Many sex offenders never make it to Maryland?s online registry. That registry contains the names, addresses and photos of 4,366 convicted offenders in the state. You can look up offenders by ZIP code to see if any live in your neighborhood. (www.dpscs.state.md.us/onlineservs/sor/)
It?s a useful way to help protect you and your family from potential predators.
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But as The Examiner?s Kelsey Volkmann reported Saturday, many child sex abuse cases are plea-bargained to lesser charges that ultimately let perpetrators avoid having to add their names to the list.
Steven Chamberlain, the 50-year-old former CEO of Lanham-based Integral Systems Inc., is a case in point. He faced felony charges for repeatedly molesting a 14-year-old girl that could have put him in prison for 25 years and required him to register as an offender. Following a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.
In those cases, judges decide whether each offender?s name should be included. Chamberlain?s name won?t make it to the list.
We think if Chamberlain moved to your neighborhood, you would want to be notified of what he had done, especially if you had teenage daughters.
Numerous studies show that the number of sex offenders who repeat their crimes varies widely by type of offense. Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows that sex offenders are less likely than other types of criminals to be rearrested for any charge ? 43 percent of sex offenders versus 68 percent of others.
But those statistics do not mean the community should not know which offenders are living in the neighborhood. Timing can be critical.
The same statistics show that of sex offenders who allegedly commit another sex crime, 40 percent do it within less than a year of leaving prison. Offenders should have a chance to rebuild their lives after they have served their time.
But you should have the tools to keep your family safe. The General Assembly must pass a law to make registering as a sex offender part of the sentence of every sex offender, regardless of whether it?s a felony or a misdemeanor.
The General Assembly must also pass Jessica?s Law. That law would increase penalties for convicted offenders who do not keep their addresses current, and make it a crime for them to enter schools without permission.
Keeping Maryland?s children safe should not be a partisan issue. And the registry should not be part of the plea-bargaining process.
