Meeting on sex offenders goes beyond the sterotypes

BY ELAINE WILSON, Anacortes American staff writer

Before a Level III sex offender moved into the Dewey Beach area about a year ago, kids rode their bikes to Harold's Corner Market or played in the neighborhood without fear.

Now, they travel in groups and carry cell phones wherever they go.

"It takes away from their freedom, their sense of safety," said parent Heather Brennan. "They call home if they're at the beach or with friends."

But, like other parents, Brennan left a Thursay night meeting with an appreciation of laws that allow law enforcement to inform the public of the presence of a sex offender.

About 100 concerned parents and community members attended a sex offender informational meeting at Fidalgo Elementary School. A panel of nine representatives of law enforcement agencies, mental health services and victims' advocacy groups presented information about sex offenders and public notification laws.

"I'm really grateful they took the time to do this," said parent Erin Rieger. "They did their homework. It was very real. They didn't sugarcoat it."

"I wish they would do more of these, because the whole town needs to know," Brennan added.

Detective Teresa Luvera of the Skagit County Sheriff's Office led the meeting. She explained that public notification laws were passed after two children were abducted by a sex offender who lived in their neighborhood. The parents convinced lawmakers that they would have been able to protect the children if they had known of the man's presence.

Luvera said it is crucial to respect the rights of offenders who have served their sentences. Every time one is harassed, the notification laws are put at risk.

"Registration is not a punishment. These people are not being tried again. We are just being informative," she said. "These laws are being challenged all the time."

According to the sheriff's Web site at www.skagit- county.net, four registered Level III sex offenders live in Anacortes. Detective Terry Esskew said that Level III is reserved for offenders who are considered predatory and likely to reoffend. Their crimes typically involved very young or mentally vulnerable victims, grooming of victims or violence. For many, counseling has failed. Homeless offenders are considered high risk and automatically designated as Level III, he said.

Photos and information about Level III offenders are posted on the Web site and distributed to the media. Only schools, day cares and immediate neighbors are typically informed when a Level II offender moves into an area, and much less information about them is provided.

"We are giving you all the information we can, under the law," Luvera said.

The panelists said that known sex offenders are only a piece of the problem. They emphasized that only about 2 percent of sexual assaults involve strangers. The vast majority of crimes are committed by persons who are known and trusted, such as family members, friends, neighbors or babysitters.

Prosecuting attorney Robin Webb-Lakey said it is important to listen to children. She said that after being assaulted they may only say something vague, such as "He was mean to me" or "He hurt me."

"They may believe that they told you and you didn't listen," she said.

People often doubt a child's story of abuse, but the panelists said kids typically don't make up this sort of story. Adding to the problem is the fact that the abuser is usually well-liked and believable.

"Most people wouldn't have any idea that they have a deviant part of their personality," Webb-Lakey said.

Karen Andrews of Skagit Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Service said it can be hard for a woman to accept the hard fact that her partner is an abuser.

"She can't believe it because this is a person that's a soccer coach, that goes to church with her each week," she said. "We've got to stop just looking at the recognized bad guys in the community and start looking at each other and ourselves."

Charlie Wend of the Department of Corrections said that people need to think beyond known offenders.

"We are talking about the people who have been caught. There are lots of people who haven't been caught. The risk is far greater than that one individual. The fact is, we don't know them all," he said.

Luvera said vigilance is important, because sex offenders may be familiar faces -- working at convenience stores or fixing your car. She said one man who was known as "Little Mountain Rapist" is now a furnace repairman.

"They could be sitting next to you in church. They come in all different ages, all different genders, all different ethnicity," Luvera said.

Because children meet so many people, Luvera said they can be confused by the concept of "stranger." Her family has expanded the meaning:

"In our house, the definition of 'stranger' is someone who hasn't been invited to our house for dinner," she said.

Posted April 9, 2003

Anacortes American