“In general terms, tell your children that this person has hurt someone before,” the website reads. “Explain to them that they should stay away from this individual. Avoid scary details.”

The sheriff’s office says that there is no way to accurately predict the future behavior of an offender, but “past behavior is an indication of whether an individual, or group, poses a higher risk to the public.”

“Not all offenders will commit another crime,” the website reads. “However, knowledge of a potential risk should assist you and your family in avoiding situations that allow for easy access to victims.”

The website uses the Ohio Attorney General’s Electronic Sex Offender Registration & Notification (eSORN) system. Each of Ohio’s 88 counties input information into the system, which is shared statewide.

Description of terms

The following classifications are used by Ohio’s system:

• Sexual Predator: An individual who has been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, committing a sexually-oriented offense and is considered likely to commit additional sexually oriented offenses. Offenders with this designation are subject to registration/verification requirements for life, unless a judge modifies or terminates the designation. They are subject to neighbor/ community notification provisions and reporting requirements at 90-day intervals.

• Habitual Sex Offender: An individual who has been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, committing a sexually oriented offense, and who has been previously convicted of or pleaded guilty to one or more sexually oriented offenses. Offenders with this designation are subject to registration/ verification requirements each year for a period of 20 years after release. A judge may rule that a habitual sex offender is subject to neighbor/ community notification.

• Sexually Oriented Offender: A person who has been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, committing a sexually oriented offense, but who has not been designated as a sexual predator or habitual sex offender. Offenders with this designation are subject to the registration/verification requirements annually for a period of 10 years after release. They are not subject to neighbor/community notification.

Source: Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office

• Pre-AWA: Offense predates the passage of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, a federal statute was signed into law on July 27, 2006. The act groups sex offenders into the three tiers used by Ohio. Tier III offenders are required to update their whereabouts every three months with lifetime registration requirements. Tier II offenders must update every six months with 25 years of registration, and Tier I offenders must update every year with 15 years of registration.

The act was named in memory of Adam Walsh, a six-year-old boy who was abducted from a Hollywood, Florida department store and murdered in 1981. His father, John Walsh, has become well-known as an advocate for victims of crime and served as host of the television program America’s Most Wanted. He lobbied strongly for the passage of the legislation.