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1,000 feet? 500 feet? 300 feet? How many feet is a sex offender from your child's school? An Eyewitness News Investigation continues Friday at 10. Click Here to Watch the Promo!- - - - - -
Debbie Dujanovic Reporting
Sex offenders on the move. We show you how they're beating the system, right under our noses. Our Investigation exposes a widespread problem that could affect your family's safety.
In Utah there are 7,000 registered sex offenders. Half are under the watchful eyes of probation officers and prison guards, but 3,500 are on their own.
Maybe you think you know where they live in your neighborhood. We're going to show you why you don't. Our investigation exposes the secret ways sex offenders infiltrate your neighborhood and you might not figure it out.
Nora Gallegos, Concerned Parent: "It's terrifying. It's really, really frightening."
We begin by tracking 80 offenders with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's office.
Sgt. Manny Lassig, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office: "It was sex abuse of a child."
Detectives make sure offenders complying with the state's sex offender registry, a public website that posts their addresses, cars and crimes.
Det. Janet Bell-Morley, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office: "A lot of them have been surprised we're checking on them."
Sgt. Manny Lassig: "He filled out the last registration falsely."
We find cars not listed and threats to defy the law.
Unidentified Registered Sex Offender: "I don't want it to go on the news. Please, this would cause a lot of problems."
Sgt. Manny Lassig: "You need to renew your drivers license."
Registered Sex Offender: "Every year? $20 a year, I'll let it expire."
And we uncovered something else you need to know.
Producedr: "Are they too close for comfort David?"
David Eldridge, Concerned Parent: "Yeah, they are actually way too close."
Our research reveals a lot of offenders are brilliant at working the system. We reviewed hundreds of documents and found dozens of them moving in and out of neighborhoods before you have time to figure it out.
Others have found a way to make their lives easier -- they're moving to Utah. We've become a magnet for sex offenders.
We uncover just how slick they are by tracking addresses for 75 offenders. We discover 20 sex offenders listed a total of 120 Utah addresses.
In the decade since one abused a child, he's lived in Magna, Midvale, Salt Lake, Sandy and South Jordan.
Another pedophile has had six addresses in six years, all in Salt Lake.
Another registered offender says the pattern is a sign, he fears the worst.
David Harr, Registered Sex Offender: "It's important to stop because you know you're never going to fill that hole that's inside you, never. It will always be empty. Until you fill that hole inside yourself, you're going to hurt people the rest of your life."
That's why West Jordan police are worried.
Det. Randy Anglesey, West Jordan PD: "In fact, one of them moved on the 19th. We had 153 sex offenders. Once we started to do our compliance checks, we noticed some started moving out of the city. Now we're down to 96."
Three offenders in one home scattered to three other Utah cities. They're not only moving around, they're moving in.
Using the offender database, in minutes we pinpoint a dozen who did their crimes in other states and now find Utah a good place to call home.
Sgt. Manny Lassig's tracking one.
Sgt. Manny Lassig: "I can't find him. I checked the address; he's not there. He was there, moved in, moved out."
Machelle Rodriguez, Utah Department of Corrections: "We do have inquiries on a regular basis from sex offenders living in another state."
Machelle Rodriguez runs the sex offender registry. Some call and register. She believes countless others have moved in secretly.
We found out why. In Idaho they must confirm their address three times a year. In Utah it's just once a year.
In Nevada if they leave home for more than two days, offenders must tell police. Not here.
In California and Arizona their picture's on the registry until they die. If convicted In Utah, they're on for 10 years. And there's not enough funding to stage regular patrols so offenders, check in voluntarily.
Sgt. Manny Lassig: "Unfortunately, we have people moving in from out of state where it was tough on them, whatever state they were in, moving to Utah because we're lax."
New laws are set to take effect in two days. For example, they will cut the time an offender has to report a new address and increase the penalties if they don't.
Detectives say it'll help some, but the problem's enormous. Salt Lake City police recently found almost 100-offenders not in compliance.
In one night of tracking offenders, county detectives discover a dozen not living where they said they were. No one knows where they are. Like the one in a Kearns trailer park. He hitched up his home and moved out, left behind a patch of dirt, but no forwarding address.
