News Archive

Sexual predators have come to rely on the cover and anonymity of social media to identify, groom, and ensnare victims.  It is easier for criminals to cover their tracks in the digital realm than the terrestrial realm.  In addition, social media platforms, video games and other digital platforms provide predators with the ability to reach out nationally, far beyond their own zip codes. Law enforcement takes special measures when dealing with convicted sex offenders.  Due to the grievous nature of their crimes and their statistical likelihood to re-offend, the activities of convicted sex offenders must be monitored closely, particularly in the digital and social media realm.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, released sex offenders were more than three times as likely as other released prisoners to be arrested for rape or sexual assault.  In addition, half of the released sex offenders had a subsequent arrest that led to a conviction. When watching the news and reading news stories, it is striking how often sex offenders are captured and convicted for their illicit activities, particularly involving computers and digital communications.  The frequency of the appearance of these stories can be disturbing.  But the public, particularly parents, should be glad to know that law enforcement places the effective management of convicted sex offenders as a top priority.

The more arrests and convictions you see of these malignant individuals who seek harm to our most vulnerable, the less of them there are free in our society.

A powerful tool available to both law enforcement and parents is Safe Virtual Neighborhood, a new app developed by OffenderWatch. Safe Virtual Neighborhood, which is available in the Google Play and Apple App Stores, alerts parents and law enforcement if a registered sex offender contacts a child on his/her smart device. With effective monitoring and impactful new technologies like Safe Virtual Neighborhood, law enforcement and parents are better able to work together to protect children and prevent the unthinkable.

For more internet safety tips, follow OffenderWatch on Facebook and Twitter.

We often see questions from parents about the new apps their kids are using. Are they safe? What does this app do? Are there any parental controls I can use? Here are some recommendations from the OffenderWatch Team to help navigate this year’s most popular social media platforms.

Discord

This app originally started as a meeting place for video gamers to chat but has evolved into a platform for text, voice-chat, and video-chat to discuss a variety of topics. Discord users can host their own public or private “servers” that revolve around a certain user or topic, much like a chat room.  

• While many servers are moderated and can be age-appropriate, others are very inappropriate for children because of hateful, inaccurate, or explicit content.

• There are specific “NSFW” servers that require a user to be 18 or older, but these restrictions can be easily bypassed by a user. Discord requires users to be at least 13 years old to create an account, but they do not verify users’ age upon sign-up.

Our Recommendation: Teens aged 15+

• If you do allow your child to use Discord, the safest option for a minor is to join a private group comprised of only people they know in real life.  
• Request that your child show you their group’s typical feed to get an understanding of the specific content they’re consuming and contributing to before allowing them to participate further.
• With the right privacy settings and monitoring, Discord can be a safe environment for your child, however, parents should discuss with them how to recognize and deal with online predators before actively using this app.

Parler

Originally created as an alternative to Twitter and Facebook, Parler has grown in popularity with politically conservative people. Marketed as a platform without any censorship, Parler continues to top Apple’s App Store charts since early November 2020. Parler allows for its users to post short messages of up to 1,000 characters in length and direct message users for a private conversation.

• It is harder to be completely anonymous on Parler—users need to submit an email and a phone number to join. Users can also sign up for a “verified” classification that requires a photocopy of a valid driver’s license of picture ID and a selfie.
• Users can auto-block certain words or sensitive material, but it requires effort from the user to initiate these keyword blocks.
• Although the platform does offer some basic community guidelines (no pornography, no death threats allowed, etc.), Parler is its own wild west of communication. They claim to keep banning of users to a minimum, but they have begun increasing their authority as more users begin to join.

Our Recommendation: Adults only

• Although Parler has banned people for inappropriate conduct in the past, they do pride themselves on limiting intervention as much as possible. It’s best to leave Parler to the adults.  

Houseparty

Houseparty is a video chatting app with minimal room for parental control. Friends can communicate through live video and texts in group chats. This can be dangerous—there’s absolutely no screening process upon entry and there are no restrictions on sharing and viewing inappropriate content.  

• Although only users who are friends can invite each other to groups, there’s nothing stopping a potential predator from entering a group chat as long as they’ve already connected with someone on the app.
• Houseparty doesn’t have a moderating system. Unlike static posts that a moderator may review, live chats featured in this app are completely unregulated. It’s impossible to predict what kids might see, especially if they’re in chats with strangers they don’t know.
• Houseparty does allow for users to report or block users they encounter. Once a user is blocked, they will no longer be able to communicate with your child.

Our Recommendation: Teens aged 15+

• We recommend young children refrain from using this app, but if they do, make sure it’s under adult supervision with a parent or guardian within earshot.

Reddit

Reddit has been around for several years and its userbase spans multiple generations. As a microcosm of the internet, this ever-expanding forum offers a variety of content from the mundane to the fascinating. The site and app are made up of “subreddits,” which act as post-based chatrooms centered on a single topic. Anyone can create and moderate a subreddit, making it an endless repository of information on anything you can imagine.  

• Its robust user-based voting system helps police the forums. Responses with the most positive votes float top the top, while negatively reviewed posts get pushed to the bottom of the feed. Usually, this helps with getting rid of inappropriate content organically, but they do offer a moderating component as well.
• It takes little effort to make a new account. Many users make “throwaway” accounts to hide their post history. This kind of anonymity can make it difficult for a user to escape from a potential cyberbullying situation.

Our Recommendation: Teens aged 15+

• We suggest that parents sit down with their children to discuss which forums they which to frequent. Reddit can be a great learning tool, but it’s important for parents to constantly discuss what capacity their teens are using the platform.
• Proceed with caution. Reddit is best for older teens with a critical eye for misinformation and a moderate level of internet safety intelligence.

For more internet safety tips, follow OffenderWatch on Facebook and Twitter.

TheOsceola County(Florida)Sheriff’sOffice, US Marshals Service(USMS),and Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted a joint operation, culminating in the arrest of 58 noncompliant sexual predators and offenders. For the operation, the agencies relied heavily on using OffenderWatch to search historical records, develop intelligence leads, and track offender movements.The historical notes and documents in OffenderWatch collectively helped the agencies involved to develop a plan that successfully resulted in multiple apprehensions. Known as “Operation 2020 Vision,” the operation ran from March until the end of August of 2020.“The mission of Operation 2020 Vision was to attempt to identify new unregistered sex offenders as well as unreported vehicles, cellular phones and non-compliant transient offenders,”Positively Osceola reported. Out of the 58 arrests, the operation resulted in:77 felony charges for failure to register and violation of sexual offender probation and one case which violated the Adam Walsh Act (18 USC 2250(a) requirement to register after crossing state lines. According to Det. Michelle Keeferof the Osceola Sheriff’s Dept., “We use OffenderWatch every day. It contains a wealth of information that allows us to more effectively and efficiently do our jobs. There are only two of us who track offenders, and we couldn’t do without nOffenderWatch.” OffenderWatchprovides a level of detail many times not found through the state’s registry system. “OffenderWatch is our primary tool,” Keefer said. “We’re already planning operations for 2021 and will be using it. We couldn’t do[our work]without it.”

