With Halloween just around the corner, there have been at least a couple of strong reminders to those convicted of sex offenses around Tampa that they are subject to life long public attention.
This is particularly true of those people who have been convicted of sex offenses against children. One of the penalties that may be faced by any one who has been convicted of a sex offense in the past is that they are put on a registry of sex offenders. This is available for the public toview. It means that even well after any other aspect of a sentence has been completed like imprisonment or probation that the personal punishment continues.
In Tampa, police have taken to the streets and have been distributing leaflets to known sex offenders and sexual predators throughout the region before the Halloween celebrations begin. The idea is to ensure that registered offenders and predators are actually living where they have said that they were living and to remind them of responsible behavior during trick or treat activities leading up to Halloween. In particular, they have been told not to attract minors in any way by offering candy or putting up decorations which might attract children to their homes.
Detective John Guzina of the Tampa Police Department has been working on the latest police initiative. He was reported as saying that one of the reasons for the flyer distribution was to keep track on where registered sexual predators and offenders were living in case a child disappeared over the Halloween period.
Detective Guzina said that there were around 800 on the sex offenders register in and around Tampa and of these, about 230 had committed sex offenses against children. It was these individuals that were the subject of their concern.
In a separate, but related incident, well known radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge has also been in the limelight in the period leading up to Halloween. He has been revealing the whereabouts of people he thinks are registered “sexual predators” independently of any actions by the Tampa Police.
Bubba has been reported as having made up personally prepared posters warning members of the public that a “sexual predator” was living at a certain address. He had got the original information from radio listeners who telephoned or e-mailed him the names and addresses of candidates for his action. He said that he had confirmed the names and addresses with the Florida Law Enforcement Agency and then decided to plant the posters in front of the houses of those that he had chosen.
It looks as if Bubba wasn’t discriminating between those people that had had convictions as “sex offenders” and those that were convicted “sexual predators” by putting up posters that labeled them all the same way. Predators and offenders, according to Florida statutes are treated differently, with the charge of sexual predator being the more serious of the two and may involve felony offenses against adults as well as minors.
Sex offenses are an emotional subject amongst the public and potential sex offenders and predators can expect to be harshly treated by the criminal justice system as well as society at large as can be witnessed by the events taking place in Tampa at the moment. Any one who has been charged with a sex offense is entitled to fair and just treatment by the law. No one is guilty of any criminal offense, however heinous it appears to be, unless proof of the offense beyond reasonable doubt is available.
If you have been accused of a sex offense of any nature, you will need an experienced sex offense attorney to help you prepare an adequate defense. A lifetime of being constantly in the spotlight is one of the worst punishments that a conviction might result in. It is not worth trying to represent your self when it comes to being charged with a sex offense in Florida.
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