Sex-predator iPhone app is back in business
Map: ThinAir Wireless
Of all the applications that Apple (AAPL) has pulled from the iPhone App Store — and there have been quite a few — none were as creepy, sad or profitable as Offender Locator.
Launched in early June by ThinAir Wireless, a Houston-based GPS-tracking services company, in both free and $0.99 versions, it displayed the names, addresses, faces and criminal records of registered sex offenders living near you or anyone you know — or, using GPS data, near whatever street you happen to be driving down.
The app quickly moved into Apple's Top 10 lists, where it caught the eye of the media — including the Washington Post and ABC News. On Thursday, Aug. 6, the $0.99 version disappeared from the App Store. By Sunday, Aug. 9, it was back.
Here's what happened.
But first, a few words about the controversial application, which has almost as many critics as it has defenders. (Of the 9,209 reviews of Offender Locator Lite as of Monday morning, 3,181 gave it five stars and 2,471 gave it one, the lowest possible rating.)
Many have pointed out that under Megan's Law, the same sex offender lists are available on Internet sites maintained by each state. In fact, most states sites give you far more information than Offender Locator provides. For example, the Sex Offender Inquiry System in Oregon, where I am vacationing this week, provides — in addition to the bare bones criminal records that the iPhone app displays — such details as the conditions and restrictions imposed by the court, the age and sex of the victims the offender is known to target, and his or her (although it's almost always his) "methods of offending."
Others have suggested that the app could be an invitation to stalk the stalkers — although opinion seems to be evenly divided whether this is a good thing or a bad.
ThinAir Wireless promotes its app as offering parents POM — peace of mind. "They know where you and your family are," goes its promotional copy. "Now it's time to turn the tables so that you know where they live and can make better decisions about where to allow your kids to play."
There's more than a whiff of fear-mongering there. And as several critics have noted, there are numerous discrepancies between Offender Locator's data and the states', raising questions about how often the information is updated or checked for accuracy.
And at least one critic has voiced what she admits is an unpopular opinion "that once a person has finished serving his or her sentence, the offender shouldn't be further stigmatized." In a post on NJ.com, from the very state where Megan Kanka was murdered, Maria Andreu writes:
"If sex offenders continue to pose a risk to the public, either don't let them out or monitor them electronically, but don't give everyone access to their home address. Leave that information in the hands of law enforcement, where it belongs.
"By making the information mobile, it cuts down whatever 'thinking period' there was between finding the information and possible acts of violence or harassment. With approximately 20 million iPhones sold, that's a lot potential anti-sex offender 'vigilantes.'" (link)
But it was not for fear of creating an army of iPhone wielding vigilantes that the app was pulled.
Neither Apple nor ThinAir Wireless has commented for the record, but the sticking point was apparently a California law that prohibits the unauthorized sale of personal information — even about ex-criminals.
How else to explain why Offender Defender disappeared from the App Store, but not Offender Defender Lite (which limits users to five searches per day and lists a maximum of 10 offenders per search)?
In any event, it took ThinAir Wireless about three days to find a work around and start making money again. It simply removed California's data from the for-profit version.
By Sunday, Offender Locator was back on the iPhone App Store. By Monday it was the No. 8 bestselling app and No. 1 utility program.
Thanks to Seth Jordan and iPhone Savior for the tip.
My daughter was recently assaulted. She was choked, smothered and dragged into woods. But, she has an IPHONE. I love technology. Laws are meant to be amended. For those scared of "big brother syndrome" – get over it – if you are good, than you are fine. Otherwise, let the laws be able to utilize technology as a time-saving procedure rather than a back-up subpoena after a detective names a party of interest procudure. Wake up america, its there – now fight for your right to use the data instead of our tax paying dollars and government only having the ability to use this tool
Interesting that you can get on the list for "visiting" a prostitute, but not for "being" a prostitute. Shouldn't ALL people who engage in ALL sex crimes, regardless of gender, be included in the registry?
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com
Once again, the news media injecting the word "predator" into the title to instill more fear.
Not all sex offenders, which this app helps track, are predators.
Stop the fear and hysteria over a moral panic.
I believe that charging for criminal records, in most states, is illegal, and it has been shown, that this service is not updated on a timely manner, and some times has invalid data.
With the GROWING number of vigilantes attacking sex offenders, this will only fuel the fire.
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2007/09/human-rights-issues.html
"searching for the hard core victims"
is supposed to read "searching for the hard core predators" see below.
