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Old 03-05-2008, 08:08 PM
 
17 posts, read 62,393 times
Reputation: 12

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We are moving to Omaha in the summer, so I've been looking for a house in the Dundee area, which I think is beautiful. A friend told me to look in familywatchdog for sex offenders before buying a house, and for my surprise there are a lot in this area!!
We live in the Twin Cities and I found 42 sex offenders while in Omaha I found 157!!! I do not understand why there are so many being Omaha half the size of the Twin Cities.
Please someone help me understand this. I am freaking out right know. I have two daughters and it's a big concern of mine.
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Old 03-06-2008, 12:07 AM
 
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
303 posts, read 976,755 times
Reputation: 211
WELCOME to Omaha. The Dundee area is a very nice and quiet area, and beautiful as well. 157 is ridiculous and a shame. I can truly understand your concern. We raised three daughters and one son here and thank goodness never had a problem. We had a sex offender living just around the corner from us for two years and thank God he moved out. When I found out we had one in the area, I quickly pointed the house out to my grandsons and showed them his picture which usually is available on the Nebraska sex registry list. They also were told what to do if ever approached. I don't think I can help you understand this, but just encourage you on what steps to take as we did. Education is the key. Good luck. It is great to have another good family in Omaha.
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Old 03-06-2008, 03:33 AM
 
Location: Gary, WV & Springfield, ME
5,826 posts, read 9,578,129 times
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Things are not always what they seem. Spend some time in your nearest community college or university. Take at least one class in sociology and criminal justice. It's a real eye opener.
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Old 03-06-2008, 06:04 AM
 
Location: Papillion
2,589 posts, read 10,519,291 times
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I also suspect that both Omaha and Nebraska law enforcement as a whole are a lot more agressive in tracking these people down, thus more are exposed than in other areas. I know Omaha, LaVista, and the State Patrol have specific officers that the internet is their assignment and their sole job is to track these folks. In that sense the higher number is a positive - they've been identified and you know where they live.

Might sanity check your home area and see if this is proactively gone after in your home area - if they are not then that might put a little sense to that variation in the numbers.
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Old 03-06-2008, 08:10 AM
 
4,655 posts, read 5,041,846 times
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Maybe Nebraska offenders just register at a higher percentage?
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Old 03-06-2008, 08:36 AM
 
Location: Central Nebraska
1,821 posts, read 5,132,028 times
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One possiblity is that alot of smaller towns around Omaha in Nebraska and Iowa have made it illegal for a offender to live within so many feet of a school, library etc.. basically making impossible for an offender to live in the town. So I'm sure at least a few of them have moved to Omaha for a place to live. Kinda stinks for Omaha but I don't blame small towns for what they did either.
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Old 03-06-2008, 09:38 AM
 
Location: Nebraska
4,531 posts, read 8,820,473 times
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Going back a few years and a lot of you may not remember but during the late 70's and 80's they busted Peter Citron(sic?). He was a food & entertainment columnist for the Omaha World-Herald. He was charged with some kind of sex offense of a child, convicted and served a year or two at the State Pen. Pete was well connected and rubbed shoulders with the hoity toity crowd not only in Omaha but in Lincoln and Des Moines. There were a lot of nervous pedophiles during the investigation of Citron. This all happened within a few months of the John Jubert child killings,the Johnny Gosch and Martin disappearances and the Susie Owen testimony in the Franklin scandal. Susie Owen was convicted of perjury when she accused some upper crusters of being pedophiles. NOT ALL pedophiles are from the lower rungs of the ladder. Often times the serial pedophiles live in the best houses, have the best jobs and most importantly can hire the BEST LAWYERS. Just because a neighborhood appears prosperous does not mean your children are safe.

GL2
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Old 03-06-2008, 11:03 AM
 
Location: Papillion
2,589 posts, read 10,519,291 times
Reputation: 916
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunluvver2 View Post
Going back a few years and a lot of you may not remember but during the late 70's and 80's they busted Peter Citron(sic?). He was a food & entertainment columnist for the Omaha World-Herald. He was charged with some kind of sex offense of a child, convicted and served a year or two at the State Pen. Pete was well connected and rubbed shoulders with the hoity toity crowd not only in Omaha but in Lincoln and Des Moines. There were a lot of nervous pedophiles during the investigation of Citron. This all happened within a few months of the John Jubert child killings,the Johnny Gosch and Martin disappearances and the Susie Owen testimony in the Franklin scandal. Susie Owen was convicted of perjury when she accused some upper crusters of being pedophiles. NOT ALL pedophiles are from the lower rungs of the ladder. Often times the serial pedophiles live in the best houses, have the best jobs and most importantly can hire the BEST LAWYERS. Just because a neighborhood appears prosperous does not mean your children are safe.

GL2
Which is why the current registry list is so beneficial - no matter where you live you can check - luckily the area I live only has a couple and that's because they are in jail and we house the county jail
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Old 03-06-2008, 11:10 AM
 
Location: West Omaha
1,181 posts, read 3,998,698 times
Reputation: 522
Yeah, there is nothing about Omaha that makes it have an actual pedophile rate. I'm pretty confident this is a matter of tracking. Try comparing it to other towns in the midwest. I would also add the # you get is going to be highly dependent upon the border that you choose to search. For example, you look at the downtown area and there are obviously higher numbers then if you searched the west Omaha area. A lot of this is just a selection effect.
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Old 03-06-2008, 01:09 PM
 
Location: Nebraska
4,176 posts, read 10,652,552 times
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And there are other things in play, too...

Like many sex offenders plead down, so they are not registered, even though they are sex offenders.

Sex offenders have a habit of moving as often as possible, and some places do not keep track as well as others.

Some "sex offenders" are on the registry simply because they got drunk and exposed themselves while stopping to urinate in a ditch on a roadway and got caught. Nasty and stupid - but a stupid mistake that can follow you around for the rest of your life.

I have helped defend people who were falsely accused of child abuse by overzealous social workers, or divorcing spouses' attorneys. I have seen the term "sex offender" hung on too many innocents, who are too ignorant or poor to hire a good attorney, and who end up in prison.

All that said, a true child molester or rapist is the lowest form of life and should never be excused, pardoned, or turned loose on innocent victims, IMHO.

However, the courts make it all too easy to be "guilty until proven innocent" of such an evil crime.
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