Location: NC, USA
We just learned a registered offender lives two doors down. This person does not own the home, but does have their registered address as this house.
No one in our neighborhood was made aware this person moved in, and three small children live within 2 houses on all sides.
My question is, we have a mailbox cluster at the top of the neighborhood. Can I LEGALLY print out the listing and definition of the crime per NC Statute (14-27.33 if you’re curious) and tape it to the mailbox cluster? There are tons of kids here and parents that are not comfortable with the idea of an offender getting to operate freely under the guise we do not know who they are.
If this is crazy illegal, no problem, just wanted to know. Advice appreciated, TIA!
Comments
You can’t legal put it on the cluster box but you could hang it on telephone poles or something. You could post it on the local Facebook page too.
What is the offense? Look it up and see what you can find. NC has a public database to encourage sharing and reviewing information. You would likely be OK.
I ask about the offense because my neighbor is a sex offender and is also an officer in the military. I thought it was an error and asked her about it, but she admitted it was her. She was in college and was caught skinny dipping. There were no people around and only a cop looking for teenagers out drinking at night.
You cannot tape it to a postal box, regardless of content.
If you distribute solely factual information you aren’t breaking the law. You should refrain from adding your own commentary to that as that could cross the line into defamation.
What do kids have to do with it was this a child sex crime?
If you want to pressure the guy to move away, I’d recommend sending an open records request to the police department for the arrest report which shows the details of what happened.
Just saying “sex offender” or citing a statute often is not as compelling as showing people exactly what the guy did
Most definitely first step is to find out how your neighbor is a “sex offender.” If your neighbor was not required by the courts or police to introduce himself to neighbors and tell his crimes to each of them, it most likely has nothing to do with a sex crime. Unfortunately, shows about child sex-offenders have greatly over-publicized a small minority of people with this criminal charge, much like the press coverage about Michael Vick has made pitbulls into “demon-dogs.”
This charge has been highly over-used and abused over the years – things that people do as youthful adventures (such as skinny-dipping, peeing in public outside, streaking on a college campus or during a sports event, having sexual relations in a car with their partner, etc.) are charged as “sex crimes” and earn them the title of “sex offender” for the rest of their lives.
There is a chance your neighbor’s crime had nothing to do with sex – exposing them as a “sex offender” just makes you look like an ass if that is the case.
Find out what their crime was, then be brave enough to ask your neighbor about it for the facts before “outing” them for no reason. Even if it was a sex act, it may have been many years ago with a consenting partner of age.
Get the knowledge, then decide what the best course of action is.
Good Luck!
This person cannot be the only one in your vicinity, check the sex offenders registry, you will be shocked!
Tbh hearing it was on the list for a minor. I’d be telling everyone. Probably by going to tell everyone in the neighborhood with kids, knocking on their door kinda thing. Just to keep an eye out. There’s enough repeat offenders to let them know they should be careful.