My apologies
Why am i the only one to see this? There has been a lot of whining that only 5% to 10% are going to be repeat offenders. and 80% of sex offenders are never caught and therefore not on the list anyways. I can’t believe some people are actually using this to justify that there should not be a sex offender locator.. Are you crazy? Knowing if the guy across the street was a known rapist, would be a great tool in deciding whether or not I let my daughter hang out anywhere in that vicinity, regardless of the fact, that he only has a 5% chance of being a re-offender. Now I do agree. Public urination, kids having sex with other kids, public nudeness (IE: drunken streaking) etc are perfect examples of what shouldn’t be on the list. The question shouldn’t be whether there is a sex offender locator, and should it be abolished… The question should be what qualifies as a sex offender IE: actual rapists/ child molesters, and then the rest stricken from the list. That way, the vigilantes/victims who are searching for the hard core victims in order to exact a little justice, will have their search greatly refined, be able to focus their efforts, and be way more effective.. he he he…. Hell.. they should have trading cards, kinda like the Most Wanted trading cards we had for the head honchos in Iraq. He he… As for the 80% of sex offenders never getting caught? Quit possibly…. If rapists and child molesters were getting offed in record numbers by people, and strung up on the light pole next to your local 7-11… Maybe.. just Maybe… Knowing that it is a secret their victim will have to keep for the rest of their life, they might think twice before they cross the line… Obviously, I am aware that my opinions will offend a lot of peoples sensibilities. Just for th record, if you feel the need to respond and push your objections about how wrong I am, I rank my desire of listening to you babble, just about as low as my desire to protect sex offenders identities.
I want an app that shows where all the bankers live whose bonuses were paid out of taxpayer's money that we can ostracize them. That is the least we can expect for the trillions we gave them.
Mary, San Francisco, CA
Fortunately for me, I try to be open to reasonable feedback. I find all of your charges to be true, and plan to at least moderate my delivery style. I thank you for your time, and best wishes.
"I think they should have a “has a lot of guns” locator.
Or a “right wingnut” locator.
Or a “beats his wife” locator.
Actually, they all sound like the same thing….
Posted By Sacto Joe, Sacramento, CA: August 10, 2009 11:38 AM "
I lol'd
I do not understand the need for such a registry when it is said that a very large percent of abuses are from people who know the victim (family or friends) not neighbors.
On top of this, I would be MUCH MUCH more concerned with theifs, violent offenders, and drug dealers. This registry is nothing about safety, if it were, we should be registering the individuals who would also pose a random threat to our health and belongings.
A Man who has a 16 yr old consenting girlfriend and gets 'caught', should not be registered as a sex offender. It makes it look like there are more than there really are.They should NOT be in the same category as a pedifile, or rapist. When I was 16, I had a 29 yr old boy friend. We have been married for 48 years.
History has shown that one of the most effective form of punishment is public embarrassment. Now there are certain types of individuals that have less of a chance at being embarrassed publicly, but it still usually has some form of mental effect. As for the lady that stated "The sex offender did there time" How does that weight out with the victim that has to live with that shame, embarrassment, and violation for the rest of their lives? It is not about being vigilantes. It is however a fact that they made their bed. They are welcome to my forgiveness, but not a blind eye to their perverse, socially destructive obsession. This is one technology that is welcome in my phone. I don't have kids but just knowing that this one genre of criminal (many times repeat offenders) locations are public knowledge gives me a sense of comfort.
Anonymous: August 10, 2009 6:57 PM – so your suggesting the death penalty for anyone convicted of a sex offense…do a little research, there are kids as young as 10 on the registry for non-violent consensual sexual activity with peers.
I am not condoning sexual promiscuity, actually I personally believe it is morally wrong, but it is insane to prosecute underage kids for consensual sexual activity and force them to register as "sex offenders" for life as young as 14 years old!
What was once 'petting' sexual exploration between consenting underage teens is now grounds for “life time” registration as a “sex offender.” This is insane!
Statistically under today's sex offender laws, over 95% of all youth by age 18 could be convicted and registered as sex offenders for life!
The application of the current and potential legislation regarding this entire subject is seriously lacking any real protection of our children from violent predatory sex offenders. In fact more and more underage children are the ones who are being prosecuted and convicted at an alarming rate under the very laws enacted to 'protect them.'
Dennis in Oregon City, Oregon: Interesting comment…many on the SOL are females…and your solution is to “castrate” them?
Again, to other commenters/readers, no offense to victims and families of violent sexual crimes, but the statutory laws of our nation must be changed before an entire current and past generations of boys/teens/young men end up on the sex offender registry for life.
You may find this difficult to believe, I did at first, but Sex Offender "Treatment" Programs for juveniles as young as 12, including cases of "consensual sexual activity among peers", include:
Plethysmographs – a metalized ring is strapped around a “male” juvenile’s genitals (there is no such devise for females) and they are forced to listen to/watch pornography including deviant sexual activity such as violent rape! This barbaric and abusive device and recordings are designed to measure any signs of arousal and the juvenile is then forced to try and masturbate afterwards.
Masturbatory Satiation – juvenile males as young as 12 are forced to masturbate over and over and over while listening to/viewing pornographic images/recordings, including deviant sexual activity such as violent rape.
Arousal Reconditioning – Originally developed in the early to mid-1900s to convert homosexuals to heterosexuals. Attempts to eliminate sexual feelings by pairing them with boredom, pain, or unpleasantness. In effect, assumes that sexuality can be changed through “punishment” such as electric shock therapy.
