Source: thedailynewsonline.com 4/19/24
WATERTOWN — A mother of a 4-year-old boy had no idea that a registered sex offender who was convicted of sexually abusing three children was living next to her and across the street from a home day care business.
The young mother, Sierra Penrose, is now working on reviving a state Senate bill that would prohibit sex offenders from living near such daycares.
The bill, which was first proposed a decade ago, hasn’t gained traction, even though it’s been reintroduced several times.
The proposed legislation would be similar to a state law that prohibits sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school.
Penrose spoke during Monday night’s City Council meeting about how she was not notified that the Level 3 sex offender was living next to her McClelland Street home.
An offender’s level of risk — Level 1, low; Level 2, moderate; and Level 3, high — is determined in court by a point system, with points assessed for different categories. Categories include the use of force, weapons, alcohol or drugs, the victim’s age, number of victims, relationship to the victim or any injury of the victim, among other factors.
Each level may also carry a designation — sexual predator, sexually violent offender or predicate sex offender. The McClelland Street offender is designated as a sexually violent offender, according to the registry.
Penrose, who bought her house about a year ago, also told council members that the operator of the day care also was not notified that he was living in the neighborhood.
“A violent sex offender with a track record of abusing children is allowed to move freely within the city and move in next door to whoever he pleases,” she said.
She just happened to look at the state’s sex offender registry when she found out that he had moved into the house next door six months ago.
One of the sex offender’s victims was a 4-year-old boy, the same age as her son.
“I just want to protect my children,” she said.
Also a mother of a 1-year-old girl, Penrose was so upset that she was not notified that she went door-to-door to find out if her neighbors knew about it. None of the seven did.
While canvasing her neighborhood, she talked to Patti Pfister, who owns a state-licensed home day care across the street. Pfister knew nothing about the sex offender.
Pfister, who has operated her day care since 1996, is concerned about the six children under her care. Both Pfister and Penrose called the Watertown Police Department to see what can be done about the sex offender, who as a Level 3 offender must be on the state registry for the rest of his life.
“It’s very scary,” she said.
Nothing can be done, they said. The sex offender is listed on the state sex offender registry as having served a four-year sentenced and is no longer on probation.
The police department is not responsible for notifying people that a sex offender has moved into their neighborhood, but residents can access the registry online and sign up for notifications.
City police Lt. Jason Badalato referred questions to the Jefferson County Probation Department and state agencies. The Probation Department did not return a reporter’s request for comment.
On Monday, City Council members sympathized with Penrose but told her that there’s nothing that the city can do about the situation.
New York residents and all other registrants nationwide, we must be vigilant and constantly watch for these insidious residency and presence restrictions and Halloween laws proposed in our counties and cities.
Fight them! Sign up for emails about your city and county meetings. Speak up, call and write. and notify ACSOL and whatever pro-registrant organizations you have.
Hiding and hoping is a good recipe for a nightmare of restrictions to suddenly make your life hell.
Here in Arizona, once you are off probation or parole and get your civil rights restored, the residency restrictions no longer apply. I don’t know if it’s the same I’m NY. But, if he has his rights back then she has no grounds to complain.
Seems it only became a problem because she found out rather than something actually having happened. The registry messes with everyone’s mental well-being.
What about drug addicts? They kill a lot more children than sex offenders. What is she doing about them?
“It’s very scary.” Bravo, registry supporters, NY state government! You’ve scared some women and accomplished nothing! Looking at the registry is like bringing a black light to a motel room—what do you hope to accomplish, besides keeping yourself up all night? The point of government is to maintain order—the registry serves the polar opposite of that,
promoting fear and disorder. During WW2 the UK had these “Keep calm and carry on” signs posted on the home front, to promote bravery in the face of the blitz bombings. If the registry had a motto, it would be “Freak out and hate your neighbors.”
Society has no problem with criminals who beat a child to a bloody pulp; guardians who abuse/kill their loved one; introduce minors to drugs, abuse, violence, and generational cycles; drunk or reckless drivers who hit a car where a child could be; and any situation that has nothing to do with sex. Good parents don’t need a list to protect their children, however insecure and ones who live in fear do.
“Penrose said she just wants to feel that her two children are safe.”
So if I live in a crime ridden ghetto…and just want to “feel” safe, then the cops should run all the bad actors out of town?
This is crucial to note here. You nor I nor anyone else have a “right” to “feel” safe.
And the idea of “safe” is different for everyone.
Really what this is about is a nosey neighbor trying to tell other people in the neighborhood how to live…and in this case where to live.
Yet once again, there is noone there to point out that residency restrictions have not been shown to protect anyone nor prevent crime.
It’s the same old story. And many days I feel like our leaders do not care one iota for what evidence says. It only matters what gets people stirred up and voting.
So think about this. What is more disgusting? Sex crimes? Or politicians who use sex crimes to make a name for themselves without really doing anything to prevent those crimes nor protect people that vote for the restrictions?
It is a sideshow exhibit at best. Just con men (and women) whose only concern is power and money. And don’t talk to me about the few do gooders there are that actually want to see change. They are far outnumbered by the lynch mobs.
This country will pay a heavy price for its stupidity and laziness. And honestly I hope it happens in my lifetime. Because I want to see the shock and confusion when we realize we aren’t number one anymore.
I love it when a law prevents where a person may sleep but not where he may go. If I’m sleeping within 1000 feet of a school, I’m doing no one any harm. However, if I’m sitting in a lawn chair in front of a school scouting out potential victims (if were in the recidivism business), I’m potentially harming someone in the future. The harm is all in one’s perception. Fortunately, I know a way this woman can cure herself of this perception: MOVE. If she doesn’t like living next to a sex offender, she can go elsewhere.
