State News
Email
Print
Much stricter rules governing sex offenders in N.C. go into effect
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: December 2, 2008
RALEIGH
Stricter new rules governing sex offenders took effect in North Carolina yesterday, tripling the number of years that some offenders must remain on the state's registry and requiring them to stay away from places where children normally gather.
The rules require that offenders convicted of certain sex crimes against children or of sexual violence must remain on a state registry for 30 years, up from the previous requirement of 10 years, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. The state's more than 11,000 offenders are required to register in person with the local sheriff within three days of changing addresses, instead of the previous 10-day window.
Offenders also must stay at least 300 feet away from places where children congregate, such as day- care centers and schools.
One offender said that his county's sheriff said he couldn't go to his church because there was a nursery in the building. The newspaper didn't identify the county.
"I started going to that church when I was 12," said Neil Cagle, 61, who served a four-year prison term for taking indecent liberties with a minor.
The new rules were approved by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mike Easley this year.
Legal experts and one legislator said that the new rules are too strict because they don't draw a line between offenders who are likely to commit another offense and those trying to lead clean lives.
"We've cast the net too wide," said state Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, who was the only legislator to vote against the law.
Insko said she will try to get other legislators to understand the problems she sees in the new law.
Jill Rosenblum, a Chapel Hill lawyer who represented a man who committed a sexual offense as a teen, said that federal figures show that 3.5 percent of offenders would be classified as repeat offenders.
She said that those people need the closest supervision.
Christi Hurt, a rape-crisis counselor, said that not all offenders are alike and that some had consensual sex with a person under age 16, while others sexually assaulted an adult.
Rosenblum and Hurt have been working to persuade state officials to redraw restrictions to target people likely to commit more offenses.
"The problem is, the law treats all offenders equally," Hurt said.
Email
Print
