'Moving' sign at sex offender treatment center near schools
PORTLAND, Ore. – Hundreds of homeowners are furious they've been in the dark about the existence of a sex offender treatment center near their children's schools for nearly a year.
There are no signs outside Whole Systems on Milwaukie Avenue, but from the playground of the Boys and Girls Club, the door of the sex offender treatment center can be seen. The Montessori school is also less than 300 feet from the center.
Tuesday morning, the day after the story aired on KATU News, a sign taped to the inside of the door simply said "MOVING."
KATU News is working to find out more information about the possible move.
Many homeowners are just now learning about the center and some of them expressed fear and anger Monday night at a loud and tense meeting in Sellwood.
One hundred twenty convicts from Clackamas and Multnomah counties receive court-ordered counseling at the center for crimes such as molestation, possession of child pornography and rape of a minor.
"You just don't put this type of population in the middle of a residential neighborhood with lots of stay-at-home moms, lots of young kids," said Robin Springer, who organized the meeting.
Whole Systems moved to its current location from Oregon City last December but most of the 100 people who gathered at the meeting never complained because they didn’t know about it.
"It's just unconscionable to me; in fact, I find it morally reprehensible," Springer said.
Meeting organizers made their goal clear, which is to get the sex offenders out of the neighborhood, but not everybody stuck to that agenda. A few tried to defend the treatment center and one couple was drowned out with applause until they left.
And the director of Whole Systems, Johneen Manno, crashed the meeting but was asked to leave.
Outside the meeting, Manno said she's open to relocating. "I would like to talk to the property owner about that (getting out of the lease) and if he feels it's a good solution, then absolutely," she said.
Manno said she tried to tell the community about the treatment center but few at Monday night's meeting thought she tried hard enough.
They're now telling schools, churches and the rest of the community to talk with kids about the center. And they say they plan to pressure the landlord and whoever else they need to, to remove the sex offenders.
A sign simply saying "MOVING" appeared in the door of the business Tuesday morning. (Photo by Bob Heye, KATU News)
And so the witch hunt continues, even when it's been proven over and over that the registry does NOTHING to prevent crime or protect anybody, it's merely an online hit-list.
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http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/p/studies.html
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And now-a-days, people are murdering people and then claiming they were "sexually abused" by the person, just to attempt to justify the murder of someone.
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http://www.youtube.com/user/RSOVigilantism
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/search/label/WronglyAccused
http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2007/09/human-rights-issues.html
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So I have a point / question for all about this story. As far as I know sex offenders are not allowed to be within a 1000 feet of a school right? If this is so then how can the registered sex offenders go to these places and why are they not getting in trouble for being with in a 1000 feet of a school.
 @thisguy93 I agree 100%. Then you have those who would Protect the Offenders like Stow there and let them go where ever they want because of her Evidence Based Research. Well my own Evidence Based Research shows that Sexual Predators will not reoffend if they are not Breathing.
 @thisguy93 That and other restrictions vary state to state, even jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Many states have no restrictions at all because they have crafted their laws around facts and evidence-based research. No correlation has ever been shown between where an offender lives/visits/goes and where he commits an offense. That is for stranger abuse. For most of the sexual crime against children, the opposite is true; children are molested by those they know and are close to, often living in the same house. But of course those guys aren't on the registry and no restriction would apply to them anyway.
http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics -- real stats on child abuse and neglect that have NOTHING to do with this treatment center for all you concerned parents out there, from another concerned parent!
Homeowners and NIMBYers, why are you furious? Â Don't you monitor the registry which was set up for your "benefit"? Â I find many of the opinions expressed here to be morally reprehensible. Â In the face of low recidivism statistics, common sense and good penological practice, some people insist that they are disturbed by a counseling center in their area. Â Â It is just unconscionable to me that people would rather have a treatment center closed or relocated, than to have a functioning tool for reintegration in their community. Â Shame on your ignorance.
