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Debbie Dujanovic reporting Sex offenders and schools: Parents react to what our investigative team uncovered.
"Oh, this is so scary."
"That's just crazy, I had no idea."
A staggering number of them living -- just feet -- from Utah classrooms.
For 25 Utah schools, we found 279 sex offenders live within a half mile of them. Our investigation will show you they get closer, much closer than that.
Our investigation took a tape measure, maps, and a hidden camera. To show you how close sex offenders are to your child's school.
Maria Godinez, Concerned Parent: "That's not right, especially by a school"
Traci Narvaez, Concerned Parent: "Wow, just in this area? I didn't realize it was that bad"
Parents are shocked. Detectives who track sex offenders:
Debbie Dujanovic, "Does it surprise you at all they live so close?
Sgt. Manny Lassig, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office: "No, if you had a sweet tooth wouldn't you live close to a candy shop?"
We took our research to law enforcement, and school officials.
Randy Ripplinger, Granite School District: "We think parents who are concerned about perpetrators ought to check it out, ought to find out where they live, and if they've got concerns about it work with their school community council to make sure that the children are safe"
We discover, it's up to you. The law, or lack of one, works in favor of offenders.
States like Idaho, California, have laws prohibiting offenders from living too close to schools. Those states believe it keeps the kids safe, and helps offenders avoid temptation. But in Utah, a sex offender - even those who've hurt children - can live practically on top of a school -- a few hundred feet, it's perfectly fine. In fact, we found they do.
Using public databases, we map out 25 Utah schools. We instantly identify 90sex offenders living with 1000 feet of those schools. In Provo: Timpanogos Elementary: 3 offenders convicted of crimes involving children live just down the street. Next, Midvale, Midvalley Elementary: they're even closer, less than 500 feet -- this mom, had no idea .
Blanca Jauregui, Concerned Parent, "Oh my goodness, I will never imagine this guy, oh this is so scary!"
The man she's seen living near her child's school was convicted of child sex abuse.
In West Valley at David Gourley elementary, we find four within 700 feet.
At Hillside, less than 300 feet away. We set up a camera after that school let out. Forty kids walked by one offenders house.
We find dozens of offenders living around the corner or across the street from Lincoln Elementary and Granite Park Junior High in Salt Lake, and at the Junior high in Sunset.
By the time we hit Ogden, parents were calling for change. At Lewis Elementary 27 report living less than a half mile. At Canyon View, nine live within a block and a half, one across the street.
David Eldridge, Concerned Parent: "They're too close, they shouldn't be that close"
Julia Svedin, Concerned Parent, "We just have to be careful and to try and protect our neighborhood as much as we can."
Unidentified registered sex offender: "I made one mistake, do I have to pay for it the rest of my life?"
This registered sex offender lives next to a school. He says he's not a threat to children, he avoids them.
Unidentified registered sex offender: "I peer out my window a lot, whenever I hear a knock at the door, that decides whether I answer the door, or I get my roommate to answer the door- if there's a child at the door I'm not answering it"
He worries our investigation will create unnecessary fear.
Unidentified registered sex offender: "All these people are trying to push sex offenders farther and farther away, until they can forget about them, and I'm not going to be forgotten."
How worried should you be?
A federal study shows 5 � percent of convicted sex offenders find a new victim within 3-years - of serving time.
We took our investigation to capitol hill.
Debbie Dujanovic, "So this concerns you?
Rep. Paul Ray, (R) Davis County: "It concerns me greatly. "To me the safety of our children overrides whatever rights they feel they have to live that close to a school."
Representative Paul Ray says based on what we found, he'll pursue a new law to keep sex offenders from living so close to schools.