Parents, warn your sons!! What you may think is normal underage sexual activity historically left to parents to correct and teach is currently grounds for very serious felony sex offender convictions, registration as a sex offender for life as young as 14, and forced sex offender "treatment"!! And DA’s such are increasingly prosecuting these cases despite insane judicial outcomes, ruined lives of innocent boys, teens and young men, and ruined families of these innocent boys/teens/men.
Mark, Port Townsend, WA
We are all "social critics." If you think claiming yourself to be one by posting a pretentious self-serving babbling diatribe amongst other "social critics" who debate the issue without standing atop an ethereal soap-box, then you stand alone, lost, and pointless. The social critic in me thinks you've over-engineered your response, perhaps your whole life based on your contextual mannerism, and somehow you've walked away from life's table believing you're somehow more relevant.
ok – what's the next app, how about an app that tells us where all the drunk drivers that killed someone or an app that shows us where white collar criminals live.
We should take care to protect our children from sexual predators – but an app (that's sold for money) is not the answer. I enjy my iphone but chasing down people isn't the reason I bought it
Most people on sex offender lists are
not child molesters. Sex offender lists
are politicians' inventions to show how
tough on crime they are, and are
useless to keep track of bad guys. (I bet
the people who are most indignant about
'child molesters' have leanings that way
themselves.
No offense intended to victims and their families of violent sexual assaults, but the “statutory” laws in all states are insane and DA’s are relentlessly prosecuting young kids/teens and young men with laws enacted to protect our kids and teens.
I am not condoning pre-teen and teenage sexual promiscuity, but think back to when you were kids/teens and you played games such as truth-or-dare, doctor, seven-minutes-in-heaven, spin the bottle, or went 'parking'.
What was once 'petting' sexual exploration between consenting underage teens is now grounds for “life time registration as a sex offender” and it is the boy who always ends up being charged.
Statistically under today's sex offender laws, over 95% of all youth could be convicted and registered as sex offenders for life!
How many of our young boys and teens will we allow to be incarcerated, subjected to barbaric and abusive treatment (see Plethysmographs, Masturbatory Satiation, Arousal Reconditioning, Cognitive Restructuring of juveniles) and then forced to register as Sex Offenders for the rest of their lives before we bring an end to this insanity?
The current and potential legislation regarding this entire subject is seriously lacking any real protection of our children from violent predatory sex offenders. In fact more and more underage children are the ones who are being prosecuted and convicted at an alarming rate under the very laws enacted to 'protect them.'
Castrate ALL child molesters – as well as chopping off their hands. This will stop that hideous crime
As a social critic, I can tell you that depending on the time, place, and subject, at times only 1% of very large groups of people actually choose to think; the rest are parrots who tend to attack the 1% for thinking.
In humanity, many groups have been subjected to harsh and absolutist sexual self-righteousness: open marriages where the woman WANTS the guy to go elsewhere (Adulterer.), those who find love outside socially required arranged marriages (We will disown you.), those who marry other faiths against societal wishes (Aapostate heathen–you're going to hell.), gays (Immoral faggot.), miscegenationists (Betraying your own race. Nigger-lover.), and on and on. It is part of the human condition to point out the "sexual depravity" of others, but I, of course, am pure. Oh really?
Interesting that we view ourselves as superior enough to contravene nature, such as when nature has already given a person sexuality, but it is illegal to engage in it. We do so in repeatedly arbitrary ways. The ages which constitute sex with a minor vary greatly from moment-to-moment (the exact moment a "new and improved" law goes into effect), generational views, and geographic lines. At times, the so-called "child molester" is only labeled as such because the age of consent for gays is sometimes higher than for what we (of course affectionately) call you heterosexuals: breeders.
There has never been one permanent, global, moral, absolute, or even legal definition of what constitutes sex with a minor, and there will never be one. As such, the evil and dangerous "child molester" is for the most part just a socio-political drug that is designed, packaged, bartered, highly inflated, and sold as fumes to the parrots that want their next simple-minded self-righteous high. "And if you're not hysterical like me–you probably are one!" Hilarious, but common.
For those of you at this point who are trying to make up for your lack of intellect with an abundance of self-righteous indignation, no–I am not arguing for sex with minors. While it may be beyond the exposure or understanding of many, a strong case can be made that most or all sex between humans causes or has the potential to cause significantly negative consequences, not just sex between certain ages of homo sapiens.
Though probably a minority of the time, it is actually not terribly uncommon for allegations of sex or sexual intent with minors to be due to socio-political motivation (sex allegations-as-a-weapon is an old story to the well-informed), relationship revenge, misinterpretation of available data, or personal psychosis.
Fascinating those who in effect claim the mantle of "Most Holy Protector of Children" are almost always much more indignant about sex, both real and imagined, than the 26,575 children a day under five years of age who die of preventable causes http://www.unicef.org/why/why_preventable_causes.html. "Oh yes! I hate child molesters–they should be (fill in blank)!" Or about the one billion malnourished people in the world http://www.stopthehunger.com/.
