Real estate agents in California are required to tell potential home buyers how to check for sex offenders living nearby VIDEO CNN's Charles Feldman reports on California's new requirement (August 2) Windows Media 28K 80K MESSAGE BOARD: Crime and punishment

August 2, 1999
Web posted at: 3:06 p.m. EDT (1906 GMT)

By Correspondent Charles Feldman

In this story: ACLU: List isn't completely accurate Sex offender in most every ZIP code, police say RELATED STORIES, SITES

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Home buyers traditionally consider the nearness of schools or churches when searching for a new house. Now in California, they can also find out how close a property is to registered sex offenders.

In July, the state joined four others -- New Jersey, Nebraska, Virginia and Alaska -- in requiring real estate agents to tell potential buyers how to find information about sex offenders who live nearby.

In California, anyone can go to a local police station and scan a database of sex offenders on a CD-ROM. They also can access the list by calling a (900) telephone number.

But the database, say critics, could offer a false sense of security.

"It has often been found to be inaccurate. Dead people, people in prison and other people end up on the list that should not be there," says Elizabeth Schroeder of the ACLU.

"On the other hand, there are people that have never been arrested and never been convicted who are sex offenders, and their names will never appear on this public list," she says.

The home-disclosure statutes are related to Megan's Law, which requires registration of the names and living quarters of sex offenders.

The law is named after Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old girl who was molested and killed by a convicted sex offender who lived in her neighborhood in New Jersey.

Some real estate professionals were concerned that the home-disclosure requirement would negatively affect home sales.

"At this point, the concept of Megan's Law has not had any detectable impact on home sales that we're aware of," says Laurie Janik of the National Association of Realtors. "But you have to realize that we're dealing with a market with record home sales right now."

While some parents may feel more secure with the availability of the list, authorities caution that vigilance is still necessary.

"You still have responsibilities as a parent to make sure that your kids are safe and know who they are hanging out with," says Detective Paul Bishop with the Los Angeles Police.

There is good reason for the caution. In California, police say, at least one registered sex offender lives in virtually every single ZIP code.

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