The New Orleans Police Department and the United States Marshals Service, in conjunction with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s office and Louisiana State Law Enforcement, conducted their annual “Operation Saints and Sinners” to locate wanted offenders this fall. Out of 131 sex offender compliance checks, this year’s initiative led to 45 arrests across the New Orleans metro area. Of those arrested during the two-month operation, 27 were registered sex offenders who failed to maintain the terms of their sentencing. Each failure to properly report their information is a felony offense.The team relied heavily on OffenderWatch’s Sex Offender Registry Network to search historical offender records and to compile reports across agencies. Their research assisted the New Orleans Police Department Special Victims Section with multiple ongoing cases.“I’m not sure what they did before OffenderWatch, but if I had to do all of this manually, I’d go back to the road,” says NOPD’s Detective Reuben Henry. “[OffenderWatch is] vital to what we do every day.”OffenderWatch’s data saves agencies time and money to work efficiently and effectively. The historical information, including known associates, vehicles, and jobs is invaluable and helps locate offenders quickly. What used to take weeks of research now takes only minutes to compile.Detective Henry noted that he is looking forward to maximizing’s OffenderWatch’s capabilities in upcoming initiatives with law enforcement agencies across the region to identify and locate non-compliant offenders.In preparation for Halloween, parents are encouraged to check for the registered sex offenders in their area and sign up for free email alerts. Register here: www.OffenderWatch.com/alertsOffenderWatch will soon offer a free version of its OffenderWatch Safe Virtual Neighborhood app to help parents who are concerned about sex offenders. Stay tuned for the release of the OffenderWatch app and learn more here: https://offenderwatch.com/safe-virtual-neighborhood/.

Parents—Are Your Kids Sexting? What is sexting?Sexting, slang for “sexual texting,” is thesending or receiving of a sexuallysuggestive text, photo, or video via a device.Teens often participate in this kind of interaction to look cool, fit in,flirtor have a “safe” alternative to sex without physical interaction. While it may not transmit STDs,sextingis far from safe.Once a sexually explicit photo is sent to another person, control of that image is out of that person’s hands, and distribution of explicit images of minors is illegal under federal law.Constant access to smartphones and devices in society has allowed an unprecedented amount of interaction among teens. According to a2010 studyon sexting:

• 39% of teens admit to sexting.
• More than one in four adolescents have sent a nude picture of themselves through electronic means. 
• Half of all adolescents have been asked to send a nude picture of themselves. 
• 51% of girls say they feel pressure to take and send explicit photos of themselves.  

Here are some tips from the OffenderWatch team to help your child avoid sending and requesting sexually explicit material:

• Remind them that you will always support them in times of trouble. Sexting can be a very scary subject to talk about, but you need to build trust with your child so that you can be a person to talk to about serious subjects. 
• Ask them if they have talked about sexting with their peers to get an idea of how widespread it is within their social circles. 
• Once a photo is spread through the web, it’s accessible forever. Tell them the social and legal risks associated with sending a nude to another person. Lack of control of a personal image is dangerous, and distribution or ownership of explicit materials can result in legal action.  

• Tell your child that if they’re being threatened or blackmailed by someone to send a nude photo that they need to tell you immediately.  
• Discuss safe cellphone use and set proper boundaries for access as a family.  

As another precaution, parents should download our free safety app called Safe Virtual Neighborhood. With the app, you’ll be able to find sex offenders around your home, find sex offenders near your child’s smartphone device, contact law enforcement, and receive free alerts about sex offenders moving into your neighborhood.Download the OffenderWatch app.For more tips oninternet safety, follow OffenderWatch onFacebook,TwitterandLinkedIn.

Registered sex offenders often move from city to city without alerting their registering law enforcement offices. When this happens, the registering agencies must open investigations to find the non-compliant offender.However, if both agencies are in the OffenderWatch Network, they will often receive notifications about offenders who have moved – saving time and manpower performing failure to register investigations and obtaining a warrant. This was the case recently when a registered sex offender moved from the Houston Police Department’s jurisdiction into San Diego County, CA. Although the offender did report to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston PD was unaware the offender had left.Since both agencies use OffenderWatch, Houston PD received a notification when San Diego County Sheriff’s Office updated the offender’s record in the OffenderWatch system, noting of the movement. By receiving this instant alert, Houston could confirm one of their offenders was compliant and now living in California, instead of opening an investigation for an absconded offender.As Houston PD employee Eva Vawters says, “Getting that [OffenderWatch] system message saved me from needing to chase [the offender] down.”Saving time, money, and precious investigative resources, OffenderWatch helps law enforcement agencies big and small better manage their offenders and easily collaborate with other agencies.Learn more about joining the OffenderWatch Network.

Sextortion is an internet crime in which young girls and boys are being increasingly targeted. A young life can be turned upside down by an online predator who takes advantage of youth and vulnerability to terrorize and demand sexually explicit images.

Sextortion [sexual + extortion] is a form of sexual exploitation that happens when a perpetrator uses coercion to obtain sexual images, videos, money, or even sex from a victim, including children and teens. Victims of sextortion can suffer negative effects on establishing their identity, developing self-esteem, and gaining social recognition, all of which can persist throughout their life if not handled with care.

Protect Yourself Against Sextortion

FBI investigators experienced in online child sexual exploitation cases offer these simple tips for young people who might think that sextortion could never happen to them:

• Be vigilant on the internet. It is impossible to guarantee that the person you are speaking with is who they say they are, or if they're acting in a genuine manner.
• Don’t send pictures to strangers. As a general rule on the internet, don’t post any pictures of yourself online that you wouldn’t show to your grandmother.
• If you find yourself being targeted by an online predator, you are not to blame. They are taking advantage of you.
• If you are being targeted by an online predator, tell someone. If you feel you can’t talk to a parent, tell a trusted teacher or counselor. You can also call the FBI, the local police, or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline.
• You might be afraid or embarrassed to talk with your parents, but they will most likely understand. A common regret among parents of abused children is that they wish their child had told them about the situation sooner so that they could help. A good parent or guardian is understanding, sympathetic, and just wants to help you.

Consider installing the OffenderWatch family safety app for monitoring contact by registered sex offenders.

Find sex offenders near me, locate my family, and get alerts from law enforcement about sex offenders in my neighborhood. Monitoring adds alerts if a registered offender contacts by call, text, or email or if a child lingers near an offender's address.

Get the FREE OffenderWatch App.

While many of us and our children have gone back to work and school, a lot of people across the country are still dealing with blended online and in-person meetings, lectures, webinars and school lessons.The FBI continues to educate the public about the threat of “Zoombombing,” or the infiltration of malicious actors in private online meetings, and has reported over 240 instances of Zoom disruptions from March to May of this year. Many Zoombombs include broadcasted videos depicting child sexual abuse material, nudity, discriminatory images and profanity.Here are some quick tips from the OffenderWatch team to keep you and your children safe during Zoom or other web conference meetings:

1. Meeting ID Validation

Check to make sure every Zoom call you and your children participate in has a specific meeting ID and a unique password for entry. Sending direct links to a Zoom call is the easiest way to have unwanted visitors enter the meeting if it falls into the wrong hands.Also, if you do utilize a Zoom meeting room attached to your personal meeting ID, never share this on social media. This is seen as an open invitation to enter a meeting from online trolls and predators that are out combing the internet for potential targets.

2. Limit Screen Share Access

If you are the host, make sure to adjust settings to restrict screen sharing capabilities by default. If you need another person within a meeting to share a screen, you can allow specific permissions when it is necessary while in the meeting.

