How One Registered Sex Offender Profits from His Crime

What Would it Be Worth to You to Get a Registered Sex Offender Out of Your Neighborhood?

S Gardner
S Gardner, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Apr 3, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
What would you do if a registered sex offender moved in down the street from you and your children? Someone who had gone to prison for molesting small children, not once but repeatedly? Would you be concerned about your kids? Would you forbid them to play with his children or go over to their house? Would you keep them inside, never to play outside again, at least as long as he lived there?

Would you band together with other concerned neighbors, setting up volunteer patrols to keep an eye on the convicted criminal's comings and goings? Would you try to put pressure on him to leave? And would you, when even as a group you could not convince him to move away, be willing to pay him to leave? Would you be willing to go that far?

That is exactly what one group of people in an affluent neighborhood did, just about four years ago. This man had served his prison sentence for molesting several young children. He had been released. He remarried - a younger woman with three small children from a previous marriage, apparently trusting that her new husband was truly reformed. A successful businessman before his incarceration, he still had the means to buy a home in an upscale neighborhood, amid doctors, lawyers and CEOs. And so he moved into a lovely million plus dollar home and went about his business.

But, uncomfortable with a child molester in their domain, his neighbors were not as trusting as his new wife, at least not where their children were concerned. They tried repeatedly to convince this man to move away, but it was not until they offered to buy him out of his house at a substantial profit that he finally agreed. In 2003, this man and his family bought a bigger, newer home and proceeded to remodel the kitchen and put in a pool with the money he made on the appreciation in his home in that affluent neighborhood along with the $100,000 that the neighbors collectively paid him to leave. Understandable as his neighbors' actions were, ironically the end result is that this man profitted by taking the innocence of several small children.

And if that wasn't enough - the new neighborhood where this registered sex offender moved? - They wound up doing the exact same thing. But what else could they do? What would you do to protect your children?

To check for registered sex offenders in your area, go to www.familywatchdog.us

Published by S Gardner

S. Gardner is a freelance writer and researcher. She has experience as a weight loss and health counselor, a real estate agent, a small business owner and a high school history and civics teacher. She is a...  View profile

  • A convicted registered sex offender moved into an affluent neighborhood.
  • The neighbors banded together to try to get him to move.
  • When all else failed, the neighbors pooled their money to "pay him off" to get him to leave.
While real estate agents will encourage you to check for registered sex offenders in a neighborhood that you are considering, they may not even know if they are bringing an offender into your neighborhood to buy!

15 Comments

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  • Lori Leidig5/6/2010

    For you unregistered folks thinking this guy has paid his debt and is now safe to be around kids again: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2961786/my_personal_stance_on_registered_sex.html?cat=47

  • dusty rivers4/2/2010

    ha/ i think its great. If people are so paranoid that it no longer matters that someone who has paid thier debt to society still can be stalked, harassed, and messed with, then they should step up to the plate and be proactive. These are people who have paid thier debt. As one poster said, a kid has more chances of being killed by a drunk driver than by an rso.

  • The Emperor9/9/2009

    Wow! What neighborhoods were they? If those paranoid maggots were willing to buy the guy's house at a profit for him, especially considering how bad the housing market is I wonder how much they'd pay to get rid of another Offender?

    As the saying goes, there is a sucker born every minute.
    And it is no secret that America is full of suckers. Rich suckers.

  • TellTheTruth8/3/2009

    Very interesting article. That was an exellent opportunity for the sex offender to change his ways. He has a wife that is willing to give him a chance, and very generous neighbbors. However, those neighbors may not have known that their kids were more likely to be molested by their own fathers, step fathers, uncles, mother's boyfriends, family friends, teachers, coaches, etc, than the sex offender next door. Poor them! They needed to have been better informed.

  • Gina6/4/2009

    ""To all the paranoid people out there, " the sky is falling the sky is falling" Some of you people are a joke. Your kids have more of a chance of being killed by a convicted drunk driver than being molested or killed by a convicted sex offender. The way this country is going we will all be on some type of watch list before 2025. A little common sense will cure most of our ills. Turn off the T.V. news and get to know your neighbors! Chances are you'll meet some good people that have made mistakes in their lives. Yes, their are some monsters out there and their are alot who have not been caught yet. I hate to throw fuel on the paranoia fire, but the chances of a family member molesting your child is far greater than the convicted sex offender next door. Everybody have a nice day! Add a Comment Posted on 05/15/2008 at 7:05:07 PM""


    You must not have children...

  • Xavier Stein8/25/2008


    Excellent article. Here's another interesting clip... "Norman Perlberger of Bala Cynwyd, PA recently completed a two and a half year sentence. He had a prior conviction in 1986 after being accused of fondling four of his neighbors -- three girls and a boy -- whose ages ranged from 6 to 8. "

  • Bill Murray5/15/2008

    To all the paranoid people out there, " the sky is falling the sky is falling" Some of you people are a joke. Your kids have more of a chance of being killed by a convicted drunk driver than being molested or killed by a convicted sex offender. The way this country is going we will all be on some type of watch list before 2025. A little common sense will cure most of our ills. Turn off the T.V. news and get to know your neighbors! Chances are you'll meet some good people that have made mistakes in their lives. Yes, their are some monsters out there and their are alot who have not been caught yet. I hate to throw fuel on the paranoia fire, but the chances of a family member molesting your child is far greater than the convicted sex offender next door. Everybody have a nice day!

  • David3/22/2008

    I think people are making too much of this. He didn't plan on profiting from his crime but would have preferred to live in the neighborhood as planned. It is not his fault that his paranoid neighbors will not allow him the opportunity to peacefully move on with his life. They are the ones offering the money, not him. Why should he have to move for free? Also, he probably needs the money to make up for the fact that no one will offer him a job with his sex offender status.

  • Sauv6/8/2007

    Kill him. Plain and simple.

  • Carol Gilbert4/10/2007

    Truly amazing article.

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