What many parents do not know or understand or perhaps they refuse to believe, is that these released high risk sex offenders seek work wherever they will not be background checked, including work as ride and game operators at street fairs and carnivals and teaching jobs within martial arts studios.
Our local police station allows access to the "Meghan Computer," but the wait to log onto the computer can be as long as 30 minutes while the desk officer runs a background check on the searcher.
The police require the searcher fill out a form stating their reason for checking the Meghan computer files and then certifying that they are not a convicted sex offender themselves. After signing the form a searcher is then required to surrender their valid driver's license for the duration they are logged onto the Meghan Computer.
Police officers often walk by, peering over the searcher's shoulder and asking who the searcher is looking for while logged onto the computer. It can be rather intimidating for parents who are attempting to check names of adults who have contact with their children.
Even when there is a match on a name, zip code or face, there is no method to verify that the person is the same person as the one you believe you may know.
The files do not have the photos of all convicted, registered "compliant" predators. Also police have said that registered sexual offenders often change their names when filling out lease, rental and job applications.
Most disturbing is that the computer lists only those convicted sexual offenders who at some point have been in compliance with the law. And of course it only lists those sexual offenders who have been caught.