3. Utilize Waiting Rooms

By prescreening guests upon entry, most unknown visitors will not be able to drop in when they are unwanted. To adjust this setting, go to your master account settings, go to the “Meetings” tab and click on “Waiting Room” options to make it the default for all meetings.Make sure to also disable the option that allows others to join before the host. This should be disabled by default, but make sure to check your settings to confirm.

4. Lock the Meeting

Once everyone has joined the meeting, a host can simply lock it from allowing additional individuals to join. While this may not prevent the deftest of hackers, it will stop most rogue actors.

5. In Case of a Zoombomb

Say that you’ve followed all of the advice listed above and an unknown individual has entered the Zoom meeting. Stay calm and immediately go to the “Participants List” in the navigation sidebar and click “Mute All Controls” to prevent unwelcome audio. Then, on the same menu, click the “Lock Meeting” section to begin removing an unwanted participant.To prevent future unwanted events, Zoom has recently created a new K-12 program that heavily restricts screen share access to meeting attendees. They’ve also offered additional training services to equip educators for remote and hybrid learning environments that are accessible through their website.

Read the original article on FoxNews.com.A joint mission to create a coordinated sex offender registry across 15 Caribbean nations – tracking them both in that region and eventually across the world – was announced this week, urging all governments in the sector to follow in the footsteps of Trinidad and Tobago, which was the first country in the collective to pass its own laws related to convicted sex offenders.

The advocacy partnership, entitled “Operation Global Sex Offender’s Registry,” is driven by a leading sex offender registry management solution for law enforcement, OffenderWatch, along with the Caribbean Committee Against Sex Crimes (CCASC), an initiative of nonprofit Zandoli USA.

The endeavor is focused on propelling the other nations in the Caribbean Community – officially dubbed CARICOM – to implement similar bills over the course of the next year so they can create the unified registry between the Caribbean automatically coordinated with the U.S. and stop international sex crimes and child trafficking before they occur.“This is our vision —a child molester who goes into prison today and serves their sentence will be released into a world where their information is shared with almost every country in the world, and any of their attempts to solicit children on the internet can be tracked using the software,” Jonathan Bhagan, chairman of the CCASC, told Fox News.

ARIMA, Trinidad and Tobago (Sept. 15, 2020)—OffenderWatch, the leading sex offender registry management solution, and the Caribbean Committee Against Sex Crimes (CCASC), an initiative of nonprofit Zandoli USA, today announced a joint mission to implement sex offender registries across the 15 nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The sex offender registries would help fight the global crisis of sex crimes—many against children. Law enforcement worldwide would benefit from sex offender registries in CARICOM nations as it would assist in international investigations and hopefully prevent future sex crimes. OffenderWatch and Zandoli USA signed a Memorandum of Understanding that seeks to track sex offenders throughout the Caribbean and eventually across the world.CCASC works with non-profit and governmental agencies across CARICOM. All 15 CARICOM nations are at varying stages of implementing sex offender registration with Jamaica, Belize, and Trinidad and Tobago already having laws on the books.The partners envision legislative change to implement a global sex offender registration system linking law enforcement agencies worldwide through a common database application. The objective will be to reduce child sex trafficking globally by facilitating international cooperation to track registered sex offenders as they move or travel from one country to another.Nearly 18.5 million people live in the CARICOM states. Sex Crime is endemic in the Caribbean region, which has been recognized by the United Nations as one of the regions with the highest rates of sex crime globally.The Memorandum of Understanding was signed this year by OffenderWatch President Mike Cormaci, Zandoli USA’s founder, Camille St. Omer and the Chairman of the Caribbean Committee against Sex Crimes, Jonathan Bhagan. CCAC was founded by Camille St. Omer, also vice chair, and includes Gina Maharaj Attorney at Law as vice chair.The first step of the proposed project is to approach the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to initiate a pilot project establishing the country’s first operational Sex Offender Registry using technology provided by OffenderWatch.Trinidad and Tobago became the smallest country in the world to pass a public sex offender’s registry law on September 13, 2019. Judges will have the discretion to choose which offenders undergo public registration.The partnership between OffenderWatch and Zandoli USA, named “Operation Global Sex Offender’s Registry,” was inspired by the Angel Watch Center which monitors sex offenders attempting to enter or exit the United States. The Angel Watch Center was created by the passage of International Megan’s Law (IML) in the United States.Operation Global Sex Offender’s Registry is designed to enhance the effectiveness of the US International Megan’s Law to End Child Sex Trafficking (HR 515) by implementing similar policies and software in partner countries.It is expected that law enforcement worldwide will benefit in many ways from a global sex offender registration network. There is huge potential for big data, predictive policing and AI algorithms to find new ways to prevent sex crime. The primary reason behind offenders entering a country and not registering is because the country of origin lacked an ability to notify a new country of the offender’s intention to move. The new program by OffenderWatch instantly executes a notification upon entering the address of where an offender intends to travel or relocate to.On September 28, 2019 a New York Times investigative report showed there is more child pornography being detected on the internet than ever before in history. OffenderWatch and Zandoli USA believe that Operation Global Sex Offender’s Registry is part of the solution to the epidemic of child abuse imagery. Much of this imagery is produced by child sex offenders who travel abroad for the purpose of accessing vulnerable children.As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, a research paper will be produced to show the effectiveness of OffenderWatch’s software in deterring sex crimes. Special focus will be given to the International Megan’s Law to end Child Sex Trafficking, as well as the Angel Watch Center on how these measures have provided deterrence to sex offenders crossing borders.Some countries in the Caribbean do not have rape crisis shelters or proper mechanisms in place to help survivors of sexual assault report the crimes to the police and recover. Once sufficient funding is available, Operation Global Sex Offender’s Registry will aid Caribbean charities which assist survivors of sexual assault.“Given the recent economic impact of Covid-19 on the tourism-dependent economies of CARICOM, I hope that international sponsors can fund our efforts to implement cutting-edge software in the Caribbean region. A recent CARICOM study by Dr. Justine Pierre revealed how widespread Human Trafficking is in our region. We will need funding from the United States, European Union and United Kingdom for our work and for other groups fighting against sex crime and Human Trafficking in the Caribbean,” said Jonathan Bhagan, Chairman of the Caribbean Committee Against Sex Crimes.Sponsorship will be sought from governments and corporations willing to contribute towards the goal of preventing child sex trafficking and exploitation. Any government agency or corporation interested in partnering with Operation Global Sex Offender’s Registry is invited to contact globalsexoffenderregistry@gmail.com for more information.OffenderWatch is the nation's leading sex offender registration solution, with over 15,000 users at law enforcement agencies in 50 states using the technology. Local, state and federal agencies use the software to monitor offenders, communicate with other registering agencies, and immediately update the sex offender registry website and notify the community within a radius of the offender’s address. With each edit of the offender record, the OffenderWatch system automatically updates the department's sex offender listings on the department’s website and sends email notifications to the public.“We believe data shared between law enforcement agencies and countries leads to better compliance, more effective investigations and ultimately safer cities and neighborhoods,” said Mike Cormaci, President and co-founder of OffenderWatch. “When all of the countries of the Caribbean join our network, OffenderWatch will have 100% of the homes in the Caribbean covered by our reach. OffenderWatch supports more than just the legal requirements of a sex offender registry. Through improved timeliness, accuracy, and completeness, it supports the intent of the law: improved public safety through awareness—hopefully leading to fewer victims.”There are more than 900,000 registered sex offenders in the United States, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. However, agencies and countries often use disparate systems for managing sex offenders. These systems can falter when offenders move from one agency to another or from one country to another (unconnected) jurisdiction, as it falls to the offender to notify the new agency by showing up at their offices to register. This can be an opportunity for an offender to “fall through the cracks” of the registry. OffenderWatch prevents this by automatically notifying and sharing records with destination agencies within the network. All relevant data from all sources and agencies is maintained in a single offender record, improving accuracy, offender accountability, and aiding in public safety.OffenderWatch will also allow local agencies to easily send real-time alerts to the public when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood. The service is available at no cost to the public, and people can sign up to receive email or mail notifications associated with any address-at home, school, work, gym, day care, a park, or more.As this collaboration with 15 networked countries of the Caribbean improves and streamlines offender management and public awareness, safety in the community is also enhanced, “With the OffenderWatch technologies, CARICOM governments will be able to focus more on protecting the public and less on time-consuming administrative work,” said Camille St. Omer and Jonathan Bhagan of the CCASC.Using OffenderWatch, all the countries of the Caribbean can instantly share records with each other and any other registering agency in the OffenderWatch within the network. Instead of spending hours researching each new offender and locating old court and registration documents, any country can instantly obtain the full historical record of the offender, packed with related documents and images. This information is vital as registry officers can collaborate with other agencies on child abductions and investigations of absconded offenders. OffenderWatch also connects the agency to improve collaboration with other investigators, all enhancing public safety. Additionally, residents of the Caribbean will have access through websites to search the full Caribbean OffenderWatch network for information on offenders to get the information they need to help keep their families safe in their physical as well as online activities.In today’s environment of ubiquitous technology, law enforcement must also focus on online safety. According to Camille and Jonathan of CCASC, “Sexual predators are unfortunately becoming an increased threat online, especially as kids are on the web more at home while sheltering in place. With a Global Sex Offender’s Registry system police in Trinidad can notify law enforcement in the United States if a Sex Offender resident in the USA is soliciting children in Trinidad in person or online. The end result is improved safety.”According to UNICEF an estimated 223 million children, 10 percent of the world's children, have been sexually assaulted; this includes 150 million girls and 73 million boys. Two million children are victims of sex trafficking or pornography.In 2019, there were more than 45 million images of children being sexually abused online, according to an investigation by the New York Times. Plus, tips reporting online child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children more than doubled from March 2019 to March 2020. Through the OffenderWatch partnership, CCASC will advocate for CARICOM to be the first group of countries to offer OffenderWatch Safe Virtual Neighborhood (SVN), an app coming soon after the countries fully deploy and integrate within the network, that will proactively alert parents to online contact from registered sex offenders. While registered offenders are required to provide their electronic communications identifiers to be included in the sex offender registry database, this information is non-published, so is generally not available to the public. SVN continually monitors and compares users’ online contacts vs. this non-public data (email address, phone numbers, and registered online user ID’s) and alerts subscribers such as parents to contact law enforcement if a match is identified. Additionally, SVN issues an alert for when a users’ static physical location is an address matching that of a sex offender. This breakthrough technology helps keep kids safe by alerting parents of attempts by an offender in the network to electronically communicate with or lure a child.The partnership of CCASC and the OffenderWatch network of agencies streamlines the Sex Offender Registry process, improves community awareness, and supports the efforts of the countries of the Caribbean to continuously improve public safety. To learn more about OffenderWatch and sign up for email alerts on offenders, visit www.offenderwatch.com.

