Lawrence County has 21 sex offenders who must register with local law enforcement officials, but only one offender is subject to public notification rules, officers say.

Tuesday, August 29, 2000

Lawrence County has 21 sex offenders who must register with local law enforcement officials, but only one offender is subject to public notification rules, officers say.

The Sex Offender Registration Notification (SORN) law of Ohio is intended to "provide public safety," said William Winters, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department corrections officer.

"In Ohio, SORN became effective July 1, 1997," Winters said. "Currently, we have 21 offenders in Lawrence County that are required to register every year as governed by law. We certainly don’t have anybody new and most of these names have been around for several years now. The courts determines who is a sex offender and who should be made known to the public."

When a complaint is made, the sheriff’s department will investigate. If enough evidence is found to prosecute, the case will go to court, he said.

If the court system finds an offender guilty of a sexually oriented offense or a guilty plea is entered, individuals will be classified into one of three categories, he said.

"A first-time offense is usually considered a sexually oriented offender," Winters said. "They are required to report one time a year for 10 years or anytime they have an address change. At no time are we required to notify the public of the individual’s presence in a community.

He said an individual who has a previous conviction of a sexually oriented offense will be typically considered a habitual sex offender. This classification of sex offenders is required to report one time a year for 20 years.

The court will then decide if the sheriff’s department should notify the public that a habitual sex offender is living in their neighborhood, he said.

"An individual has to be adjudicated by the sentencing court to be a sexual predator and it has to be relative to the sexually oriented offense in question," Winters said. "These individuals are usually repeat offenders. They are required to report every 90 days for life. All three categories do involve imprisonment for a period of time, again, as determined by the courts."

He said public notification is mandatory and a letter is sent out to schools in the area that the individual has moved or lives in the district. The schools are then responsible for sending letters to parents.

"This method of public notification is the only way the court allows us to make the public aware of the situation," he said. "We do, however, keep a log of the registered offenders that individuals can view."

Ohio SORN administrator Tom Horst said that, by law, any offense recorded before July 1, 1997, is not reported as it is now.

"Any conviction prior to 1997 and still in prison will have to be registered when they’re let out," Horst said. "If they were let out prior to 1997, they don’t have to register. The law applies to both males and females, but only applies to anything after the 1997 date."

Currently, the county has 21 registered sexual offenders in the county. There are no registered predators, one habitual offender subject to public notification and one habitual offender not subject to public notification. The remaining 19 have been convicted as sexually oriented offenders.

"I do make periodic checks on these individuals more than just the one time a year," Winters said. "These individuals are closely monitored by the Sheriff’s Department and if someone becomes concerned about whether or not they have a sexual offender living near them, they can contact me in person at the sheriff’s office located at 115 S. Fifth St., Ironton. If they suspect the crime is occurring in their neighborhood, they need to report the situation to the sheriff’s department."