Sex offenders in Yakima County not checking in with police
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YAKIMA, Wash. -- You might think police keep track of every sex offender in your neighborhood, but it's not as simple as you think. The KIMA Crime Tracker learned more sex offenders here in Yakima County aren't where they say they are. Their called non-compliant sex offenders.
"As a dad with two little girls, it's a huge fear," said dad Chris Romero.
Chris' fear lies in the unknown. Because while the names and pictures are posted to the sheriff's office website, these 11 are considered non-compliant. That's nearly double the number from just a year ago.
These sex offenders aren't checking in with the Yakima County Sheriff's Office like they're supposed to. Two of them have active warrants for their arrest.
"Something needs to be done," said Chris.
But, deputies say not much can be done. There aren't enough resources to actively search for sex offenders. In fact, detectives want your help spotting and reporting those non-compliant.
"There's less accountability and that puts more responsibility on the parents," said wife and mom Cara Romero.
Cara says she'll gladly accept that added responsibility. Anything to keep their kiddos happy, fed and protected.
The Sheriffs office says sex offenders have three days to give notice of any move or change of address. Offenders who are homeless must check in once a week listing where they slept each night. In they don't or fail to register -- they are non-compliant.
"As a dad with two little girls, it's a huge fear," said dad Chris Romero.
Chris' fear lies in the unknown. Because while the names and pictures are posted to the sheriff's office website, these 11 are considered non-compliant. That's nearly double the number from just a year ago.
These sex offenders aren't checking in with the Yakima County Sheriff's Office like they're supposed to. Two of them have active warrants for their arrest.
"Something needs to be done," said Chris.
But, deputies say not much can be done. There aren't enough resources to actively search for sex offenders. In fact, detectives want your help spotting and reporting those non-compliant.
"There's less accountability and that puts more responsibility on the parents," said wife and mom Cara Romero.
Cara says she'll gladly accept that added responsibility. Anything to keep their kiddos happy, fed and protected.
The Sheriffs office says sex offenders have three days to give notice of any move or change of address. Offenders who are homeless must check in once a week listing where they slept each night. In they don't or fail to register -- they are non-compliant.
yes,there are more scum bags not registered than are . that doesn't mean we shouldn't know when a convicted sex offender moves into our area. yes you should always be aware of any abuse and do your best to prevent it. sex offences are horrific , life long damage is done even if you can't see it. don't let sicko's like rudy fool you . we have a obligation to protect children , and awarness of those who have proven they will sexually abuse children is a good start. if they feel it violates some right they think they have , good. they have given up their rights for life. be realistic, who even remembers all the notices they get? Â i save mine to the family board so the kids can be aware of them, they treat all strangers as dangerous, but if they recognize one of the "board" people, they know to call the police even if the person is only saying hello. these pieces of trash want to pretend they have paid for their crime , they don't understand that they will pay forever. forgivness is divine, forgetting is stupid. sex offenders will have to learn to live with the stigmata of their actions. if it hurts , good. it should. always . just like their victims will always be damaged .
@S DÂ What is the police to do when a person says, hello? Â Warn them not to say, hello? Â Are you insane? Â Are you irrational? Â You are all for that sex offender registry till one of your little golden children end up in a compromising position and THEN you will protect that child from the registry. Â You will minimize, you will excuse and you will deny! Â It is OBVIOUS!Â
It is amazing how you want it to "hurt" for a registered sex offender who very well may have sexual mental health issues and who gets to run free in society because society is to lazy to follow any processes to curb his danger. Â Do you want it to hurt so bad that they will lash out at some innocent kid? Â Do you know ANYTHING about human behavior?
No, you don't. Â You're just an arm-chair psychologist who doesn't concern themselves with the truth, safety of kids, or probably what is really going on in your own household. Â Â
My two sons are teenagers and can take care of themselves so I'm not worried about sex offenders. Why don't they ever notify us when drug dealers, gang members, drunk drivers and wife beater's move into the neighborhood?
I believe that when more and more offenses, many misdemeanors, no-contact, non-violent, and consensual though illegal, kept being added to the registry, and when more and more restrictions and limitations continued being placed on registrants that impede rather than facilitate rehabilitation, quite a few experts warned that what is happening now would happen. No one listened. The same experts and studies and evidence are still speaking, pointing out that the public registry and restrictions that interfere with re-integration do not contribute to public safety. Is anyone listening?
