Utah's sex offenders and their victims

[YOhio]

Today's D-News began a four-part series on this plague infecting Utah. Something I noticed:

• One in four girls — and one in eight boys — is sexually abused before age 18.
• The average age of a victim is 10 years old.
• Only 2 percent of perpetrators are a stranger to the victim. The rest are friends, relatives, baby sitters, acquaintances or members of their own family.
• More than 70 percent of convicted sex offenders in the Utah State Prison are there for victimizing a child under age 18.
• At Children's Justice Centers throughout Utah, detectives interview children who are victims of all crimes. Between 85 and 90 percent of the crimes involve sexual abuse. • Of nearly 1,900 sex offenders in prison, only 120 are receiving treatment there. Despite repeated requests, the Legislature has not increased sex offender treatment funding in more than 10 years.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695261701,00.html

[TripletDaddy]

I did a sex offender search on the web last summer. Someone on CB posted a link and a discussion ensued on this topic.

I did a search of my own zip code here in OC, plus one other.

I then did a zip code of just the city where my in-laws live in Utah.

There were more registered sex offenders in that one city than in my entire zip code and neighboring zip code. And it wasn't even close.

Yikes.

[non sequitur]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

I did a sex offender search on the web last summer. Someone on CB posted a link and a discussion ensued on this topic.

I did a search of my own zip code here in OC, plus one other.

I then did a zip code of just the city where my in-laws live in Utah.

There were more registered sex offenders in that one city than in my entire zip code and neighboring zip code. And it wasn't even close.

Yikes.

It makes you wonder if there is a link between sexual repression and sexual abuse.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by non sequitur

It makes you wonder if there is a link between sexual repression and sexual abuse.

There very well could be. Although in this instance, I think the sex offender registry simply reflects how many prisoners have been re-lo'd to Utah County. Many of them are from out of state, not LDS, and simply were released here to live in this community. Often, they aren't even arrested in Utah, but are transferred from other prisons.

No matter how it is sliced, Utah has an inordinate amount of sex offenders. Very odd phenomenon.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by YOhio

Today's D-News began a four-part series on this plague infecting Utah. Something I noticed:



http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695261701,00.html

I'm curious how that % compares to the rest of the country.

[marsupial]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

No matter how it is sliced, Utah has an inordinate amount of sex offenders. Very odd phenomenon.

Utah also has inordinate amount of children and very trusting people.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by marsupial

Utah also has inordinate amount of children and very trusting people.

There are more children in Utah Co and SLC Co than in LA County and Orange County?

The "preying on Mormon kids theory" isnt necessarily the accurate tale of the tape, given that a majority on the offender list are already released and back in the community, having committed their crimes in other states. Also, if the "mormon kids" theory were accurate, why would the state release so many offenders right into the very community that houses these kids?

As I stated before, many, if not most, come from other areas....they arent from Utah, per se.

I am not sure of the answer, but it would seem that at least part of the reason there are so many located in Utah Co is because it is cheaper to re-lo parolees where the cost of living is less and where the community is less likely to put up political pressure to oppose such a presence within the community. Housing for offenders is a classic NIMBY issue. I just dont see the fine folks of American Fork galvanizing against this kind of dilemma. My in-laws werent even aware so many lived amongst them and didnt want to acknowledge it.

I think that is why you dont see too many relocated sex offenders in South Orange County, palisades, etc.....too expensive to house them there and too much cash to assert political pressure on those making the decisions as to where to house these people. For that matter, i doubt there will be that many registered sex offenders living on the East Bench, either.

[il Padrino Ute]

Despite repeated requests, the Legislature has not increased sex offender treatment funding in more than 10 years.

An honest question:

What exactly is sex offender treatment? I really don't have a clue.

My way would be to castrate the male and then drop him off on an Arctic Island with no supplies.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

There are more children in Utah Co and SLC Co than in LA County and Orange County?

The "preying on Mormon kids theory" isnt necessarily the accurate tale of the tape, given that a majority on the offender list are already released and back in the community, having committed their crimes in other states. Also, if the "mormon kids" theory were accurate, why would the state release so many offenders right into the very community that houses these kids?

As I stated before, many, if not most, come from other areas....they arent from Utah, per se.

I am not sure of the answer, but it would seem that at least part of the reason there are so many located in Utah Co is because it is cheaper to re-lo parolees where the cost of living is less and where the community is less likely to put up political pressure to oppose such a presence within the community. Housing for offenders is a classic NIMBY issue. I just dont see the fine folks of American Fork galvanizing against this kind of dilemma. My in-laws werent even aware so many lived amongst them and didnt want to acknowledge it.

I think that is why you dont see too many relocated sex offenders in South Orange County, palisades, etc.....too expensive to house them there and too much cash to assert political pressure on those making the decisions as to where to house these people. For that matter, i doubt there will be that many registered sex offenders living on the East Bench, either.

I would guess that per capita Utah and SL County have far more children and that it isn't even close.

[RockyBalboa]

Also in my zipcode in Cottonwood Heights there are: 32 Registered Sex Offenders.

That's scary in such a small zip code.