Moms Fight Back Against Sex Offenders

March 12, 2007 — -- When a sex offender takes up residence in a tightly knit community, moms take notice.

That's what happened in a family-friendly gated community in Tampa, Fla., when two moms, Lynn and Heather (who asked their last names not be used), discovered a registered sex offender living in a house directly across the street from the playground.

The man, who no longer lives in the neighborhood, was convicted of sexually abusing a 6-year-old girl.

"It scared us. We actually stopped coming to the playground for a while," Lynn said.

Suddenly in that Tampa neighborhood, parks lay quiet, neighborhood streets were deserted, and parents feared taking their kids outside. Parents vigilantly watched their children's every move.

Lynn and Heather contacted the authorities but were told the offender had every right to live there.

Florida law bans certain sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school, playground, park or day-care center, but because this sex offender was convicted in another state, the residency restriction did not apply to him.

Lynn and Heather were disturbed by the loopholes in the state law, which meant that he could roam the neighborhood close to their small children.

They took their complaints to the Tampa City Council, which sparked a heated debate about the issue. City lawyers researched whether the council could ban offenders from moving within the city limits altogether, but found it was unconstitutional.

Eventually, Lynn and Heather worked with council members on a city ordinance that would ban registered sex offenders who had committed crimes against children from loitering within 300 feet of places where children congregate, such as bus stops, parks, playgrounds and libraries.

Some Tampa law enforcement officials say the law would be tough to enforce.

Tampa police legal adviser Kirby Rainsberger told the St. Petersburg Times that it would be difficult for police to discern the boundary lines, and that school bus stops, in particular, provided a challenge. They aren't marked, and the city is likely to be challenged by people who didn't realize they were near one.

The ordinance is still under debate in the council, but city attorney David Smith praises the moms' persistence.