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ABOUT OFFENDERWATCHThere are nearly 900,000 registered sex offenders in the United States. Many states have different systems for tracking these offenders, making it difficult for agencies to update records when offenders cross state lines. OffenderWatch works with law enforcement agencies to provide registry software and tools to easily communicate information to the public. Founded in 2000 in Covington, La. under the Watch Systems company, OffenderWatch provides a variety services to sheriffs’ offices, police departments, Attorney Generals’ offices, U.S. Marshal judicial districts, U.S. attorneys, federal and state probation and parole agents, department of corrections, Indian tribes, and more. In 2018, OffenderWatch partnered with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Canada to manage the Canadian National Sex Offender Registry. In 2019, OffenderWatch launched a new, groundbreaking technology, OffenderWatch Safe Virtual Neighborhood. The mobile app identifies online contact from registered sex offenders through a child’s smartphone device, instantly alerting parents to the communication. Learn more at OffenderWatch.com.ABOUT CARIBBEAN COMMITTEE AGAINST SEX CRIMES & ZANDOLI USAThe Caribbean Committee Against Sex Crimes is an Initiative of Zandoli USA. It has advocated regionally for Sex Offender Registration and for all Caribbean governments to ensure that survivors of sex crimes are offered the support and rehabilitation that they need. The Caribbean Committee Against Sex Crimes is led by Chairman, Jonathan Bhagan and Vice-Chairperson, Gina Maharaj.

When Officer Slade Bailey of the Salt Lake City Police Department began to register a sex offender who had moved into his jurisdiction, he discovered the offender had previously been registered in several other states that also use the OffenderWatch network of registries. The offender also claimed to have resided in Louisiana for five years, but there was no record in the name he provided. Officer Bailey made a quick call to Scott Freeman at OffenderWatch because he knew Scott was also an active duty Deputy in Louisiana.Deputy Freeman, who is also a territory manager with OffenderWatch, was not able to find any records of the offender living in Louisiana in the names provided. Deputy Freeman then contacted Assistant Attorney General Erica McLellan with the Louisiana Attorney General’s office to assist. McLellan provided more information on the offender, including the legal name, and an outstanding arrest warrant in Louisiana. Deputy Freeman was able to find the record in OffenderWatch and right-click on it to share it with Officer Bailey via secure system message.Based on the new information provided in the Louisiana offender record, Officer Bailey discovered several additional Adam Walsh Act violations and is preparing a Federal case to present to the US Marshals.Thanks to the collaboration of Deputy Freeman, Assistant AG McLellan, and Officer Blade, the Salt Lake City PD was able to stop a violating offender.

Here is how to better prepare your sex offender registry for when disaster hits your community.

Our law enforcement partners have taught us plenty about responding to disasters and monitoring registered sex offenders during a disruptive event. From their experience, we have crafted a checklist to help registering agencies prepare for monitoring sex offenders who may become displaced during a disaster. Make sure the registry is part of your agency disaster plan.

Download the SOR Disaster Prep Checklist 

We are proud to partner with the professionals who work tirelessly to protect the public through wildfires, floods, tornados, riots, pandemics, and hurricanes. We are proud to share some of their stories:

Wildfire - Butte County Sheriff’s Office in Oroville, CA, found being prepared extremely useful during the tragic Camp Fire wildfire

Riots - How Baltimore PD Ran a Mobile Field Registry During the 2015 Riots.  

