Where can I find Massachusetts sex offenders near me?

A few summers ago, I was in the lobby of a local police station when a mother and child walked in. The mother told the officer behind the desk that she went through her child’s phone and found that an adult was sending messages to her child, asking them to leave their house and meet them at night. The child was 11.

In a digital age, sexual predators have victims at their fingertips, making it even harder for parents to keep children safe. And with so much focus on who our children are talking to on their phones, parents may sometimes forget that sex offenders don’t live in a digital neighborhood, they live amongst us, often unknown to those around them.

The state of Massachusetts has an online sex offender registry that you can use to look up convicted offenders by their name or just by zip code. There are other websites and apps available that will generate a map and show you exactly where all the predators are located.

https://sorb.chs.state.ma.us/sorbpublic/recaptcharEntry.action?_p=52NKe1fjeiDNxABtlSO4J0-Q9Jhnn-GCPtgS7bCH0l5DZIZj9TgcBm5UYKGfjjhBJ5EsW6UAYWZe2szxxWcnoZaRyVdBJnl392rW2o-uDZY

And it was when researching those websites for this story that I uncovered a convicted sex offender that lives just four houses away from me. I have lived in my home for over 8 years and I was unaware that this individual lived so closely. Family Watchdog provided a map and when I clicked on the point near my home, it brought me to the profile of a level 2 sex offender, including a picture. Shockingly, I recognized the individual as someone who walks their dog by my home every single day. As a mother of four children, I could not believe that there was a sex offender right under my nose. So much time and effort into monitoring social media, I forgot to check my surroundings for potential dangers right around us.

https://www.familywatchdog.us/showmap.asp

There’s a reason there is a sex offender registry. The crimes against children are particularly horrendous and while the individuals living back in society have done their time and have been released, there is no guarantee that they will not abuse again. Parents need to be vigilant of where these individuals live so they can ensure their children are safe. Apps like Offender Watch are great tools to help families locate offenders near their home or anywhere they may be. Whatever website or app you use, take the time to see which sex offenders are near you and your children just to be safe.

https://www.offenderwatch.com/family-safety-app