Here is a final intellectual reward for those who choose to think when given the opportunity. Someone I know had a bumper sticker, "Abortion is murder." I coined the addendum to that, "Conception is murder." That is because those who breed know in advance that any babies they might create are doomed to die. And in the great scheme of things, very very soon, in a generally unpleasant, depressing, and slowly degrading manner, if not sudden and violent, such as wars, car accidents, and nuclear weapons. So heterosexuals are making millions and millions of babies they know will die relatively soon, instead of helping the hundreds of millions of people already here who are malnourished, while insisting they are truly concerned about children. All by being indignant about other peoples' sex, much of it imagined, false, ancient history, overblown, or arbitrary. "Most Holy Protectors of Children"–if only it were true.
I can show you what intellect looks like, but I can't make you think. -ChockNRock@Yahoo.Com
I have to wonder if the Lite version has an alert that you should considering moving if your search goes over the limit of 10 registered sex offenders in your area. Good place for a real estate ad.
Well believe it or not, actually it IS true, some people back when this whole sex offender registration was started, some people who NEVR did ANYTHING wrong at ALL, where offered a plea deal where they would only get sentenced to registration, once a year so the dishonest prosecutors could clse the books on a case.
There are people registered who NEVER broke ANY laws. The whole thing is a ripoff, a scam and an outright fraud as far as I'm concerned.
I have no use or sympathy for those who really would or dod harm any children, but the whole registry is a scam.
You know its a sad day when the American people by into fear and hysteria, the buy into the companies that promote it. I'm a father and I stay vigilant with my son, that's my job, not the state, the feds nor some company wanted to pay dividends to the stockholders. Oh and Jess, before posting you ought to do some research on the subject. I had the same mind set you did until I took the time to do my own research instead of letting Oprah or Dr. Phil do it for me. I had a friend who was subjected to sexual abuse and survived it and has moved on with her life. I'm not defending the ones who commit the crime, but am defending the founding principals of our country that all men are equal, and the words of the great man himself, to forgive is divine. Time to move onto better more productive things than tracking sex offenders. Really!
Sex offenders are certainly dangerous, but so are a lot of other people. At the end of the day, we have to admit that something's not right when the same people rant and rave about punishing these devils but demand fourth chances for other types of societal plagues. We are a nation of double standards.
rather than fiddle with this app, parents ought to spend time with their kids, and then they'll be able to shield them from offenders who have no criminal records (yet) who are the most dangerous there are.
People who want to shout their ignorance at the top of their lungs should confine their outbursts to Democratic town hall meetings.
Can we talk about something more relevant to this forum now? Like how Jim Cramer is basically taking on Paul Krugman on the economy, and using Apple as an example of how he's wrong.
See:
"He or she engages in sexual conduct with an animal or a dead human body."
DEAR GOD! Won't somebody think of the corpses?
I smell large amounts of fear mongering. How knowing where these people live is somehow going to protect you should they actually decide to commit a second offense is beyond me.
we wouldn't need this regestry if we just eliminated the murderers,rapist,child molesters and the rest of these monsters from society
and im not talking paying to keep them in jail
john norristown pennsylvania
I can see both sides of the issue and can I can agree that the public has a right to this information. But no person or company has the right to profit from this information. Think about it a minute, these companies are making a profit from some persons or childs' misery. The people buying this application are contributing to this monetarliy. Are all monies earned being donated to a victims oraganization for crimes of this sort? I'll bet not!
Ok, here’s the truth. ANYONE who defends child abusers in any way shape or form is guilty of something having to do with child abuse or enabling child abuse! PERIOD! Anyone who cares for children, A) would never abuse them in any way, whoever says that a child abuser does not repeat their crime has some serious serious SERIOUS issues with DENIAL! if your husband abused your daughter and he promised never to do it again, and you are still married to him you are an IDIOT! B) will educate the public, have respect for human life, children are not animals, they were not born by their own choice, it is our duty to protect them wether by downloading this app, forcing them to register wherever they go, or whatever means possible, anyone who tries to stop this is INSANE and is condoning child abuse. Its their fault, they got into this mess, let them deal with it.
Posted By Jess, East Bay, Northern California: August 10, 2009 5:41 PM
————————————
Listen here blowhard. Take your carte blanche statements and gain yourself an education. There are plenty of people who are listed as being an abuser due to extenuating circumstances. Probably convicted by narrow minded introvertes like yourself who wouldn't say boo to anyone in RL.
So there, I've defended abusers. I've in 'no way, shape or form' abused a child in my life. According to you though that's incorrect information.
People like you make the internet a bad thing and a dangerous weapon. You should be unplugged.
“The state must declare the child to be the most precious treasure of the people. As long as the
government is perceived as working for the benefit of the children, the people will happily endure
almost any curtailment of liberty and almost any deprivation”
–Adolph Hitler
Several studies suggest that making it harder for sex offenders to find a home or a job makes them more likely to reoffend. Gwenda Willis and Randolph Grace of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, for example, found that the lack of a place to live was “significantly related to sexual recidivism”. Candace Kruttschnitt and Christopher Uggen of the University of Minnesota and Kelly Shelton of the Minnesota Department of Corrections tracked 556 sex offenders on probation and found less recidivism among those with a history of stable employment.