Pandemic - St. Johns County, FL Uses OffenderWatch Mobile to Verify Addresses During Pandemic

BPD used a registry go-box and a cell phone to monitor registered sex offenders during crises

In April of 2015, the Baltimore Police Department faced repeated protests over the case of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody. Residents of Baltimore protested in front of Police Headquarters and City Hall. The BPD is the 8th largest municipal police force in the United States. Their response was measured but all available officers were involved, including sworn registry staff.The BPD monitors over 1500 active registered sex offenders. Registered offenders were calling the registry saying they were hesitant to come near the department’s registry lobby entrance for their required reregistration because several streets nearby were involved in protests for weeks. Detective Sergeant Adam Kirhagis who supervised the BPD Sex Offender Registry Unit Most sworn registry staff were deployed outside of the department in support of police lines. “Most of these offenders want to do the right thing and get in to reregister and get out, “said Kirhagis. “We called offenders who were up for reregistration and gave them an address where it was safe for us to meet. I had my laptop with internet access through my cell phone and set up shop on the back of a squad car.” Kirhagis kept a “go-box” with about 50 copies of BPD registration, duty to register, and change of address forms and a stack of index cards. “When an offender came to my new field registry,” Kirhagis explained, “I would write his name and reg. number on an index card and hand it to him. I took his picture with the OffenderWatch Mobile App, so it was in the record and it was also stored on the phone with his name and identifier right in the photo.” During this period of civil unrest, there was no increase in noncompliant offenders. Kirhagis was instrumental in helping to develop guidelines for other agencies.

Download the SOR Disaster Prep Checklist. 

In 2019, Detective Sergeant Adam Kirhagis retired from BPD and joined OffenderWatch. While at the Baltimore Police Department, Kirhagis supervised the Sex Offender Registry Unit registering, managing, and tracking Baltimore's 1500+ registered sex offenders. He supervised a team of 6 detectives investigating crimes against children while managing a multi-disciplinary approach from complaint to prosecution. As a Territory Manager at OffenderWatch, he can leverage his 29 years of law enforcement experience to help registering agencies develop best practices in sex offender management, collaborative investigations, and public notification.

The Highlands County Sheriff’s Officein Sebring, FL, and the United States Marshals Service, in conjunction with the Highlands Probation Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, conducted Operation Disconnect, which led to 37 arrests across Highlands County, FL. Of those arrested, 26 were registered sex offenders who were either banned from having internet access at all or who failed to report their internet usage to the sheriff's office, as part of their probation. Each failure to report is a felony offense.The investigation also revealed several subjects with active warrants in Special Victims Unit cases. Highland County Sheriff’s Office launched the operation to confirm sex offenders had reported their email addresses and social media identifiers as required by Floridalaw.Highland Countywill be offering the much anticipated OffenderWatch Safe Virtual Neighborhood app to help parents concerned about their children being contacted by sex offenders online. Knowing theoffender’sinternet identifiers, together withtheOffenderWatchapp, parentscanbe alerted when their children are contacted by offenders.

Is Your Child at Risk Online?  5 Questions for Parents 

Prior tothe operation, the sheriff’s officerequested assistance fromOffenderWatchto obtain a list of offenders who moved into theirjurisdictionfrom out of state over a two-year period.Using that list, the Sheriff’s office was able to confirm that those relocating offenders were properly registered and arrested two offenders who were non-compliant.In August 2020, thejoint agencies received subpoenas to allow a full searchoftheoffenders’ person,placeand property,including electronic devices.In preparing for the operation,thesheriff’s office usedOffenderWatchtosearch for allsexoffenders on probation, collectingtheir reported email,phone,and social media information, along withhome, school and workaddressesand other information.“If I had to compile this information on my own, it would have tripled my time,” said Sgt.Steven Ritenour with the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit.Investigatorsused thisinfo(privacy data was removed)to provide alistof offenderinternetidentifiersand phone numbersas part of subpoenasto several social media (i.e. Snapchat, Google, Facebook and Twitter) and phoneproviders.Subscriber informationfrom these subpoenaswas cross-checked against the informationprovided by the offender in the OffenderWatch system and discrepancies noted. The tactical teams executed search warrants andarrested 37 people for over 100 violations and charges.During the operation,electronic devices such as phones, computers and gaming devices were examined for unregistered accounts,which is a violation of the terms of their probation.As a result of the publicityreceived from theoperation,several offenders have come into the office to update their information or turned themselves in.Thesheriff's officehas also received more community tips throughOffenderWatch,andthey expect more arrests to follow.“OffenderWatchwas key. If not for it, I probablywouldn’thave done this operation,” said Sgt.Ritenour.Theoperation was a huge success.Highlands County Sheriff’s Officewasable to effectively track offender movements across jurisdictions, accessoffender recordsvery quickly,produceinformationneeded toobtainwarrants andsubpoenas,conductjointoperations, andeasilyshare informationwithpartner agencies.OffenderWatchsaved many hours byallowingthem to searchfor offenders nationally,reportand export dataon offenders, centralize the collection of investigativefindings,share records with other agencies, and the US Marshals. The net result led to multiple arrests.By enforcing the Floridastatutesrequiring the reporting ofphone numbers, email addresses and social media internet identifiers,Highland County Sheriff’s Office can offer an effectivechild online safety program using theOffenderWatch Safe Virtual Neighborhood App.Contact usto learn more.References:Highlands County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit, in-person interviewwithSgt. Steven Ritenour.Usmarshals.gov. 2020. U.S. Marshals, Law Enforcement Partners Conduct Sex Offender Operation In Southern Florida. Available at: https://www.usmarshals.gov/news/chron/2020/082520.htm.FOX 35 Orlando. 2020. More Than Two Dozen Registered Sex Offenders Arrested For Improper Online Activity In Highlands County. Available at: https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/more-than-two-dozen-registered-sex-offenders-arrested-for-improper-online-activity-in-highlands-county.

The average person has over 45 apps.  Parents should look out for these potentially dangerous apps on their child's phone.

ASKfm is a social media app that encourages people to allow anonymous users to ask them questions. It is known for cyber-bullying, trolling, swatting, and encouraging suicidal behaviors. Avoid this app. Badoo is an adult dating app. While age restrictions are listed, it is easy for a curious teen to create a profile to meet older people online. Bumble is another dating apps for adults, but teens still find ways to join. Bigo Live is a live streaming app. Users can keep a video diary (vlog), live stream while playing video games, and host their own shows. There is no age verification and users must provide their age and location. Bullying, nudity, violence, and profanity is common. Calculator Apps are a group apps disguised as calculators that allow kids to hide their photos, videos, and their browser history from you. Grindr is a dating app for the LGBTQ community. Users can share photos, send messages, and meet up based on the phone’s GPS location. Holla is a video chat app that allows users to post videos and connect with strangers in their area. It is easy to fake age and can put your child at risk of interacting and meeting with predators. Hot or Not rates users on attractiveness. There is no age verification and users can send each other messages. Kik Messenger i s a messaging app specifically for kids, where users' profile pictures appear in a little bubble next to their text, and they can quickly text photos, sketches, or even pre-designed greeting cards. But anyone can join so anyone can contact or direct message your child. LiveMe is a live streaming app, but you do not know who is watching. Your child can be exposed to inappropriate content, with strangers, and your kid’s location is revealed. Look is a live video and text messaging app that also encourages users to connect with strangers nearby. Strangers can message kids easily, and since there are no content filters, kids can come across inappropriate content. MeetMe is mostly a dating app where your child can easily be in contact with users much older than them. Skout is a flirting app that is used to meet and chat with new people. Teens and adults are in different groups, but ages are not verified. SnapChat allows users to send messages, photos and videos that disappear after they are received. Kids may use the app to send racy pics because they believe the images cannot be saved and circulated. But users can take a screenshot before the image vanishes in the app. It also includes a map of other users that may result in messaging or meetings with people your child does not know. TikTok has recently become very popular for sharing user-created videos that can contain bad words and mature content. Tinder is a dating or an anonymous hook-up locator used by 20-somethings, college students, and even younger teens. Users view each other’s photos and can send messaging to arrange a meeting. This app puts kids at risk for catfishing, sexual harassment, stalking, and worse. Tellonym is a messenger app that allows kids to ask and answer questions anonymously. It is extremely popular in middle schools and high schools and has been linked to cyberbullying, violent threats, and sexual content. IMVU is an Instant Messaging Virtual Universe, where users interact with each other as avatars.All profiles are public. Sexual talk often occurs, and nudity and sexual encounters are found in areas that are for 18 and older. The Chat Now feature randomly pairs users and can lead to inappropriate interactions. There can be bullying and predators trying to get other users to share their phone numbers and to send pictures. Houseparty lets friends communicate with live video and texts in chat groups. You can create a “live” place to connect on and off throughout the day or meet people secretively. There is no screening and the video is live, so there's nothing to keep kids from inappropriate content. Voxer is a push-to-talk walkie-talkie app that allows users to quickly exchange short voice messages and chats. Although mostly used by adults and people using it for their job, is becoming popular with teens. However, cyberbullying can be more when spoken and can be played repeatedly. WhatsApp is an online phone app for making calls and text messages without using a phone carrier. It comes with unlimited talk, text, video, and picture sharing that is unmonitored. Whisper is an app where kids can share feelings and secrets without filtering while remaining anonymous. But it can reveal your child’s location for a meetup.

