From Deseret News archives:

Orem firm's Web map pinpoints sex offenders

Corrections spokesman is impressed by the new site

Published: Thursday, July 14, 2005 9:07 a.m. MDT
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Visitors to the state's Web site are greeted with a strong reminder that being listed on the registry does not mean the person will commit another crime and that using the information on the registry to harass sex offenders is a violation of Utah law.

The same provisions are listed under "disclaimer" on Orbizon's new site, and Ford said he hopes people will read them.

Ford said most sex offenders who complete their sentence and undergo treatment are successfully rehabilitated. Of the 400 sex offenders who came through his department from 1992 to May of 2004, only two came back on new charges of sexual misconduct.

"Even one or two is too many," Ford said. "But the real concern is the ones who haven't been caught yet."

Some advocates of Megan's Law are calling for a national database of sex offenders, but such a far-reaching site would be expensive.

Orbizon is trying to build that site, but to do so, Olsen said, it would have to be supported by advertising.

"This isn't our primary business," he said, "but the site does need to pay for itself."

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Laura Ahearn is executive director of Parents for Megan's Law, a New York-based foundation that monitors compliance with the law. She applauds the creative new way of getting the information out, but her organization opposes companies that do it on a for-profit basis because they are "making profits off the victimization of others."

"This is something that should be done in collaboration with government agencies and nonprofit organizations," she said.

Mapsexoffenders.com has maps for Utah and Delaware. Olsen said 10 to 15 states will be added in the next two weeks, and every state should be on the site within two months.

Ford said Utah has roughly 8,200 registered offenders.


E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com

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