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Sex offender database adds map

The new feature allows people to search for registered sexual offenders living within a 5-mile radius of their homes.

By ALISA ULFERTS
Published May 18, 2005

	Help online: Go to Neighborhood Search

TALLAHASSEE - More than 3-million people searched Florida's sexual offender database last month, their interest fueled by a recent spate of child abductions and murders.

Now, the state has made it even easier to find out how close they are living to you.

You can type in an address and see a map that shows the registered sexual offenders living within a 5-mile radius. The offenders are ranked by proximity and linked to a map showing their registered location.

Before the changes you could find sex offenders only by name, ZIP code, county or city, and there was no map.

"In essence, there could be a sexual offender across the street from you but if they're in a different ZIP code, you'd never know," said Attorney General Charlie Crist, who has made combating sexual offenders the cornerstone of his gubernatorial campaign. "This will go a long way toward empowering parents to protect their children."

The new database was unveiled Tuesday by Crist and Guy Tunnell, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The software was donated by Pitney Bowes, which suggested the idea in March and will maintain it free for three years.

Tunnell noted the FDLE Web site includes safety tips for parents for dealing with a sexual offender neighbor.

"We encourage parents to get online and do a neighborhood search," he said.

The database includes a photo of the offender, a criminal history and personal information such as age, height and weight. It notes whether the victim was a minor, but does not differentiate between child molester and an older teenager who had sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend.

After three years, the state must pick up the cost of maintaining the database.

To search for registered sex offenders, go to www.sptimes.com and click on Neighborhood Search.

[Last modified May 18, 2005, 00:49:11]