A study of nearly 10,000 male sex offenders in 15 American states found that 5% were rearrested for a sex crime within three years. A meta-analysis of 29,000 sex offenders in Canada, Britain and America found that 24% had reoffended after 15 years.
Georgia Sex Offender Registration Review Board, an official body, assessed a sample of offenders on the registry last year and concluded that 65% of them posed little threat. Another 30% were potentially threatening, and 5% were clearly dangerous.
A report by Sarah Tofte of Human Rights Watch, a pressure group, found that at least five states required men to register if they were caught visiting prostitutes. At least 13 required it for urinating in public (in two of which, only if a child was present). No fewer than 29 states required registration for teenagers who had consensual sex with another teenager. And 32 states registered flashers and streakers.
Ok, here's the truth. ANYONE who defends child abusers in any way shape or form is guilty of something having to do with child abuse or enabling child abuse! PERIOD! Anyone who cares for children, A) would never abuse them in any way, whoever says that a child abuser does not repeat their crime has some serious serious SERIOUS issues with DENIAL! if your husband abused your daughter and he promised never to do it again, and you are still married to him you are an IDIOT! B) will educate the public, have respect for human life, children are not animals, they were not born by their own choice, it is our duty to protect them wether by downloading this app, forcing them to register wherever they go, or whatever means possible, anyone who tries to stop this is INSANE and is condoning child abuse. Its their fault, they got into this mess, let them deal with it.
Bill, read the Economist article that Paul Johnson referenced in his comment. Some states do in fact require streakers and flashers to register as sex offenders.
Joe McMorrow, wouldn't it make more sense to make sure that they get convicted properly in the first place instead of convicting them twice of the same crime?
PS. as Bill, from Ashevill NC has pointed out, in most states peeing in public is not an offense that requires registering for and i apologize for not looking in the right place for that information (yes, i'm liberal and i'm apologizing for a mistake…it's what a good person does)
Karen in Trenton: Be careful; when you criticize a poster's grammar or spelling, you invite close scrutiny of your own. (You misspelled "strong suit.")
Tattoo crimes across the faces of criminals and you wouldn't need the app. Then store security could watch marked shoplifters and parents could avoid sex offenders. I bet crime would go down.
I can't really see the benefit here. I mean on one hand it's good to know where registered sex offenders are living, but what about all the unregistered not yet caught? I can see people perhaps becoming more paranoid being provided with such information where ever they may be at the time. As more and more information of such nature is provided to the public on such accessible media as a phone, I can only take that with a grain of salt or skepticism. Besides, how can you be so sure if someone is a registered sex offender? What if someone wants to manipulate the personal data of another, for whatever reason? Be alert and aware, and don't always trust the information that is being fed to you!
To Tom of Fresno, the registry does not reduce sex crimes whatsoever.
http://www.oncefallen.com/registriesrevisited.html
New Jersey Study—“Megan’s Law: Assessing the Practical and Monetary Efficacy [30] ”
The first study making considerable headlines is the New Jersey study released to the public around the
first of February, 2009. This study failed to link Megan’s Law with reducing sex crime rates, as crime
trends were already on the decline when Megan’s Law took effect, and the decline could possibly be
attributed to other cultural trends. The study also failed to find any impact on reducing sex crimes among
convicted offenders or even first time offenders, nor in reducing the number of victims involved in sexual
offenses. Costs associated with the initial implementation as well as ongoing expenditures continue to
grow over time. Start up costs totaled $555,565 and current costs (in 2007) totaled approximately 3.9
million dollars for the responding counties. Given the lack of demonstrated effect of Megan’s Law on sexual offenses, the growing costs may not be justifiable.
It is interesting to note that Maureen Kanka was reported by reliable sources to have tried to have theresearch article suppressed [31], so it came as no surprise when she criticized the study and made the
claim Megan’s Law is not intended to change the behavior of sex criminals [32].
New York Study—“Does a Watched Pot Boil? A Time-Series Analysis of New York State’s Sex Offender
Registration and Notification Law [33]
Perhaps a more damning study was recently published by the American Psychological Association in
November 2008. In the introduction to the study, the researchers noted the media sensationalizes sex
crime stories in more fearful ways than any other crime types, and the myths that perpetuate the support
of such laws. It also noted a 2005 study that found out of 10 states, six reported no change in sex crime
rates, three reported decreases, and one reported a sharp increase [34].
The New York Study found no changes in the sex crime rates of either convicted sex offenders or first time
offenders before or after registry laws were passed in New York. Furthermore the study found 95.9% of
rape arrests and 94.1% of child molestation arrests were of first time offenders, meaning people not on
the registry [35]. The study concludes more resources should be used on prevention programs and not
to rely on this ineffective measure which may discourage reporting abuse among those the victim knows,
as well as giving people a false sense of security.