One question I've been dying to have answered by the "rah, rah, sis boom bah" crowd when it comes to sex offender registration laws: Why aren't you fighting tooth and nail to get a "Murderer" registration law passed?? How about a "people who used a firearm in commission of a felony" registration list? Surely you wouldn't rather have a murderer or armed robber living near you and your children than a sex offender. Or, do I have this all wrong? People do occasionally survive their murder sentences and are out free while still breathing. I'm just flabbergasted at the utter hysteria of some people over sex offenders. There are FAR worse people roaming free with NO requirement to register with the police right now!Â
@Andy Robinson
And I have another question for those same individuals: Why aren't you doing everything you can to stop the most prevalent form of sexual abuse against children? It is committed by the children's family members, their peers, and others in their lives and accounts for, depending on the age of the child, between 90 and 99.9% of all sexual crime against children. These people aren't targeted by the registry as they are not on it, and as long as reporting the offenses means the public registry for the entire family, in the intra-familial situations, very few will ever be reported.Â
What can you do? Write guest editorials and letters to the editor of your local papers about the need for comprehensive, informative, educational prevention and empowerment programs in the schools and communities. Write or visit your local law-makers. Attend school board meetings. Encourage the easing of restrictions against those on the registry that prevent or make difficult their successful re-entry into the community. This is one things that research shows to be correlated with lower recidivism rates--they are already very low for registrants. See if your community has victim services programs; if so, volunteer your help. If not, contact a local health clinic or child advocacy group about starting one.
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I have lived in this neighborhood for over 30 years, and I don't think I have ever been as disgusted by my neighbors as I am now. They don't have all the facts and they don't seem to grasp that this place has been here for almost a year without a major incident, or that "sex offender" can mean much more than child molester or rapist. I think they are most upset by the fact that they didn't know for almost a year and because of that, they now look like a bunch of reactionary idiots. They will high five each other, pat themselves on the back, and not care where these people end up going for counseling, as long as it isn't here. That smug, nasty, entitled, attitude is truly revolting. If they really wanted to protect their children they would limit the amount of time they let them spend with "trusted" adults.Â
I would like to remind folks that not all people who are labeled sex offenders have raped children.
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Not all have raped anyone. Some, many (i don't know the statistics) have never intentionally harmed a person in their life.
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Now I don't know the people who are going to this facility, but ALL people who have been released from jail (or maybe didn't even serve time but are on the rolls) who are âsex offendersâ by statute, are required to go to this counseling. At least for a year, and most for their probation, some forever (and the offender pays for this themselves).
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There is a multitude of ways that without having children involved or without having forced yourself in any way on a person, you can be labeled a sex offender. And even "low risk" and people who have never previously offended or will offend again are lumped together with the child rapists that go to these sessions as well.
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When I have spoken with probation/parole officers, they tell me most of their "clients" are first time, or single offenders who had an inappropriate (does not always involved intercourse) relationship with a minor. Some of these people are terrible monsters who twisted a young person into a web. Others are misguided young people themselves who only technically broke the law (a 19 year old high school student with a 17 year old girlfriend).
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So we can hate the predators and the rapists, but bear in mind not ALL of these people are them. It's like putting home invasions robbers in with shoplifters. They both stole but one is a violent crime and the other a property one.
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 @Repoman Up until the part where you say it is okay to "hate the predators and the rapists." Now the argument you made is moot. The whole point is these idiots can't differentiate between the "predators" from those who made dumb mistakes, thanks to Megan's Flaw. Now, I wonder what the lynch mob is planning to do about the fact 95% of these types of crimes are committed by people with NO prior record.
 @oncefallenbookÂ
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You're going to tell people to NOT hate rapists and predators?
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I want people to distinguish between 'sex offender" and rapist. between predator and someone who made a mistake.
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ALL of those people exist. Many of them are required to show up for treatment. But to assume that none of the folks showing up are evil is not making an argument moot. It is called nuance.
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I have seen real predators. They often look and act much like people who are in the system for stupid reasons. People want to hate those who harm children, I say they can, but just don't do it by looking at all these people the same.
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There is no way a pitchfork or a torch knows who is a child molester and who is just thrown in with them.
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I love how the paranoid soccer moms of Sell-out-wood are trying to even get churches to protest. What would Jesus do? He wouldn't chase the center out of town.
 @oncefallenbook Exactly! Jesus wouldn't run them out of town, he'd be wanting to....(wait for it).....(wait for it)......counsel them!
