By Adam Droge
SALT LAKE CITY – There are than 30 sex offenders currently living near the BYU campus, however, a new bill passed in committee on Feb. 18 would help keep sex offenders from getting lost in the system, and being allowed to live so close to a school zone.
Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, explained that when a sex offender moves, they are supposed to re-register, but many sex offenders don’t re-register or are very particular with what they put as their address; enabling them to live in places they aren’t supposed to.
Stevenson said, “The problem is they are being lost in the system when they don’t re-register, and when they get lost in the system we have attorneys that are basically getting them so they can step outside of the system and this keeps them in it.”
SB177 states that a violation of the sex offender registration requirements is considered to have been committed at the location where the offender is apprehended. If the actual address is unknown, than the officer goes back to the most recent registered address of the offender to look for a current address.
The bill was passed unanimously by the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Standing Committee. It now heads over to the Senate for consideration.
