From Deseret News archives:

Sex registry under fire

Published: Monday, Dec. 10, 2007 12:19 a.m. MST
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In 1993, at 16, Sean Winget was sentenced to 15 years in prison for strangling 10-year-old Tara Stark. At the time, he was considered mentally ill due to a problem during infancy. Evidence during his trial revealed that he thought an evil spirit was controlling him when he became sexually aroused. Evidence also showed that Winget felt that killing Stark was the only way to make the feeling of arousal go away.

Then-deputy Weber County Attorney Gary Heward said about the young Winget, "He's dangerous, and he'll always be dangerous."

Winget was paroled after 13 years and then took part in regular visits with law enforcement. During parole, he underwent a psycho-sexual evaluation, according to Whinham. He said Winget got a job and driver's license after prison.

"He's functional — he could use that for good or bad," Whinham said.

But when Winget moved back into the Roy community and his old neighborhood, people reacted. Whinham said some people sold their homes — Belnap puts the count at four — and moved out of the area. That was without even a blip of Winget's case or name appearing on any registry — people simply never forgot his crime.

Greiner and Whinham want a registry to list the Wingets of the world, but current Utah law is very specific about who is placed on the list and how long they remain there, according to Utah Department of Corrections spokesman Jack Ford.

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Those convicted of a sex crime are on the Utah registry — crimes with only a sexual component don't make the list. And the perceived disparities of the list continue.

Ford noted that there are people who make the list who were found guilty of urinating on the side of the road. Or the 18-year-old who was sexually active with a 17-year-old minor.

"Do they deserve to be on the registry?" Ford asked in a phone interview. Rawlings said people like that probably shouldn't be on the list.

Registries differ from state to state, and who is put on the lists and for how long depends on the type of crime committed. Some offenders may end up on a registry, but one that isn't readily available to the public via the Internet. California, which has the longest-running registry, has a lifetime sex offender registration requirement and the largest online registry.

In Utah, most convicted sex offenders are on the state registry while in jail or prison, a listing some say is more symbolic than of practical use for the public. After they have completed their sentence, they're normally on the list for 10 years, required to update their information once a year or when they move. Ford noted not all on the registry are pedophiles and that many on the list are adults who committed sex crimes, such as rape, against other adults.

Today there are about 6,400 adults in Utah who are on the state's sex offender registry — about half are in jail or prison or on parole and monitored routinely.

During sentencing recently for Andrew, one of his victims told 4th District Judge Samuel McVey that she wants every one of Andrew's future patients to know what he did. But because of Andrew's plea, his name is not on a state sex offender registry.

Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing Board of Osteopathic Licensure members are discussing Andrew's case and may allow him to continue practicing as a fertility specialist after his two years of probation are completed.


E-MAIL: sspeckman@desnews.com

Recent comments

The only sex offenders that should be on the database are the ones...

Brian | May 21, 2008 at 6:26 a.m.

I wanted to enlighten the public that you do not have to rape or...

Anonymous | Jan. 18, 2008 at 8:31 a.m.

My son made a mistake... "a mistake" just after turning 18. Mentally...

Anonymous | Jan. 16, 2008 at 3:39 p.m.

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