Perhaps they should.
But equating shoplifting with sexual attacks is an unsupportable stretch.
DUI though? You might have something there.
I believe the whole sex offender registration gives people a false feeling of security. It was a law conjured up by some political monkey who has political aspirations. I think that the money that is used to post the sex offender information on a state's website could be better served in other areas of law enforcement in the department of sex crimes. There needs to be a more realistic approach when dealing with the sex offender population. Otherwise why not post shoplifters on a website? How about those convicted of DWI? Why not then have a tracking device so that everyone in the world knows when a person with a DWI conviction is behind the wheel?
Wow! So many people who have no idea what the Sex Offender Register is.
Urinating in public, flashing tits at Mardi Gras, etc are not offenses that get you put on the Sex Offender Register.
As an example take a look at New York's requirements for listing offenders. http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/sortab1.htm
And if you think "Sexual Misconduct" is a minor offense, here's the definition of it (for New York): 130.20 A Misdemeanor sexual misconduct
§ 130.20 Sexual misconduct.
A person is guilty of sexual misconduct when:
1. He or she engages in sexual intercourse with another person without
such person's consent; or
2. He or she engages in oral sexual conduct or anal sexual conduct
with another person without such person's consent; or
3. He or she engages in sexual conduct with an animal or a dead human
body.
Sexual misconduct is a class A misdemeanor.
Just a suggestion. Find out something about a subject, before you go into attack mode.
You know what I love. The typical liberal moron who defends the rights of the child molesters. You can bet they don't live near any red or green marks or have to worry about their children getting molested. It's all a big wonderful case of NIMBY.
I known for a fact that a good number of sex offenders are "ok" people who made a mistake. There are though, a decent number who should not be free. I've met some of them and they are scary people. This application is about being informed. These people lost their privacy when they committed said act and still remain a danger. Will this lead to reprisal killings. Probably, but this is really what offenders need in most cases such that they will be encouraged to self-isolate to colonies.
Actually, peeing in public is gross indecency and public lewdness – not a sex offence. Who's the idiot now?
See The Economist story on sex laws to see why this is a really bad idea.
Chris Eagan, it is idiotic, but it's true. And no it didn't happen to me, but i've read news stories of such a thing happening. The sex offender registry isn't just for child molesters. If someone was committing sodomy in some states, because it is illegal, you would be classified as a sex offender if they wanted to. Read about a law before saying you support something because it's sensational.
Derek, aka Derek Logue, is a RSO himself. Of course he's going to oppose something like this.
http://www.wikisposure.com/Derek_Logue
Derek was convicted of 1st degree sexual assault of an 11 yr old girl. In typical pedophile fashion, he blames the victim (not to mention everyone else) for what happened and his continual need to be on the SOR.
I wonder how many of the others on here crying about this app are on a SOR somewhere?
This app merely gives access to data which is already freely available. To think that Megan's Law would ever be repealed is truly ludicrous and a pedophile's dream come true.
Travis: You make valid points — but go back to school and learn how to spell and punctuate properly. Grammar is not your strong suite.
First of all, this app is not giving the public access to information they can't get via their home computer.
Second, saying somehow that a person would do something different with information they get from their iphone vs. another person retrieving it via their home computer (or a printed piece of paper for that matter) seems to me a weak argument.
While it is true that placing folks on a sex offender registry is unfair or inappropriate for certain offenses, like urinating in public, it is also true that REAL sex offenders strike plea deals that reduce their convicted offense to something much less than their actual crime. Many more are never prosecuted or convicted – let alone registered. Child sex abusers, if not abated, are estimated by experts to have dozens (some estimate > 100!) of victims over the course of their evil lifetimes. Kids are safer armed with this information.
you all are idiots. . do some research. your going to kill a girl who flashed herself at mardi gras? because she is classified as a sex offender too. just because your a sex offender does not mean your are a pedophile. I support this package of locating a predator who is indeed a pedophile but not all sex offenders. I dont believe flashers, pissers in public, and consenual sex (statutory rape) should be on this list of dangerous people. all of us men could be sex offenders. we all have peed in public (which is a sex offense). do your research before you go talking of killing pedophiles. . . in some states talking of killing can get you arrested and then you will be in the same jails as some of these people.
After reading through the posts on this site, I'm amazed at my ability to still be amazed at the number of dim-witted people there are in this world….
Dangerous false sense of security. This app and the databases only tell you of convicted offenders, not new ones.
If you want to protect your kids WATCH THEM until they are old enough to understand how to stay safe then TEACH them how.
Also public urination should NOT be classified as a sex offense. I just know some bone head drunk vigilante is going to murder someone on these lists because he had to take a leak in the park.
Michelle from Denver, your example is idiotic. Provide more details why you got arrested or your relative. Many of my friends just bought the application too and they are not planning to stalk the stalkers just avoiding them.