It is amazing to me that many children go to school everyday coming from houses that they get neglected, not properly fed or clothed with a violent dysfunction behind those closed doors that evreything is done to hide that dysfuntion. Â Kids in school are bullied, assaulted and many many of them get a substandard eduction. Â
BUT there is a sex offender registry. Â The legislature came up with it. Â It lets the community point fingers at THOSE people, while keeping the fingers away from pointing in their direction. Â
Many parents will do ANYTHING to protect their kids.  Many don't care and let their kids run free, or neglect them  but NEVER admit they don't protect or love their children.  Many will NEVER allow the State to put their own children on a sex offender registry when they act out sexually.  They know the consequences of getting their child help.
There are lots of daily dangers children face. Â From drugs in schools to their own parents beating the pulp out of their own children. Â Those dangers are much more prevelent than any danger from any sex offender on any list. Â
BUT when society focuses on a particular group it diffuses away from the real problem occuring in society. Â Children are still neglected and even with a sex offender registry children are still molested (at the same rate as before the registry). Â
BUT you have someone to blame for societies ills AND you have a list to focus that blame AND that focus allows other real problems to be ignored.
It is a RIGHT to leave the sex offender registry. Â It does NOTHING to protect the community and is ONLY used to destroy offenders' lives. Â It is applied to whomever the legislature wants. Â It needs no proof of protection of the community and gives the illusion that all the parents really do care about kids. Â
TODAY it is highly doubtful  a child will be molested by a person on the sex offender registry.  There will be 100's of kids in your community going to school ill fed, ill clothed and physically and mentally abused by their own parents.  BUT that elephant of the sex offender registry will give the illusion something is being done to protect kids. Â
No DUE PROCESS, Ex-post facto, a double punishment that does nothing to protect kids and you all think you are doing something to protect kids. Â The State knows, generally WHO is a real risk on a registry. Â The ONLY thing the State does is to tell you they are dangerous. Â They do NOTHING ELSE. Â Why?
Because that would require DUE PROCESS under a standard of proof in a court of law. Â That would take the politics out of the sex offender registry. Â That would take away the illusion something is being done to actually doing something. Â
So, keep pointing fingers with the illusion something is being done to protect kids. Â The dysfunction of many home lives continue with the outcome of a violent, prison driven society. Â But don't ask me to follow a sex offender registry. Â I won't. Â I will not be some political sacrifice to the FEELING something is being done. Â Â
TODAY someone will be murdered (dozen of them in fact, throughout the whole country). Â 10's of thousands of kids will be mentally and physically abused by those that are supposed to protect them. Â Kids will lose hope and trust in your system by the boat-load TODAY! Â
You have the sex offender registry and it makes you feel better.  You all hide your head in  the sand to reality and it should bring a sickening feeling to your stomach.  What can be done?  Nothing.  You don't care about kids.  How can something get done?
@Rudy101 we've been through this before . you're a registered sex offender , of course you are against it. your rambling angry posts are ridiculas based soley on the opinions of a child molester. no actual facts  . here is a fact . there is no known cure for pedophilia , so as a parent , its important we keep aware of people like you.
@S DÂ I am not a registered sex offender! Â Where do you get your facts about me? Â I know! Â You made them up out of thin air based upon my writings. Â Do you think that is wise? Â Do you think, with a million possibilities you guessed correctly about me? Â Do you think who I am is relevent? Â It isn't. Â The FACT is, the registry is illegally applied. Â You can't get away from that and is the SOLE reason I can get away with laughing at your registry. Â
@S D, I don't know Rudy, but I must chime in here. I am not a registered sex offender, and there is no one in my family who is. I do, however, know a great many registrants. You infer that the term 'pedophilia' applies to Rudy, yet you have no clue at all why Rudy is/was on the registry. Most on the registry are not pedophiles. Pedophilia is not an offense; it is not a crime. It is a medical and psychological condition. Many who sexually molest children are not pedophiles, and many who have pedophilia have never inappropriately touched a child and never will. They are perfectly able to control their urges just like many people control urges they have. There was a time when those with those urges could get help without fear of being reported to the police even though they had never committed a crime.
And just as not everyone who molests children is a pedophile, not everyone on the registry was involved with a child in any way.Â
As a parent, what is important is that you pay more attention to where the greater risk of sexual harm to your children lies, and that is not from someone who has already committed an offense and been punished for it. It is from those in your family and your life who you trust around your children.
Blessings to you and your family.
I still say the government should go hundreds of miles from the nearest land and find a deserted island , take every person found guilty of every sex crime , and leave them there with each other for company....and Do-Not feed them , let them find their own way.......
@CarolAnn They tried that it's called Australia