Houston PD Can Now Easily Share Data, Collaborate on Investigations with Harris County Sheriff’s Office & Other States

COVINGTON, La. (Sept. 2, 2020)—The Houston Police Department is the 34th major city in the U.S. to join the nationwide OffenderWatch sex offender registry network, adding more than 6,000 sex offender records to the database. By partnering with OffenderWatch, Houston PD will now be able to easily collaborate on investigations and share critical information involving registered sex offenders with not only the Harris County Sheriff's Office, but also with more than 3,000 other local law enforcement agencies across the country. Houston PD monitors more than 6,000 registered sex offenders.“When a registered offender moves from outside the city of Houston in Harris County to a city of Houston address, now registering officers won't have to spend time reentering data-because the offender record is seamlessly shared from one agency to another. All records in OffenderWatch transfer instantly to the new jurisdiction, saving us time and improving data accuracy,” said Chief of Police Art Acevedo. “With thousands of sex offenders moving in and out of the city and state every year, the new technology can save us time and improve our investigations by searching other agencies files.”**Houston residents can search for sex offenders or sign up for email alerts on the Houston PD website: https://www.houstontx.gov/police/sex_offender_databases/index.htm**OffenderWatch is the nation's leading sex offender registration solution, with law enforcement agencies in 37 states using the technology and over 15,000 users. Local and state agencies use the software to monitor offenders, communicate with other agency personnel and execute instant community notifications based on a radial address.It is estimated that by using OffenderWatch, the Houston PD can save more than 2,000 officer hours by instantly sharing records with Harris County and other registering agencies in the metro area. Houston PD will be able to collaborate in real time with other agencies on investigations and offender record details. The system will also automatically update the department's sex offender listings on the website and send email notifications to the public. OffenderWatch also allows the agency to better collaborate on investigations with the U.S. Marshals, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) teams and other investigators.“We believe data shared between law enforcement agencies leads to better investigations and safer cities and counties,” said Mike Cormaci, president and co-founder of OffenderWatch. “With Houston joining our network, OffenderWatch now has more than 50 percent of the nation's children covered by our reach—hopefully leading to fewer victims.”There are more than 900,000 registered sex offenders in the United States, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. However, agencies often use disparate systems for managing sex offenders. OffenderWatch allows different law enforcement agencies to collaborate on a single offender record, improving accuracy and aiding in public safety.OffenderWatch will also allow local agencies to easily send real-time alerts to the public when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood. The service is available at no cost to the public, and people can sign up to receive email or mail notifications associated with any address-at home, school, work, gym, day care, a park, or more.

Leanna Ristow and Amy Heetland, both support specialists for Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office, Washington, work together to maximize the full gamut of automated capabilities of OffenderWatch’s online sex offender registry software. They routinely gather all the data required by state and federal statutes, then pack the record with information useful to investigators. They collect the offenders’ home, work and school addresses, address verification history, vehicles, case and registration forms, mug shot photos, photos of scars, marks and tattoos, and internet identifiers. Recently, they were able to provide over 12 years of information on two different sex offenders who failed to re-register as a part of their court mandate within the past year.In both cases, these Level III sex offenders failed to check-in with their local police department as required by state sex offender statutes. Due to their history and the nature of their convictions, both offenders are considered a potential threat to their surrounding communities.Because registering agencies can share records through OffenderWatch, agencies save a significant amount of time on research and data entry. Grays Harbor County had immediate access to the offender’s comprehensive record including information from previous agencies where the offender was registered. With this information, they ensure that offenders remained compliant, or in this case, they can easily begin an investigation to obtain a warrant for non-compliance.

According to Ristow, “OffenderWatch is a great database for managing and keeping track of our offenders. I couldn’t do without it.” The program “has allowed us to go completely paperless” in their efforts to find missing offenders.

To learn more information about the OffenderWatch Network, contact OffenderWatch.

When a sex offender made plans to relocate from Jacksonville County, Florida, to Dougherty County, Georgia, Sgt. Kerce in Dougherty County received an instant notification from OffenderWatch to be on the lookout for the offender. When the offender reported to the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office, instead of creating a new offender record from scratch, Sgt. Kerce conducted a national search for the offender using OffenderWatch’s national network. He found files for the offender from three separate agencies who had previously managed the offender. Sgt. Kerce copied and merged the files to create a single packed offender record full of historical data and investigative notes dating back to 2008.Without OffenderWatch, agencies who register relocating offenders must contact all the previous registries and ask for copies of documents, photos, and records by email or fax.

“I would have had to wait possibly weeks to receive the records and info from other agencies,” said Sgt. Kerce.“Instead, with OffenderWatch, everything was instant.”

Plus, many agencies charge to copy and send offender records—costing vital agency dollars.Dougherty County SO also uses OffenderWatch to automatically update a scrolling report displayed on public lobby monitors. The report is updated as soon as the offender record is created/updated and displayed on a monitor/screen in public lobbies. Before OffenderWatch, Sgt. Kerce no longer had to print copies of offender reports and drive to other locations in the county, to place in a binder or on a board with the updated offender information.“I’d love to see the state using OffenderWatch as the repository for all sex offender records in the state of Georgia,” Sgt. Kerce said.Learn more about saving time and agency budget using cumulative electronic records throughout the OffenderWatch network.

Is your child at risk online? Here are five questions for parents to reduce the risk that your child would become a victim of online exploitation, sextortion, or sex trafficking.  

What is your child’s age and gender?

• Teens and preteens (11-15) are most vulnerable as they are most curious about sex and most naïve about predators.
• Girls are targeted and exploited 5 times more than boys.
• Talk to her about making friends online and sharing photos. 

Have you reviewed the apps, messages, calls, and images on your child’s phone?

• Look for unusually suggestive images or conversations. Talk about it with your child.
• Do her conversations include new slang, or her appearance become overly sexualized?
• Does your child not allow access to her device? Is she becoming isolated or hiding their device?

Is your child meeting new ‘friends’ that they’ve only known through the Internet?

