By Matt Wiley
Those convicted of sex crimes against children in Pasco County, including here in Wesley Chapel, will have to stay further away from places where they potentially could come into contact with young victims, thanks to a new ordinance passed unanimously by the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
During the April 20 BOCC meeting, the Board voted 5-0 to approve a new ordinance that will prevent the county’s sexual offenders who have been convicted of crimes against children under the age of 16 from living within a “buffer zone” of 2,500 feet of a school,
or other place where there commonly are children.
Currently, state law prohibits sexual offenders from living within a 1,000-ft. radius around those areas. But, Dist. 2 Comm. Mike Moore insists that the ordinance is for the county’s “worst of the worst,” meaning those who have had sexual contact with children under the age of 16. He says it’s not for the so-called “Romeo & Juliet” cases, in which two underage teenagers got together and the parents of one reported it.
“This was an effort by the whole (BOCC),” said Comm. Moore, who represents Wesley Chapel on the Board. Moore and Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco introduced the ordinance proposal last December during a press conference and the BOCC authorized the county attorney’s office to draft an ordinance in January.
Pasco County is home to 872 registered sexual offenders, of which 775 are registered as “offenders,” while only 92 are registered or categorized as “sexual predators” and only five are classified as “juvenile offenders.” The ordinance applies to both the unincorporated areas of the county, such as Wesley Chapel, as well as within the county’s municipalities, such as Dade City, Zephyrhills and San Antonio. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) will be responsible for enforcing the ordinance with citations.
“Public safety remains one of the county’s top priorities,” Comm. Moore said. “Any time we can make it safer for our most vulnerable citizens, our children, it’s the right thing to do. If we can keep even just one child safe, it’s worth it.”
The only exception to the new 2,500-ft. zone is if the offender established and registered his or her address before the ordinance was enacted.
“We’re not kicking people out of their homes,” Moore notes. “Those already living within 2,500 feet of (a buffer zone) will be grandfathered in. However, if one of those people moves (within the county), (he or she) will have to adhere to the ordinance.”
In addition to the buffer zone, the ordinance also allows for a 300-ft. “safety zone” when children are present at certain places, including schools and school bus stops, playgrounds, YMCAs and YWCAs, Boys & Girls Club facilities, youth camp grounds, parks, youth sports facilities (such as the Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Rd.), skate parks or skating rinks, water parks, public swimming pools, public beaches, child care facilities, video arcades, fairs, transient carnivals and zoos, as well as other private and public areas that are frequented by children.
However, if a registered offender is simply passing within a safety zone on their way to another destination, coming or going to a religious service, at a government building within a safety zone for official business, voting or picking up their own children or grandchildren, the restriction does not apply.
Sexual offenders also are now prohibited from taking part in Halloween activities, like giving out candy at their residences. In fact the ordinance states that registered offenders must have all of their outdoor lighting turned off by 5 p.m. on Halloween, in order to discourage children from knocking on their doors. No Halloween decorations are permitted, either. But, if the offender is taking part in activities with his or her own children and there aren’t other children around, they are exempt from the new ordinance.
To find out if there are any registered sex offenders living in your neighborhood, visit the website Offender.FDLE.State.fl.us.
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