Ohio State University Lantern: Web site identifies sex offenders.
Finding out if a sex offender is living in your neighborhood just got a little easier. With many students in the process of finding housing for next school year, the frustrations of trying to land that perfect place and location takes a back seat to safety concerns about living in a high-crime area.
Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo announced Jan. 12 an enhanced Web site feature that allows Franklin County residents to identify and locate registered sex offenders who live within a two-mile radius.
The auditor’s Web site, Franklin County’s most popular site with about 1 million people logging in a month, is now providing residents with more than just property values, but also the ability to know their neighbors and peace of mind when searching for a home (as well as an invasion of privacy and a threat to the safety of those on the registry).
After doing a property search on the site’s real estate page, a user can click on “Area Sex Offender Inquiry” and view information on all registered sex offenders, including name, photo, location and crime committed. The Area Sex Offender Inquiry combines information from the Ohio Attorney General’s Web site and Franklin County Sheriff’s Web site. The state attorney general’s Web site shows about 2,400 sex offenders living in Franklin County.