And I thought lynch mobs were only in the deep south. Shame on all these people protesting the rehabilitation center. I guess a higher recidivism rate is a small price to pay for shutting down a public service so the paranoid soccer moms can have that false sense of security huh? The media fuels the stupidity instead of reporting the facts. The owner of the building threatened those who opposed their views. if anyone should be condemned, it should be this Realtor.  Â
There is a very high level of lack of understanding about these issues reflected in many of these comments. There is no correlation between where registrants live/work/shop/walk/go and where, for the few who do commit another offense, where they re-offend. Everyone wants safer communities and safe kids. The risk to children from anyone on the registry, according to the DOJ and FBI is minuscule. The question becomes, in order for us to feel better, do we shut out the treatment centers, marginalize former offenders, remove more and more of their resources and their options--things which are associated with a higher risk for re-offense--or do we instead educate ourselves about the facts and do those things which are shown to reduce risk of re-offense and thereby help create the safer communities and safer kids?
 @Shelly Stow Why are you so worried about the Poor Sex Offenders? How about thier Victims?
 @swede760 Thank you for asking. First, my mother, my sister, and my daughter were each, in different generations, in different states, childhood victims of sexual abuse by  family members on different sides of the family. Two of the perpetrators were related; one was not. A great deal of study, reading, and research has led me to these facts:
everyone on the registry has committed an offense, or been falsely accused, of something ranging from the childish, misdemeanor, and statutory on up to the very serious and harmful. By far the vast majority have spent the rest of their lives trying their hardest to rebuild a life, support family and children, and become integrated back into a law abiding society. Almost all succeed, although the public registry makes it very difficult in many ways, and their families and children suffer every restriction and job loss and forced move and hateful word and vicious action they they suffer.Â
Then, on the other hand, no one is paying attention to the fact that children continue to be sexually molested by those close to them. As long as the focus remains on the registry and the registered offender, very few of whom will re-offend, nothing has been, is being, or will be done for the 99+% who are sexually abused, as were my family members, by those not on any registry.Â
So it is because I care about the victims that I want laws based on facts that actually will help decrease sexual abuse of children and reduce the number of victims. The registry has not and will not do this. Isn't it time to try something else?
Blessings and peace to you and your family.
 @swede760 They aren't hypothetical, sir; they are real; they just aren't yours, but they are real. I agree that it is pathetic that nine and ten year old children are on a sex offender registry or that husbands and fathers are on the registry because of their relationships, twenty years ago in high school, with the girls who are now their wives and mothers of their children.
It sounds as though you have already been well blessed. You are to be congratulated on your parenting and your wonderful family. I fully agree; if all children, growing up, were as fortunate as yours in having parents participating in their lives and teaching them right from wrong, much of the grief and tragedy in people's lives would be avoided. But, sadly, that is not the case. Since you don't want any more blessings, I'll just say go with God.
First of all things I do not need Anyone's Blessings, second, My Son is a 27 year old Engineer who is Married to a Third Grade Teacher at a Local Charter School and they have recently Adopted an infant Son. I do not have to worry about your hypothetical or as I see it Pathetical situations. My Son has Morals that he was taught at Home! If people actually participated in thier kids lives they would not end up sick and twisted unless the Parents are already. By the time my son turned 12 he was Commercial fishing with his Grandpa in Kenia Ak and did so untill he entered College. I have paid taxes since I was 14 and I never ended up on the list because when I turned 18 I stopped dating younger girls. All it takes to stay off that list is Common Sense and a few Moral Principals. If you can not manage that you do not need to be in Society Period.
 @swede760 How about if he was your nine year old son put on the registry for normal curiosity and playing doctor with a slightly younger cousin?  How about if she was you teen daughter who--granted, stupidly--took pics of herself nude from the waist up and sent it to a boyfriend? Or a teen son of 18 who got too involved with a 16 year old girlfriend, possibly only to the point of fondling over clothing? Or a brother who is falsely accused and takes a plea because his lawyer advises him to? All of these are real people on the registry labeled as sex offenders. And for every child from 10 to 16, the odds of him becoming a registered sex offender are much greater than the odds that he will ever be abused by one. Sex offenders today, defined by being on the registry, are sons and daughters, children, mothers, sisters, fathers--they are real people, and some of them made stupid mistakes, and some of them caused real harm to someone else. But every one of them, by virtue of being on the registry, is considered scum and worthless and disposable and undeserving of a second chance. The truth is, you and I and virtually every human alive has done something at some point in his or her life that, if seen or known by the wrong person at the wrong time in today's atmosphere, would be placed on the registry because of it.
