Notification of the presence of a sex offender increases eyes and ears in the community.
Editor’s note: The following is the third of four columns submitted by the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

You have just been notified that there is a convicted sex offender living in your neighborhood. Why? What does it mean?

First, you were notified because of the community notification part of Maine’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. This law allows police departments to notify communities when a convicted sex offender has been released from prison or jail and has moved into that neighborhood. The major purpose of the law is to alert people so that they might enhance the safety of the children.

The movement to allow community notification started in Washington State after a series of violent sex crimes occurred in 1987 and 1989 involving the abduction, rape and murder of young children and an adult woman by offenders with long criminal records of sex offenses.

In 1989, a police chief in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., did the first community notification after he learned of the release of a sex offender that had documented plans to molest children when he got out of prison. Public interest sparked the governor of that state to form a task force and, in 1990, the Legislature created new laws requiring sex offenders to register their address with the state and to be subject to possible civil commitment. The law also allowed for notification of the community when a convicted sex offender moved nearby.

In 1994, the U.S. Congress enacted the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sex Offender Registration Act. Named after the 1989 abduction of 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling of St. Joseph, Minn.

The act mandated that each state create a sex offender registry and authorized discretionary community notification.

In 1996, President Clinton signed the Megan’s Law Amendment that changed notification from “discretionary” to required. Megan’s Law was a response to the 1994 rape and murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka of Hamilton, N.J., by a convicted sex offender.

To comply with federal law, Maine passed its own laws authorizing the State Bureau of Identification to maintain a registry of sex offenders. Maine’s law has undergone several changes since 1992, the most recent making registration retroactive to crimes convicted in 1992.

Maine’s registration and notification process is similar to that of other states.

Upon conviction of a sex offense, an offender is notified that they must register once a year for 10 years for a sex offender, and every 90 days for life for a sexually violent offender.

Classification as a sex offender or a sexually violent offender is determined by statute. If the victim is under the age of 14, or the offender has a prior conviction for a sex offense, the offender can be classified as a sexually violent offender, whether the crime involved actual physical force, kidnapping or physical harm to the victim.

Prior to releasing an offender from prison, the Department of Corrections conducts a risk assessment, called a Static 99. The Static 99 results and other pertinent information is given to the police department of the community where the offender will reside. The police notify the community according to their notification policy. This could include notifying local residents, schools, public departments, etc., through media, newspapers, door to door, postings in the neighborhood or community meetings.

The goal of community notification is to ensure that the public has access to information they need to protect themselves and their families from sex offenders who reside in their community. Notification also enhances the ability for probation and police to monitor offenders by having more pairs of eyes and ears in the community. It is not meant to foster harassment of the offender. A probation officer will be monitoring the offender, and will be working with the offender to help him or her lead a healthy, productive life.

If you learn that a convicted sex offender has moved to your community, become more vigilant. Talk to your children about ways to protect themselves from sexual abuse (from that person and others). Insist they stay away from the sex offender and tell you immediately if they are approached by him or her.

Increase your awareness of your environment, and contact the local police if you have any concerns about the behavior of the offender.

Concerns about a particular offender or questions regarding community notification can be addressed by contacting the local police department, the State Bureau of Identification or the local probation office. For information to help you teach your child about sexual abuse, contact the Sexual Assault Crisis Center.

Mike Simoneau is a sex offender specialist with the Maine Department of Corrections. The SACC 24-hour hotline is 1-800-871-7741.