I recently had a new client to the area wonder about sex offenders that were located in a neighborhood where she wanted to purchase a new home. Her concerns were especially strong as she has two very young children and wants a safe neighborhood to live in upon closing escrow. She Googled a particular address and found there were over 30 offenders living within a few miles of the home. No surprise to me as I get this question a lot, and frankly I was surprised there weren’t more noted on the site she was using. There are a tons of websites that may lead you to the information but the best one of all in Utah is the Utah Department of Corrections which uses OffenderWatch®, the nation’s leading registered sex offender management and community notification tool. It’s updated instantaneously throughout the day with offender addresses and other information. All you do is enter an address in the State of Utah and you will see real-time info on the publishable offenders within a specific radium of the address you enter.

For example, I entered a random address of 125 So. State Street, which is where the Federal building is located downtown. The site found 12 offenders in 10 locations. I clicked on the numbered dots on the map and instantly find a photo, name, age, height and weight, eye and hair color and address of the offender. As examples, one lives on 2^nd Avenue and was found guilty of ‘lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor under 16’, convicted in 1998. Another, living in Farmington but showing up on the downtown map was found guilty of sexual abuse of a child in 2008 and was released in 2013. When I changed the address to Westminster University on 1300 East and 1700 South, 10 offenders came up. Seven offenders were listed within a mile surrounding BYU’s Provo campus, 4 within a mile of Utah State University in Logan, and 3 within a mile of Utah Tech University in St. George.

A convicted sex offender can remain on the list for a long, long time. If a person is convicted of a sex crime and was required to registered as a sex offender, then granted a pardon by the Board of Pardons, they qualify for removal from the state registry.  They can be on the registry for 10 years or for life depending on the seriousness of the crime. Hell, getting caught pissing in public can land you on the site as a sex offender!  Offenders also cannot live near daycares, preschools, public pools, public or private schools, parks, or playgrounds.

Want to know where the creepies live in your hood? Start with the Utah Department of Corrections website for the most up to date information and you can even register for email alerts if one moves nearby.