I do hope for you and yours peace and love and blessings.
Why would I EVER want to have Empathy for a Sex offender? If I caught a family member abusing anyone I would turn them in myself after I kicked thier ass!
 @swede760 No time for crying; too busy working; I will just say this to you then. If ever, for offenses great or small, serious or stupid, anyone you love ends up on the registry for any of the over 200 offenses that could put him or her there, beginning at age 9 depending on the state you are in, and you get to see this situation from a different angle, I hope and pray that you have someone in your life who is able to show you more empathy and kindness than you appear to be capable of.
 @Shelly Stow As a survivor, I have zero tolerance for anyone who abuses another, Period. I also have zero sympathy for anyone who has ended up on the list. Cry me a river and I will build a boat, crucify the bastards!
How about at the bottom of the ocean?
So where should the proper location of this facility be located? Do you guys want to choose a neighborhood, it has to be put somewhere!? I have some candidate locations of course...
@portlandborn83 alcatraz
 @portlandborn83 some industrial park away from children, schools, YMCA, etc.
@portlandborn83....Government Island
There ought to be a law that anytime a sex offender treatment center moves into a neighborhood everyone who lives within 1000 feet of the center has to be notified. It should also be a law that a sex offender treatment center can't be located within 1000 feet of a school. Failure to provide notification is considered criminal negligence and reckless disregard.
 @The Voice of Reason Voice of Reason? Really? Sounds more like emotional knee jerk reaction. I understand that everyone wants to protect children, but the fact of the matter is (based on published DoJ studies), 90-95% of abuse is from family or close friends/acquaintances. While the community was protesting the treatment facility, and without a single additional incident in the year it's been there, 10% (up to 23%) of the children in that community were abused.
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They weren't all sexual. Do you not feel that other forms of abuse matter? Much more often neglect and emotional abuse are the norm. Are they less damaging to the child? No. So while the community gets hysterical over a problem that doesn't exists, there are silent victims in their very own houses who have no advocates. They are still suffering today. They will still be suffering tomorrow. They will still be suffering after the treatment center moves.
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Every person who reads this reply is saying to themselves "Not in my house!" Well guess what, if not yours then someone you know. You'll never know it, mostly because everyone chooses to ignore it. The signs are rarely obvious. However, if the community was really interested in protecting children, then they would educate themselves about the signs of abuse and what can be done about it. Families helping families is what's called for. Lynch mobs don't help anyone. Please educate yourself about such inflammatory subjects in order to reach your goal of protecting children. Media outlets will never do this for you. They are looking for sensationalism. They have no concern about your children. The more crazy reactions like this the better for them. Don't feed them, don't accept yellow journalism in your community. You and everyone deserve better than that. Build a strong community by being part of the solution rather than hurling stones.
So fine, if you want them let them stay at your house! The rest of us want nothing to do with the creeps! Keep them on your property and away from my family!
There is also a strip club in Sellwood...about a forth of a mile from oaks park.Â
 @Tyler Van Pelt And what direct danger to children do you believe that a strip club represents?
 @Tyler Van Pelt You mean the employees may begin teaching elementary school aged children how to pole-dance?
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 @dkgiovenco it's a couple weeks TOO long.
One thing that nobody on this board--populated by Internet Tough Guys--is drawing the distinction between low-level sex crimes (like a 20 year old guy having consensual sex with his 16 year old girlfriend...stupid, but hardly a violent assault), and predatory sexual offenders. Everyone is saying "they can't be cured," but most of the low-level crimes are not repeated, and programs like this help. For violent, predatory, repeat offenders, yes, those guys frequently reoffend. But let's not lump everyone into the same category, unless you'd like to have another conversation about the massive tax hike it would take to pay to build prisons for everyone you all want thrown in jail until the end of time. (And for the people who like to post their own twisted fantasies about how badly they'd hurt someone convicted of a sex crime: you've got issues of your own. Stop living them out in public.)Â
 @davejpdxÂ
A 19 year old kid having consensual sex with his 16 year old girlfriend should not label him a sex offender. This will ruin his life and make it very hard to get a job and more than likely drive him further away from being a law abiding citizen.
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Now a sexual predator is a different story. They need lots of time in prison.