• Does she know them in real life? Do they strive to get many followers or to become famous?
• Does she have a new boyfriend —particularly an older one? Is she hiding a boyfriend or not willing to introduce family or friends to him?
• Is she prone to run away, perhaps to meet her friend?

Have you searched for dangerous apps on your child’s phone?

• Predators know which apps parents screen and will move the conversation with your child to another account or a secret chat app. Look for these 20+ Most Dangerous Apps
• Does your child have a second device and/or multiple accounts on social media?
• Consider getting apps that detect dangerous apps, monitor app use, and do location tracking with alerts, like the OffenderWatch SVN App.

Have you had a conversation with your child on online safety, how they choose friends, and how to respond should anyone make them feel uncomfortable or suggest something inappropriate?

• Review these Tips for Talking to children about sex offenders. 
• Is your Child at Risk Online? Consider checking for offenders nearby, and monitoring the movement and communication of your child with the OffenderWatch SVN App.
• If you suspect abuse, immediately contact local law enforcement office or dial 911 or contact the CyberTipline 1-800-THE LOST.

OffenderWatch tracked more than 20,000 relocations last year of registered sex offenders as they change addresses across jurisdictions. Tracking homeless offenders is particularly challenging for law enforcement charged with verifying each sex offender’s address. This spring, a homeless sex offender registered in Oklahoma City, OK, informed Oklahoma City PD of his intention to move to Elko County, NV but provided no new address. Oklahoma PD also made notes of the offender’s plan to receive a motorhome from his brother upon arriving. The offender subsequently purchased a bus ticket to Nevada but did not immediately check in with the Sheriff’s office upon arrival.The OffenderWatch Territory Manager working with both Oklahoma and Nevada registering agencies noticed the Oklahoma PD notes. Heather Carter, the registrar at Elko County Sheriff’s Office, sent patrol and detectives to look for the offender based on information provided in the record by Oklahoma PD. The investigative team found the homeless offender and registered him as required by statute.By obtaining the offender’s record through the OffenderWatch Network, Elko County found investigative notes in the record to assist them in locating the offender in their community. They also had less data entry to do and now retain the cumulative offender record from Oklahoma. Elko County now easily knows the original offender conviction information without spending hours on the phone with the out of state agency and out of state courthouse.Registrar Carter said, “This is so cool that we can gather information from other states.”Contact us to learn more about OffenderWatch today.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (WDCI) is the statewide body that oversees more than 2,000 registered sex offenders in the state. Per federal law, every state must report their registered sex offenders to the national sex offender registry (NSOR) through the FBI National Crime Information Center (NCIC). “States are required to upload complete sex offender records within 72 hours, and those sex offender records get audited by the FBI every three years,” said Jeff Matthews, former CJIS Systems Officer for the state of Alabama, and NCIC consultant at OffenderWatch. “Having up-to-date records packed with information is important because NCIC is used by all U.S. law enforcement agencies in criminal investigations,” Matthews said. In fact, states using OffenderWatch NCIC Sync are above 95% acceptance rates—well above the national average.

Wyoming’s Old Way: Hours of Collecting, Checking and Double Entry of Data

For states without OffenderWatch, entering sex offender records into a database and updating them again into NCIC is a tedious, labor-intensive, manual process. Prior to joining the OffenderWatch Network, WDCI would spend hundreds of hours and multiple state agency team members’ time manually keying in sex offender data to the FBI system using a special NCIC terminal. “[The old way] took forever. Our workers were always backlogged on it,” said Jenny Stalo, records analyst with WDCI who now oversees the state’s registry. Local agencies also had different ways of reporting their registry data to the state: Some emailed data, while others scanned, printed, and mailed it. The process of collecting offender data and getting it entered into NCIC was an inefficient mess.

The Old Way: More Hours Manually Validating Aged Records

“If a sex offender’s record is not updated every 12 months, it’s like the record has gone stale and the FBI requires the record to be manually validated again,” said Matthews. This is a laborious process of checking the original sources and updating information in the NCIC terminal. A validation can take two hours per record, and the state of Wyoming was doing hundreds of NCIC validations each year. Larger states can spend countless hours just updating and validating NCIC records.

Joining OffenderWatch: A Statewide Collaborative Solution

In 2014, the state of Wyoming joined the OffenderWatch Network and included OffenderWatch NCIC Sync. WDCI provided the OffenderWatch registry software to all registering agencies in the state. Now each county follows the same process of registering and tracking their sex offenders and has a local community awareness program. The offenders are required to check in with the local registry annually, and the agencies also verify the offender’s address. All of this activity is logged in OffenderWatch.Every time any local registry adds or edits an OffenderWatch record in Wyoming, the WDCI registry and website is automatically updated, and that record is then synced to the FBI through OffenderWatch NCIC Sync. OffenderWatch NCIC Sync automatically syncs data easily and accurately, saving time and streamlining work.

WDCI Today: Timely, Accurate, and Packed Records

“When an agency outside of the OffenderWatch Network uses a terminal to type in a record and submits it to NCIC, the record gets rejected about 40% of the time,” Matthews said. “It’s hard to manually type all those descriptions and VIN numbers in the right format without a typo.”“Without OffenderWatch, our jobs would be much more difficult, and it would be easier to make errors,” Stalo said. “But OffenderWatch makes it very easy to update offender data just one time—saving time and ensuring the data is accurate.”Jenny Stalo is a national leader in using OffenderWatch to sync data to NCIC. Through her work, Wyoming has saved hundreds of hours of employee time. Stalo has optimized her work using OffenderWatch to improve accuracy and reporting the state sex offender data in a timely manner. Under Jenny Stalo’s leadership, NCIC has approved nearly all WDCI’s data without any data rejections—a feat not met by most states.“I’ve observed rejection rates as high as 60% at states updating NCIC manually. And they are usually just adding the minimal amount of data. Those states using OffenderWatch NCIC Sync are above 95% acceptance and they pack the records,” said Matthews, “and Jenny is over 98%. She’s a rock star.”Local agencies work closely with WDCI to ensure data is updated seamlessly.

Dramatically Cuts Time Performing Validations

OffenderWatch has dramatically reduced the time spent doing manual NCIC validations. All offenders must check in at least annually, those convicted of most serious crimes must check in every three months. The local registries schedule checks and update their records using OffenderWatch. “With each check, the record is updated at NCIC automatically, so the record never gets stale,” Matthews said.With OffenderWatch, Wyoming has seen the number of offender records that must be validated reduced by half each month, again saving significant employee time. “The only validations we seem to get now are from registered offenders who have left Wyoming and went to another state that does not keep up with NCIC, or the offender is not required to register in that state,” said Stalo.

Simplified FBI Audits

Twelve states use OffenderWatch NCIC Sync to pack the records at NCIC, keep them up to date, and enjoy efficiencies in use of manpower. “Every three years an FBI auditor comes out to review the process of how the offender data originates, gets entered and updated to NCIC. They check that the record is complete, accurate, and submitted in a timely fashion,” said Matthews. “With OffenderWatch NCIC Sync, states can be assured the record is not only complete, but also packed with critical information, and it gets to NCIC almost immediately.”OffenderWatch connects registering agencies to the largest network of sex offender data in the country. The system can sync records in real time with NCIC, Exchange Portal, NSOPW, the US Marshals Service, as well other state systems. For her incredible work with NCIC, Stalo received a National Certificate of Merit from OffenderWatch in spring 2020. As a member of the OffenderWatch Customer Advisory Board, Stalo has been instrumental in enhancing and testing improvements in NCIC automation that benefit all 12 states using OffenderWatch NCIC Sync. Jenny Stalo received national recognition for her role in managing data on the states 2,100 registered active sex offenders.OffenderWatch connects your agency to the largest network of sex offender data in the country. The system syncs in real time with NCIC, Exchange Portal, NSOPW, the US Marshals Service, as well as many other state systems, saving significant time and reducing errors.

