I was asked about a sex offender living in the Heights section at
a recent Crime Watch meeting.
The man raped a 7 year old child and the neighbors were understandably upset……
Jeffrey Reichard is a registered sex offender, convicted in 1999 of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl and incarcerated for almost five years in a New York state penitentiary.
He was paroled from prison four years ago but eventually returned for violating the terms of his release, according to court documents. During that brief freedom, Reichard wasn’t allowed to live within 1,000 feet of a school or have any contact with minors, a New York Division of Parole official said.
Reichard, also known as “Polar Bear,” left prison under no supervision on March 18, 2005, after serving the maximum sentence.
He now lives in Wilkes-Barre.
Reichard — along with nearly 300 others in Luzerne County — is listed as a registered sex offender on Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law Web site. He’s also listed on New York’s sex offender registry.
He was paroled from prison four years ago but eventually returned for violating the terms of his release, according to court documents. During that brief freedom, Reichard wasn’t allowed to live within 1,000 feet of a school or have any contact with minors, a New York Division of Parole official said.
Reichard, also known as “Polar Bear,” left prison under no supervision on March 18, 2005, after serving the maximum sentence.
He now lives in Wilkes-Barre.
Reichard — along with nearly 300 others in Luzerne County — is listed as a registered sex offender on Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law Web site. He’s also listed on New York’s sex offender registry.
They wanted to know why they were not notified.
I got in touch with my friends at the State Police and they explained to me how Megan’s law works.
It is a bit confusing…..
Pa. Megan's Law
Like most other states, Pennsylvania has a "Megan's Law" statute. This law is designed to protect citizens from sexual predators by requiring that sex offender’s register with the Pennsylvania State Police. The State Police in turn notify local police departments which patrol communities in which offenders reside.
There are two classes of offenders as defined by Megan's Law.
A "sexual offender" is an individual who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense. Sexual offenders are required to register all current residences and intended residences with the Pennsylvania State Police.
A "sexually violent predator" is a sexual offender who is found to possess a mental abnormality or personality disorder that makes the individual likely to engage in predatory sexually violent offenses. Not all sexual offenders are considered to be sexually violent predators. A sexually violent predator is subject to both the registration and lifetime community notification requirements of Megan's Law. This is the classification that requires notification of the neighbors.
Megan's Law exists solely for the purpose of providing a means of
protecting the public, especially our children, from victimization by sexual offenders. This is accomplished by tracking the whereabouts of convicted sex offenders and providing notification to the public of the presence of a sex offender in their community. Utilizing the combination of tracking and notification, law enforcement and private citizens are able to develop constructive plans, safety programs, and victimization prevention strategies to prepare for the presence of sex offenders in their neighborhoods.
We at WBCW are regularly informing our members about Sex Offenders in each neighborhood.
And you should too…
MEGAN'S LAW WEBSITE
Click on I accept.. then search by County.
Put in Luzerne County.
You will be shocked how many live in your area.
Click on each name.. you will find:
1. Name and all known aliases;
2. Year of birth;
3. The street address, city, municipality, county, and zip code of all residences, and where applicable the name of the prison or other place of confinement;
4. The street address, city, municipality, county, zip code and name of any institution or location at which the offender is enrolled as a student;
5. The city, municipality, county, and zip code of any employment location;
6. A photograph of the offender, which shall be updated not less than annually;
7. A physical description of the offender, including gender, height, weight, eye color, hair color and race;
8. Any identifying marks, including scars, birthmarks, and tattoos;
9. The license plate number and description of any vehicle owned or registered to the offender;
10. Whether the offender is currently compliant with registration requirements;
11. Whether the victim is a minor;
12. A description of the offense, which triggered registration; and
13. The date of conviction, if available.
All people should know how to locate sex offenders in their area.
If you have children you already know how important this is.
Even if you have no children, you should still be aware of sex offenders in my area.
From “ Scanner Addict”
10-30-9:38PM - 76 Edison Street, vehicle spray painted.
11/1-4:01PM - 394 North Main Street, copper pipes stolen from house.
11/1-9:54PM - 755 North Washington St, break in to residence, money and jewelry stolen.
11/5-9:34PM - Vehicle broken into behind Washington Square apartments.
11/5-9:01PM - Park n lock central, 1st level, vehicle broken into.
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