Tracking Sex Offenders

Most of you are computer savy enough to know how to find and track sex offenders on the Maryland Sex Offender Registry. For those who may be unaware of this site, a link is available at http://www.worcestersheriff.com/

There are four categories of registered sex offenders in Maryland:
Predators, Violent Sexual Offenders, Child Sexual Offenders, and Offenders.
Predators are the worst sort of offender and usually they never get out of prison.

Currently, there are only 6 Predators who are being tracked and they all reside on the western shore. These people must report in person every 90-days and they are the subject of constant confirmations and monitoring by law enforcement. The other categories are relative to the crimes they committed and the ages of their victims. Most are now required to register for life while those listed as "Offenders" must register for 10-years.

Sex Offenders in Maryland must register every six months in person at their local Sheriff's Office. This registration involves fingerprinting and photographing and a review of their file information. Following the registration, their information is verified by law enforcement through mailings, phone calls, and in person visits. Their residency is verified as well as their place of employment.

If a registrant cannot be located or information is found to be invalid, a warrant is issued for their immediate arrest.

On the Maryland Sex Offender Registry, you can register to receive email notifications when a sex offender registers in your specified zip code. Users can log up to five zip codes from which they will receive notifications.

The purpose of the registry is to educate the public and thereby provide some level of protection through education. I encourage you to review the site often and receive the notifications so you may alert your family members, friends, and neighbors to sex offenders who may be living in your area.

Some communities have attempted to restrict the locations in their communities where a registered sex offender may reside. These are often referred to as "Banishment" laws. Whether or not these types of restrictive laws will stand up in a court of law remains to be seen, but it is an interesting concept.

If you have questions concerning registered Sex Offenders in Worcester County, you may contact Worcester County Sheriff's Office Detective Louis Esposito M-F @410-632-1111.

Currently, there are 10 registered offenders in the Pocomoke City zip code. One of those is listed as an "Absconder". If someone is listed as an Absconder, it means there is an active warrant outstanding for their arrest and their whereabouts is not known. "Non-Compliant" implies that the registrant is currently not up to date on their registration requirements, but they may be in the process of updating and a warrant has not yet been issued.