Sex Offender Regulations

Evan Kruegel | 12/28/2012

There are 115 registered sex offenders living in Williams County, with the majority of them in Williston. It`s an alarming number for what was once a small town. But, it isn`t the number that has residents on edge, North Dakota has some very lenient laws on where sex offenders are allowed to live after they`ve served their sentences, and Williston residents are questioning the regulations.

North Dakota is one of just a handful of states with no law prohibiting sex offenders from living near schools or daycares, and that makes parents very uneasy.

"It`s disgusting. It’s disturbing. I can’t believe North Dakota law enforcement even allows them near the schools. I understand they have rights as a human, but our children should have rights to safety and to feel safe as well," said parent Pamela Enno.

According to the Attorney General`s office, seven convicted sex offenders live within one mile of the Williston middle school, including a high-risk child offender. Parents know offenders are out there, but having them so close to their children is alarming.

"You`re going to find offenders everywhere you go, but within such a close proximity to a school is unacceptable to me," said parent Jennifer Loomer.

Residents on social media were equally disturbed by the loose regulations. One man said, "As a single father of a six year old, that makes me sick."

Another said, "This is just wrong. I thought there were laws about the distance from schools, this is disgusting."

Williston police released a statement saying convicted sex offenders have always been released back into society once they serve their sentence. And it`s their duty to inform the public when an offender moves to the area. But by state law, there`s not much else they can do. For parents, the only option is to make their children aware of the situation and try to keep them a safe distance away from the offenders.

"That`s pretty much all we can do, and I guess our children`s freedom is gone too, because I don`t feel comfortable letting my children walk to and from school now."

Police say until the state legislature makes some changes, the situation will remain the same.

If you`d like to know whether any registered sex offenders live close to you, you can visit the North Dakota Attorney General`s website at www.sexoffender.nd.gov.

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

BACK TO NEWS | BACK TO WILLISTON STORIES