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As for hurting a predatory sex offender, If that happened to one of my family or friends then I would take my chances with a jury just to make that person carbon neutral. I am in the autumn of my life and going to prison for life would be a reasonable trade from the way that I look at it.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi3Hyxuf5AE Â Â This guy only got probation.
 @davejpdx I agree with you on the part about Kids having mutually conscentual sex even though it is Stautory Rape it is not nearly in the same class as a Sexual Predator. Also If you only offend once at low level you are not a Predator to begin with. As far as your other arguments, I am all for public Stoning as a form of Capital Punishment for these sick creeps. If you are defending them does that mean you are one as well? Also if you were ever a Victim or close to one you would have the same sick fantasies of revenge so either you are a Pious Fool or you are Predator yourself. There is no place in society for Garbage that Prey on others in this way.
I can see them relocating to another bad location - right next door to a strip club.
 Somewhere along the way it was decided that child rapists could be fixed if programs designed to help them, existed. Here's your program, enjoy it.
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@HarryJuku Actually, at the meeting, there were people who lived near the clinic who said that since the clinic had opened, she's had two occasions of men masterbating in front of her on her yard. A 7th grade girl was followed in a car right at the clinic's location by a man who blew kisses at her and made comments. These are two things I heard directly from people I trust. There are many more things I've heard about that are from 3rd parties. And, yes, the woman who was masterbated in front of twice did file police reports.Â
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Worthwhile idea, bad location. However, at least they know about the center now. And let's be honest, how many sex offenders are out and about in public that in passing, you wouldn't be the wiser of?Â
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@Caspertoo why supply it with food, if they can figure out how to survive on the island fine but dont waste our food on them
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 @August100  @Caspertoo Do you understand what evidence based means? Have you cared enough about what will actually make children and communities safer to look at some research or read some studies? If yes, then good, but your comments don't bear that out. If you care so much about stopping child sexual abuse, what are you doing about it? Do you know that virtually all sexual crime against children is committed by their family members, peers, and others in their lives on a trusted and regular basis, not by someone who has already  been charged with a sexual offense and is on the registry? Have you petitioned your city government for programs in the schools to address the cause of child sexual abuse and to teach children how to speak up even though the person hurting them is someone they love? Do you volunteer with programs designed to help victims? There is much you could do that would really help. Blessings to you and your family.
 @Caspertoo Why food?  Let them fend for themselves.
Ugly building for hideous people..........seems fitting.
Do the liberal yo-yos in Sellwood think the offenders will just
dry up and blow away if they squash the clinic?
They're still around. On your buses, shopping at the local QFC.
Having a java in your precious local Starbucks. Walking their
dogs in the same parks you and your children visit.
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Driving the clinic away won't drive the offenders away..
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As for those who want the offenders killed:
How much effort have you put into lobbying your representatives
to change the law to acommodate your wishes?
Zip, I'd guess.
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 @Caspertoo So if someone expresses an opinion that differs from yours, that makes them a sex criminal? Such foolish comments reflect far more negatively on you than they do on your intended target.
 @Caspertoo @Billy R Most likely Billy isn't an offender, however, I'm guessing he's a realist as I am. Sex offenders don't just disappear off the face of the earth. They are still living their lives, they still have to go to the grocery store (how many people let their rugrats run unsupervised in the grocery store), they still probably have to go to the bank, they still probably need to visit the doctor/dentist, they may even still go to sports events.Â
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There are sex offenders out there, they could be just about anywhere, to think that this isn't the case is the equivalent of an ostrich sticking it's head in the sand.
 @pdxd Yes there will allways be twisted people but having a strong deterent never hurt and Capital Punishment is strong enough. If not that then the good old Inquisition practice of Stigmata, or Branding of the face so all will know what you are.
 @swede760 What I'm saying is that we, as a society, need to realize that there may be unsavory individuals among us. Let's make one thing clear, the people being referred to as clients of this center are known offenders, at least we have a way of knowing who these people are! In contrast, there are probably how many unknown offenders out there, that have never been arrested, never been convicted, and are probably more dangerous than any of the people attending the treatment center.
 @pdxd So we are to just accept it? I do not think so! I stand by my opinion that all Sexual Predators should be put to Death Period! I am not saying that we should do the same for Kids who have conscentual sex but are under age but the true predators need to be dealt with.
 @Caspertoo You took the words right out of my mouth, and to Billy, I have talked with all my reps about my feelings, I am very politically active.