I'm really shocked that this app is so popular. Any parents who are actually using this app for "piece of mind" are absolute morons. There could be plenty of non-registered sex offenders in your area. There could also be tons of people who have committed very serious crimes, or are just more dangerous in general living near you. Even if your next door neighbor showed up on this app, what's to say they weren't caught streaking in college or having sex on a private beach, who's to say they are any kind of threat at all? If they committed a very serious sex crime that you should worry about, don't you think they'd still be in jail for it?
It's an absolutely moronic app, I hope it gets de-listed again or people get sick of it and it stops selling so well.
These people do have rights, no matter how distasteful their previous conduct may have been. If you have any respect for the laws and the constitution of this country you will let people alone who have paid the prescribed penalty for their crimes.
If you think they should never be released from prison then try to get the laws changed.
vigilantism is unconstitutional.
wow have to say CSsucks is not that bright regarding this topic.
The timing of this application is prefect. I am not saying that sex offenders are good or bad people, however I suggest you read this article before passing judgement and think if the 17year old was your kid ….
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14164614
Not everything is black and white
The only people who would object to this are sex offenders themselves.
Congratulations to the developers of this app!!! I am going to buy it right now to show my support!
Some of you people think that sex-offender automatically means that they molested children. Well, it doesn't. It means you committed a crime which has anything to do with sexually. Including peeing in the bushes off the trail because you had to go so bad and someone saw you.
This law is beyond stupid, and is double jeopardy. The justice system isn't a revenge system, it's supposed to be designed for rehabilitation. When you put up people's details about what crimes they've done, that makes it impossible, and in fact raises the chance of them committing the crime again because they can't make a life for themselves.
Well, I am assuming that from the percentile that said they didn't have the right to know, that group does NOT have children. Once you have molested a child, you have NO rights ever again. If I had my way, you would be killed. There is NO lower person than one that takes advantage of a child and anyone that thinks that person has rights can come to my house and we can personally discuss. Pathetic really the society we live in these days that actually in ANYWAY shape or form defends a child sex offender.
Before the existence of this app, Megan's Law was not unusual punishment. It is not unusual for the government to keep records on criminals and to make those records available upon request.
What makes Megan's Law unusual in this case is the existence of a means to readily access that information without seeking out the government to obtain it. If a bunch of people holding weapons walked into a county courthouse and asked to see the sex offender list, they would probably be arrested.
When you make the information readily available at the push of a button with no interaction with the government in order to obtain it… then it becomes unusual.
There isn't a "Fraud" registry. No handy app exists to point out where the perpetrators of the economic meltdown reside…
No, this is by its nature an "unusual" punishment in that it is inequitably placed upon only one specific type of offense.
The people who wrote the app went to far. The law was not unusual. It is now. It will be struck down because it is now.
Why should sex offenders have any kind of anonymity but, law abiding citizens who pass training and background checks to receive a concealed handgun permit are put on a list so that other can know who they are? Just another example of how criminals have more rights than we do. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime!
When (in the fullness of time) this goes to court, the courts will find Megan's Law violates the 8th Amendment.
It didn't before… but the funny thing about "unusual punishment" is that the definition of unusual varies over time.
While this information is popular, it iw worth thinkning about how the information got there. http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14165460
Derek from Ohio,
You have GOT to be kidding me. There's a site for sex offenders who live in fear called oncefallen! Once fallen?!?! Let's put this in perspective. A grown man irrevocably destroys a child's innocence by raping them and then finds some sort of solace in a site who's very name says they've only fallen down. NO, you did not fall down. You could have done a lot of things that qualify as falling down (drinking, drugs, car wreck, bankruptcy, actually falling down) but no, you had to go sub-human, to destroy that which is not yours. And now there's an iPhone app that helps good people avoid you and bad people find you. Oncefallen my arse.
Many abusers were themselves abused. It's not an excuse, but it is a reason.
Sickness needs to be treated, but before it can be treated it needs to be recognized as a sickness.
Grow up, people.
You should read The Economist on what constitutes a 'sex offender'. Consensual under-age sex, for example. A mother who didn't stop her child from having sex with the child's same-age boyfriend. Kids who exchanged semi-naked pictures of themselves years ago. People who engaged in sexual activity that used to be illegal in some states, and no longer is. The registry is a mockery – the truly dangerous are a tiny proportion of it, yet everyone on it lives the rest of their lives in fear and stigmatized.
I worry that we are becoming an immoral society. Telling people that they have "served their time" and then continuing to punish them for the rest of their lives is the epitome of civil rights violations. I strongly agree with Tom's comment that we do very little to evaluate those who commit these crimes to evaluate why they did it and whether or not they pose a future risk. Letting someone run loose who has a severe psychopathology is insane. But it is equally insane to permanently ruin the life of someone who committed a minor crime that fell under this label.
The recidivism rate for sex offenders is less than 3%, on par with murder. Approximately 75% of those who commit armed robbery or battery will offend again. (1993 DOJ study) Why do we have a registry for sex offenders and not murderers and armed robbers? Also studies have estimated that less than 5% of those on sex registries pose any danger to the public. The vast majority of others are there due to such things as consensual underage sex with a girlfriend, public urination, streaking or visiting a prostitute.