Citizens are encouraged to submit tips about registered sex offenders through their local law enforcement or state sex offender registry website. OffenderWatch hosts public portals for law enforcement that make it easy for citizens to search for sex offenders in their neighborhood, register for email alerts should an offender move into their neighborhood, and submit tips about sex offenders. Tips from citizens often help law enforcement investigate and ensure that registered sex offenders remain compliant with their terms of registration.In early July 2020, a Utah citizen filed an anonymous tip through the Utah Dept of Corrections Sex and Kidnap Offender Notification and Registration (SONAR) website hosted by OffenderWatch. The tip was that a registered sex offender was on a social media app used by children and was following underage girls. Because the offender was registered in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Salt Lake City Police Department was automatically alerted of the tip through the OffenderWatch Network. The original tip and subsequent investigator’s notes are available in the offender record within OffenderWatch to support the ongoing investigation, interagency operations, obtaining a warrant, or involvement of the US Marshals.As a best practice, Salt Lake City PD routinely and immediately assigns all tips on sex offenders for investigation and shares that information through OffenderWatch to the Parole Officer (if assigned), the Sheriff’s Office and other participating local PD. As a result, they have great success in making timely arrests from the tips received.After following up on the tip, the Salt Lake City PD arrested the offender less than two weeks later—and the offender is currently in jail.

“I wish all agencies took [tips] more seriously and captured all of the details in the investigative notes. This is very important for investigative purposes,” said Det. Slade Bailey, OIC, Special Victims Unit, Salt Lake City PD. “We’ve had lots of success from [OffenderWatch] tips received this year.”

According to Det. Bailey, OffenderWatch allows his office to review historical information and gain some perspective of the offenders who may be coming into their area. As for the tips, OffenderWatch offers a consistent and organized way to capture and track tips received and all follow-up actions. Additionally, OffenderWatch allows agencies to quickly share information to aid in any investigative effort. When agencies follow up on tips quickly, arrests can often be made much faster, he said.

=One benefit of being in theOffenderWatch Network is automatically receiving notifications when offenders move in or out of your jurisdiction. However, oftentimes agencies that are not using OffenderWatch do not know when offenders move into their jurisdiction—and thus sex offenders can fly “under-the-radar" for a period of time until communication catches up. This would have been the case in Bentonville, Arkansas, if not for OffenderWatch. A sex offender notified his previous registering agency in Illinois of his intent to move to Bentonville. However, since the Bentonville Police Department wasn’t using OffenderWatch, they did not receive an instant notification about the offender headed their way. The offender had moved to Bentonville and was there for several days, without being registered with the police departments is required by state statutes. The OffenderWatch team noticed the offender movement and contacted Bentonville PD to ensure they knew an offender had moved into the jurisdiction. From there, an investigation was initiated, OffenderWatch data was provided, a warrant was obtained, and the offender was arrested for failure to register and jailed. Learn how registering agencies join the OffenderWatch Network to receive timely notifications about offender movements ,ensure accountability and compliance across jurisdictions, share offender records, and collaborate on interagency investigations.

While most locallaw enforcement agencies operate withinasinglejurisdiction,someoperate under much more complexarrangements. This can often create problems for agenciesmanaging registered sex offenders inoverlappingjurisdictions. ConsidertheTown ofQueen CreekArizona. Currently, Queen Creek is in the process of establishing its police department.Whilethe town of Queen Creekrests within Pima County, Arizona,the town has contracted withMaricopa County law enforcement in its stead. When an offender moves into a new county, they must immediately register with the receiving county’s law enforcement according to the terms of their sentencing. Although it is a straightforward process, this can be complicated when jurisdictions intersect, making it harder for both law enforcement and offenders to fulfill their legal obligations.Thankfully, both Maricopa and Pima Counties are partneredwithOffenderWatch. When an offender moved to Queen Creekearlierthis year,he had toreport toMaricopatobe registered withPima.But bothPima and Maricopa were able to instantly communicate with each other toensurethe appropriate registration.“The system messages keep me informed when [the offender] has complied with Maricopa County as required,” says Detective Amy Blackwell from Pima County Sheriff’s Office.OffenderWatchallows partnered agencies to maintain an extensive historical file on each registered offender, which can be updated,accessed, and discussed in real-time.Arizona is one of 21 statewideimplementationsofOffenderWatchthatenablescollaboration between agenciesandtrackingand sharing of recordsbetweenjurisdictions.Contact OffenderWatchto learn more abouthow agencies across the country are saving time and resources with the OffenderWatch Network.

On Thursday, July 11, authorities from Shawnee County,Kansas,conducted ahistoricsweep, resulting in the arrests ofeightoffenders, most of whomwere non-compliant with court-ordered requirements.With the help ofOffenderWatch’snationalnetworkof sex offender managementtools, over 50 law enforcement, parole and probation officers worked together toresearch over 200 registered sex offenders in Kansas. The operation was to check compliance with the Kansas Offender Registration Act identified and arrest violators of that act,ensureoffenders were complying with requirements of parole or probation, and arrest people wanted on outstanding warrants.Shawnee County Sheriff Brian C. Hill’s office and the U.S. Marshal’s Service co-directed the operation, and the multi-agency sweep involvedthe Topeka Police Department, Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office, Kansas Department of Corrections, Shawnee County Department of Corrections, U.S. Probation Office and 3rdJudicial District Court Services.Together they performed 233 compliance checks which resulted in eight arrests, six of whomwere registered sex offenders.During the sweep, they also removed three children in need of care from a household and gathered information that resulted in the sheriff’s office’s opening up three new investigations into offender registration violation cases.  SergeantAaron Riveraof Shawnee Countywho oversees the Sex Offender Registry unit said that OffenderWatch’s “search and export feature was very useful and saved us a bunch of time. It allowed us to share information amongst the various agencies.” Withoneclick, an offender record can be shared with the United States Marshals Servicefor immediate help in locating absconded offenders, Adam Walsh Act violation arrests, or performing compliance and enforcement operations.The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office had immediate access to the offenders’ comprehensive records and any previous agencies where the offender was registered. Without OffenderWatch, the combined agencies would have had to spend time contacting the registering agencies where the offenders previously lived, waiting on records and information to bemailed or faxed—a process that often results in days or weeks of time lost.Shawnee County immediately accessedand sharedthe offenders’ extensive historical records with their partnered agencies, saving significanttime. Thanks to the robust record system, the agencies already have the offenders’addresses, phone numbers and original conviction information documentedin an easy to read format.“Offender registration forms were very organized and easy to follow,” says Rivera. “Everyone, including those who had never seen them before, could easily follow and find out what they’re looking for.”With this information, they can ensure the offender remains compliant, or in the case of Shawnee County,beginthe processto obtain a warrant for non-compliancewith ease.Learn more about how OffenderWatch can help streamline your agency's offender registry.