote Labour, I could very well have voted on other issues, but end up lumbered with their policies on everything. It's very rare that we have the luxury of voting for a politician who stands for everything that we do and with whose whole range of policies we agree.

re me referring to the dog as a kiddy magnet ? same feelings as pointed out by Freckle about small children being attracted to dogs and also giving him an excuse to be roaming the car park ? walking the dog ? during school drop off/ pickup times.

As DS is only 4.5, I take him right to the classroom door on a morning, but others with older children don?t, they drop them off in the car park and leave them to walk the rest of the way themselves ? it?s these that I am more worried about if this is true to be honest.

As you are aware of a potential problem, keep a discreet eye on them. If you see anything suspicious, then do something about it.

Lynn, what makes you think you live near me BTW - if you don't mind me asking?

ValnBen

I can see you are in a dificult position as you do not know what you ahve been told is true but if it is it is very worrying for you. I agree with twiglett - talk to the school. It could be that other parents have been 'warned' about this man and it could spiral out of control round the playground.

The head of the school can act as she/he sees fit with regard to the safety of the children in the school and you worry about your children.

Sorry - had a look at your profile,
don't know how close, but same county.

We have a close friend who is a social worker working with sex offenders. Her advice is that there are people on the sex register in most areas, including ours where she and her children live.

I didn't check with her if she meant paedophiles, rather than people who have assaulted adults, but her advice was that there may be people in every community who may be a risk to children, and therefore to teach your children to behave accordingly - not to go off alone, to make sure that you know where they are, to ensure they understand "stranger danger".

She is happy that the people she knows locally are being well supervised, and much less danger than someone who has been frightened and forced to go 'underground', not reporting regularly to police/social workers. But she is also aware that there are always unknown risks.

I think that the advice you have been given below is sensible. It would be awful to brand someone who is quite innocent. However, it's a useful reminder to us all that the risks are there, whether we know about them or not.

can i just add that its quite often those we least expect to be the problem people. A friend of mine used to share a house with her brother and his "mate" from hte pub. They ended up sharing a house for years and remained friends after her brother died. He used to play and babysit for her dd several years later - or so she tells me. He was arrested about 6-7 years ago for drink driving and DNA matching linked him to an unsolved schoolboy murder in the 60's.

He wasnt that sort aparently

I'd have a chat with the head, say that someone claims a sex offender is walking their dog in the carpark and whilst you have no idea whether this is true or not maybe a Stranger Danger lesson is warrented in the school assembly.

Lynn, ah yes profile ? should have checked yours first [doh!]

Thanks for the sensible advice everyone.
I think I may have a quiet word with the school in the morning. They may already be aware and will probably have more clout with the local plod in getting something done about it if it?s true. More than a freaked out mummy anyway
I certainly don?t want to go ruining an innocent persons life by saying anything ? nor do I want to have the ?if only? guilt.
BTW: my neighbours words were that he was a Paedophile ? on the offenders register and everything ? hence my putting the two together. I am aware that you can be on the SOR for other reasons.