The object is to create a safe world for children, to keep our innocent Little Red Riding Hoods away from wolves who are much worse than anything found in a fairy tale.

I can understand that. As the father of five, I have felt the ache of trying to keep my kids from people or situations that would abuse or hurt them. But facts about the enemy are essential in any war, even the war against sexual predators.

That's why I have problems applauding too vigorously for the city of Clinton, in Davis County. The City Council there has come up with an idea that is the equivalent of handing Little Red Riding Hood a piece of paper promising her that wolves have been outlawed from the forest. The problem is so much more complicated than that.

Clinton this week passed an ordinance making it a class C misdemeanor for anyone convicted of a felony sex crime with a minor to come within 100 feet of any city property where children are gathered. This would include parks and virtually any other public building where kids may have come for any reason.

This mirrors conditions that already exist for a lot of paroled offenders. For the rest, including people who have yet to be caught, it won't matter much. A park isn't the most dangerous spot for a child. Often, danger lurks much closer to home.

Clinton isn't alone in forging this new path. Cities, counties and states all over the land are searching for ways to protect children in the wake of some high-profile murders, including that of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Florida, who was kidnapped, raped and killed — allegedly by a convicted sex offender.

That crime led Florida lawmakers to pass stiffer penalties for pedophilia, including a minimum of 25 years in prison and the mandatory wearing of a global positioning device for life after a prisoner's release. One Florida county passed a variation on the Clinton theme. Public parks there will soon feature rotating photo galleries of convicted sexual predators, posted for all to see.

Park bans and registries are understandable reactions to a problem most people find incomprehensible and frightening. But they are as effective as swinging a stick in the dark.

The business of trying to protect people from future crimes is tricky, indeed. While we're busy making parks safe, our kids could be falling prey to a Sunday school teacher or a trusted uncle.

The Center for Sex Offender Management, a part of the Department of Justice, has published a set of myths about sex crimes. This can be viewed at www.csom.org/pubs/mythsfacts.html. Among other things, it says:

• Most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. This includes baby sitters or others in positions of authority. Research shows this is true for 60 percent of boys and 80 percent of girls who are assaulted. Because some people are reluctant to turn in a relative or close associate, only a fraction of offenders ever are arrested or convicted.
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