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How do you know if a sex offender lives nearby?

Submitted by WWAY on Mon, 12/22/2008 - 6:21pm.READ MORE: How do you know if a sex offender lives nearby?
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As parents, we try to do everything we can to keep our kids safe. But how do we know if someone dangerous is living down the street? You can search for registered sex offenders, online and now you can sign up to be notified by phone as well. One woman is glad she signed up. She found out her family shares a wall with a sex offender. Nora Benbow of Wilmington said, “We had no clue." Nora's sister and her kids have been living in a Sumter Drive duplex for years. They have gotten to know the man living next door. “He comes over sometimes and talks with the family and mom and the kids and he's just a good guy,” she said. She just found out the nice man next door is a registered sex offender. "I didn't really have a problem with the kids going over there and visiting him. But now, it'll be a little different," said Benbow. The North Carolina Sex Offender Registry shows more than 500 sex offenders are living in New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick, Columbus and Bladen counties. So how do you find out if one lives in your neighborhood? New laws require sex offenders to notify police within three days of changing their address, and a new government program lets you sign up to receive a phone call when a sex offender moves into your area. Simply call 877-627-2826 and follow the instructions. You will have to provide your phone number and zip code. You can also search for convicted sex offenders in your area online. One website you can visit is ncfindoffender.com. Click 'Search the Registry', type in your address, and click 'Find Address'. A map will pop up with markers indicating exactly where the offenders live. You can click on any of the markers for detailed information on each offender. If you are looking for a specific offender, you can search that way as well. The site also lets you sign up for e-mail alerts. Between online searching capabilities, and e-mail and telephone alerts, you can stay informed to keep your family safe. If you find yourself in close proximity to an offender, what steps can you take to protect your children? News Channel 3 will have that story tomorrow.

Disclaimer: Comments posted on this, or any story are opinions of those people posting them, and not the views or opinions of WWAY NewsChannel 3, its management or employees. You can view our comment policy here.

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I was a worrier mother of

Submitted by Shekinah Jaira (not verified) on Fri, 11/16/2012 - 6:19pm.

I was a worrier mother of two kids. When I got married, we bought a house on a place where at first I didn't know, sex offenders are very rampant. So one day, while browsing on the internet, I found out a safety service for kids that has to be installed on phone. I reviewed their features and I find it interesting. I have this for 8 months now and we feel great and completely safe. when an emergency arises, my kids will just have to press the Panic button on their phone and they will get help from their loved ones immediately. It has a complete view of threat level and sex offenders on the area you are located. You can also their site for more information http://SafekidZone.com

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What Changed?

Submitted by TheRealDeal (not verified) on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 5:28pm.
“He comes over sometimes and talks with the family and mom and the kids and he's just a good guy,” she said. She just found out the nice man next door is a registered sex offender. "I didn't really have a problem with the kids going over there and visiting him. But now, it'll be a little different," said Benbow. What changed? Is he suddenly NOT a nice guy? If he was a murderer would he be a nice guy? They would never know. The murderer served his time and the sex offender lives in fear and shame for the rest of his life.
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This is sad

Submitted by Guest123456 (not verified) on Tue, 12/23/2008 - 8:51am.
I'm going to repost a comment made last week on a similar story: While this service may give some people peace of mind at the convenience of seeing where sex offenders live, the whole sex offender registry needs to be completely revamped. I work with the underpriviledged, and I see a huge downfall to this system from the other side. When a young man, say 18 years old, has a girlfriend who is, say 15 years old, and the two engage in consensual sex because they "love" each other, this is considered statutory rape. Now, I'm sorry, this is NOT a crime to me. This is not a case of a 40-year-old man kidnapping and raping a 12-year-old child; that's heinous. However, the two will be viewed as equals, slapped with the same exact label for the rest of their lives. The 18-year-old will never be able to move anywhere in the country without people thinking he's a pervert. He'll never get a decent job, or adopt children, or be able to go to a public park with his own kids, and all because the mother of the 15-year-old didn't like that her daughter was having sex with her boyfriend. I mean come on, 3 years difference? What's disgusting is 70-year-old men having trophy girlfriends who are 27 years old. That's a crime. Call me crazy, but there needs to be a distinction between the heinous crimes and the "technicalities" of sex crimes. It is unnecessary to punish someone for the rest of their lives in a case like this, a case which happens more often than people might realize.
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Maybe instead of a

Submitted by Guest What? (not verified) on Wed, 12/24/2008 - 8:46am.
Maybe instead of a distinction, maybe 18 year olds should learn to leave the underage girls alone if they don't want the stigma for the rest of their lives. Maybe they should find girlfriends their own age.
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sex ofenders

Submitted by bystander (not verified) on Wed, 09/23/2009 - 11:06pm.
I believe both murderers and sex offenders should be tracked. Now to a degree there should be a difference the 18 year old dating the 15 year old. With consentual sex he or she should be repremanded then if he/she doesnt follow suit then branded. There is a reason why they are called minors. It is wrong for malicious parents to have a young unknowing youth locked up and branded for life. But at that age if it is decided unacceptable by the parent it should be acknowledged by that teenager female or male. A parents child may still pursue that individual but it is up to the person who is asked to no longer date or have sexual relations with this young individual to no longer consent. The maturity is not always there at that age for either party. When pregnancy results and parents are responsible for the caring of their children and their childrens new babies. Whos there to care rarely the parent of the other child to lend their full supporting hand. It is looked at whether it is true or not a form of seduction becuase at the older age you should have gained a little more knowledge of right and wrong. Lastly i dont know many 15 year olds or and even 18 year olds that truely understand sex and love together outside of laying down to feed a urge that feels good. Real understanding of the act comes later, thats why it was suggested to be carried out by married couples or committed relationships because sex carries more than a act alot of emotions and baggage from a persons psyche as well!!!
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