No doubt the real reason CA objected is because some of people on the list are state employees. We Californians like to coddle our criminals, and 'work them back into the system." Which often means "let's put them on the state payroll!" You'll no doubt find a few state legislators, college and high school teachers, etc., on the list, too. But there's nothing "creepy" or "sad" about that, is there?
I don't want to defend anyone that targets children in this matter. But someone here mentioned that if you get caught urinating in public you could become a sex offender. This is true. I was at a Detroit Redwings Game and had to go to the bathroom real bad, was in an alley in Greektown well away from the street and hidden when a cop pulled up behind me in the alley. Gave me a ticket for "urinating in public". I had to go to court and the judge eventually threw it out. But had I not gone to court and accepted the ticket and payed the fine I would have ended up on the sex offenders list. Lists can be decieving.
The Economist this week happens to have an article about America's sex-offender laws. Several great points:
Estimates are that over 80% of sex offenses are never reported, much less reported and then criminals convicted. So sex-offender lists give parents a false sense of safety.
Over 674,000 Americans are on sex-offer lists, "…party because in several states registration is for life and partly because registries are not confined to the sort of murderer who ensnared Megan Kanka…at least five states require registration for people who visit prostitutes, 29 require it for consensual sex between young teenagers and 32 require it for indecent exposure."
Another quote: "How dangerous are the people on the registries? A state review of one sample in Georgia found that two-thirds of them posed little risk. For example, Janet Allison was found guilty of being 'party to the crime of child molestation' because she let her 15-year-old daughter have sex with a boyfriend. The young couple later married. But Ms. Allison will spend the rest of her life publicly branded as a sex offender."
One more: "…harsh laws often do little to protect the innocent. The police complain that having so many petty sex offenders on registries makes it hard to keep track of the truly dangerous ones."
Take a look at the actual laws in your state before making a decision about this. Especially given that there are people who hunt these offenders and assault or even kill them. Plus the incredible difficulty they have in getting jobs and keeping them. At minimum, states should list only offenders who are genuine threats to society.
Sam, I'm 47 and have never urinated on the sidewalk.
Sounds like we have a few "ofenders" on here trying to trivialize or skew the offenses so they don't sound as ugly as "sodimizing a young girl and hacking her arms off".
Greg, do you think a person who urinates on a dumpster is a sex offender who should be required to register for life (13 states)?
Sex offenders, ESPECIALLY against children do not deserve any compassion (and that putting it as softly as I can). EVEN IF it were a "one time offense". If someone sexually molested one of my children, jail time would be the VERY LEAST of thier worries. Even more SICKEING is family or parents that protect or take in thier molester offspring. The parents should be jailed or "on the list" if they don't publicly denounce the offenses.
This whole topic make me sick to think animals like that are EVERE allowed to wander free again. Does anyone REALLY think these criminals will accurately report thier location?!?!?!
Wow Greg, the article makes no reference to any political connection or distinction of liberalism vs. conservatism and yet you jump to a wild conclusion. You are everything that is wrong with the country right now…divisive, uninformed, and ignorant. Bravo on your tri-fecta.
I think they should have a "has a lot of guns" locator.
Or a "right wingnut" locator.
Or a "beats his wife" locator.
Actually, they all sound like the same thing….
Derek from Cincinnati
I wonder if they commit slightly fewer crimes because of the registry!! Kind of seems obvious.
As far as I'm concerned sex criminals shouldn't even be out of jail. one strike and you're out.
A part of being a sex offender is registering and having your information known to those who want to look it up. If you want to keep your information private, do not commit the crime. Leave it to liberals to want to risk the safety of the general population in order to protect the rights of criminals.
This app (and most of the debate) misses the critical flaw in our system: we punish sex offenders with jail time, without putting them through psychiatric evaluation to determine which are likely to offend again. Until we separate the real predators from the one-time offenders, these registries punish everyone – and protect no-one.
Stephen Marshall, the man who murdered two registrants in Maine, used a wireless service to locate his victims and plot their brutal murders. A registrant holding his baby son is shot to death. Over 200 registrants shot to death. Forty percent of registrants and an equal number of family members have experienced vigilante violence as a result of over-saturation of the public registry coupled with abuse of the information contained within. The truth is, such information should be regulated, as these stories consistently show the public abuses the information rather than use the info wisely. These apps do not educate the public as to the truth about *ex offenders. FACT: most *ex crimes are committed by someone NOT on the list and most often by someone the victim knows. FACT: Most registrants never re-offend IN SPITE of the law. If you want more truth, go to http://www.oncefallen.com
In addition, please educate yourselfs on how latitude and longitude can exist worldwide? How does the public forum and location techniques of google-earth give you those measurements. Do you really thing these items are not available? 4th amendments – freedom of information act – stop it – lets all move into a day and age where the preditors will know that we CAN find them! Every parent, regardless of privacy concerns or not, should agree – when its your child you would care – please care before it is your child!