>> Today marks 27 years since
Megan’s Law was enacted at the
federal level.
>> Good morning. Thank you so
much for joining us. I’m Zac
Lashway and this is KPRC 2 plus
now Megan’s Law is named after
making Conca a child from New
Jersey in July of 1994. at just
7 years old, Megan was raped in
murdered by her neighbor.
The neighbor, a registered sex
offender, moved into the home
across the street from Meghan’s
family. But the family was
unaware the man confessed to
killing Megan the day after
she disappeared in the wake
of the tragedy her family saw
for communities to be warned
about sex offenders in the area
today. All states have a form
of Meghan’s law here in Texas.
You are able to look up
registered sex offenders in
your area through Texas
Department of Public Safety’s
website. Joining me this
morning is Andy Kahn, director
of victim Services with Crime
Stoppers. Houston to talk more
about this registry as always,
Andy, good morning, sir.
Thank you for coming on the
show.
>> A great to be here is a
subject near and dear to my
heart.
>> With that said at who is
>> required to register with
the sex offender registry here
in Texas.
>> Okay. So Texas right now
we have close to 100,000 sex
offenders that are actually
register on a database that
might sound large because we’re
a large state, but in capacity
we’re not even in the top 10.
So any offender who was
convicted of any sexual
offense, it was either in
prison parole or probation must
register know. Obviously, if
you’re president, you’re not
going to register until you get
released on parole were
discharged are Sens. Many of
them have to register for a
life. Others have to register
for 10 years. So it depends
on the level
of offense.
>> And, you know, Zach, in in
1997, I was one of the ones
that actually pursued the right
for the public to actually get.
>> Access to sex offenders on a
database set so long ago.
This was established. I always
thought that the public since
this is public information,
anybody who’s convicted their
name their picture. There are
bad dress and other items tying
them to their identity is
available for the public.
So Nineteen-nineties a in Texas
actually joined other states in
putting this registry together
prior to that, it was almost
comical because you in the back
of the Houston Chronicle on a
Saturday in the by section,
there would be a little space
there and it would set sex
offender registry and would
actually do this. It would go
male 50 beach, not 7, 7, 0, 3,
6 sexual assault of a child
which frankly in a large city
was practically worthless.
So I’m glad that we meet a
change at the time. That was
the only way for people to to
know.
So lately. And then we took it
a step further in the next
legislative session in 1999.
If you get a postcard in the
mail, you
can thank some of us, including
me for that. There’s a there’s
a with you. Get a postcard in
the mail. Gets for an inning.
Sex offender has labeled high
risk or they’ve been civilly
committed and they’re
continuing their son’s only
the runners, civil commitment.
So high risk sex offenders must
to send a postcard notification
to anybody within a 3 block
radius. So we’ve seen a lot of
changes to the sex offender
registry law. A lot of positive
change for the community and e.
>> How are offenders classified
on the state’s sex offender
registry? And what information
is included available to
community members.
>> So I anybody to check the
sex offender database and you
can go on and DPS website.
All you do is put in your zip
code and it will start listing.
Everybody was register in that.
There isn’t anybody who has
been to invade. And obviously
that’s the key word. You’ve got
to be convicted must register
and again and some have to
register for a lifetime for
some of the most serious
offense is usually involving a
child and then other and the
lesser included sets up sex
offense is you have to register
for 10 years. And there’s one
misnomer that I’d like to clear
up because we’re questions all
the time. Well, I looked and,
you know, on my neighborhood
and we’ve got sex offenders
that are living by a school or
daycare, you know, is that
allowed?
>> If you are on parole or
probation generally, that is a
condition of your Lee’s bet.
You can’t live with that in a
certain radius of a school or
in day care. But if you had
discharge your settings and
all you’re required to do is
register. In other words,
you’re not on parole or
probation anymore. You can live
anywhere you want.
>> You know that that’s that’s
fascinating to to know when to
keep in mind. I know, you know,
Megan’s Law and sex offender
registries get a lot of
attention during Halloween and
the holidays. But this is
really something that community
members and leaders really
should be cognisant
all year.
>> Long about a nation paycheck
king, but quite frequently
because the reality is that
a high percentage of sex
offenders are transient.
And so what in your
neighborhood today might change
by the next month.
>> All really great points.
Always appreciate you. Coming