After living in our home for over 26 years, my son was put on the registry four years ago, we had a woman rent a home two blocks from us, and open up a inhome daycare, (I as well have ran a in home daycare for 20 years up to the date my son took a plea) she took it up on herself to go door to door, letting everyone know my home had a registered sex offender, and wanted everyone to rally to have something done to have my teen son removed from the area, having been close to my neighbors for years she wasn’t met with the welcoming she anticipated, my neighbors all knew about the accusation from day one, many even helped record the aftermath of destruction that goes on, once one is accused for court purposes (friends of the accuser driving by vandalizing cars and property etc) She ended up being run out herself, you don’t have to be licensed in the state of Missouri to run a daycare care home, but you are limited to the number of kids you are allowed to watch, apparently she was constantly being reported for keeping too many kids, improper supervision outdoors etc, she was eventually made to close her in home daycare,, and she moved within a year of moving in. Sometimes Karma hits hard.
So now that she has finally noticed that this man has been living next door for who knows how long…. she springs into action! Why, because she presumes this man is still driving a kid crushing bus! So she wants to steer the bus, she’s presumes he is still driving, away from her kid and in the direction of…
…whatever happens, happens, so long as it doesn’t happen to her kid!
How bravely noble of her to save her kid, by banishing the bus she presumes he is driving, out of her neighborhood and into yours. Meanwhile here in the real world…
He either will, or he will not. Threats of punishment may influence his decision, but only so much. Threats of future punishments for future behaviors made against a person who is trapped in a life of endless reprisals for his past behaviors, will be significantly less effective.
DOESN’T MATTER! WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS…. so long as it only happens to your kid, not hers! This is the very cold, black, unbeating heart of Disposable Society! Doesn’t matter what happens, so long as it doesn’t impact her..
“One of the sex offender’s victims was a 4-year-old boy, the same age as her son.
“I just want to protect my children,” she said.
Also a mother of a 1-year-old girl, Penrose was so upset……”
Wait! How many children do you have? And where’s the daddy? Maybe you need a man around the house to protect you, instead of having your city coincil friends harassing a tax paying citizen.in your neighborhood.
Considering the reaction of folks in the neighborhood, it’s probably a good thing no one was notified when the guy moved in. Imagine the hysteria and spectacle that might have caused!
F*ck Sierra Penrose of Watertown, NY. She’s garbage. Here is yet another Karen who is not capable of simply minding her own damn business and leaving other families alone. She is a poster child for what is wrong in Amerika today. So many Karens and Darens whining about anything.
I sometimes feel like I should be nicer to “people” like Penrose. After all, they are usually just immature idiots who are uninformed and do not think very deeply. But nah, f*ck them. They are Registry A**holes/Supporters/Terrorists (RASTs). No one should be forced to have them as neighbors.
Further, because Registries exist, I want RASTs like Penrose to suffer. I want them to feel “unsafe”. That is a best case scenario. If they harass American families then I want them to suffer.
The genius Penrose said, “A violent sex offender with a track record of abusing children is allowed to move freely within the city and move in next door to whoever he pleases.” Sorry for the genius, but that is always going to be the case, no matter what harassing laws RASTs get passed. What she means is that she does not want PFRs to “move in next door” to her. She is fine with them moving in right next door to a lot of children and obviously that happens every single day. As long as it is not her, it’s fine.
If Penrose were a good mother she would not be dependent on government to help raise her children. She would already know that the biggest SEX dangers to them are already in their lives. She would already be protecting them, supervising them, and educating them. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about some fake protection from government.
Does she really think it would matter if the guy lived 1,000 feet away? I guess that would be easier for him since the people around there wouldn’t recognize him. I mean, that’s what I do pretty much. I have friends that live all over the place. I visit them whenever I like and none of the RASTs know anything about it or me. Easy peasy. I guess she prefers that.
RAST Penrose is also evidently only concerned about violent or dangerous people if it had something to do with SEX. She doesn’t seem to care about her neighbor who shot his last neighbor’s kid. Or beat one to within an inch of their life. That’s all good.
Remember – until these criminal regimes have the rest of their national, public, lifetime Registries created, all their talk about “public safety” and “protecting children” are lies.
Last I knew they found residence restrictions unconstitutional in New York. In People v. Diack, 24 N.Y. 3d 674 (2015)
“An offender’s level of risk — Level 1, low; Level 2, moderate; and Level 3, high — is determined in court by a point system, with points assessed for different categories.”
If New York is anything like Wisconsin, their DOC ignores what the court determines. If the court says you register for 15 years, the WI DOC will say you register for life if you have 1 count too many. If the Wisconsin Supreme Court turns around and says no really, they only have to register 15 years. The WI DOC will get their buddies in the legislature to pass a law to override the WI Supreme Court. And the DOC will turn around and once again say “I said it’s life!” The corruption in Wisconsin makes New York & Illinois look like child’s play
@everyone, especially New York, I just looked her up and there is a council meeting video of her speaking about this on her Facebook page. She is definitely young and clueless. If these council members are smart they won’t do anything about it. If they do act on it they will just get the crap sued out of them.
I couldn’t help but notice the article didn’t mention how long the registrant had been living there and listing whatever his offenses were. And presumably, all the sex crimes he’s been accused of during the period that he must have beaten through legal loopholes. [/sarc] If it had, it more than likely would have made this woman look pretty foolish.
If this misguided woman only knew the actual risks she takes when getting behind the wheel of a car and heading out to a shoe sell, Starbucks or where ever. This is why educating the public won’t work simply because lawmakers will always have to placate their insecurities with safety gimmicks like the registry.
So for everyone wondering, I found who the guy is. Wasn’t too difficult. All I did was search the Karen’s name to find her address, then I searched the NY registry for PFRs on her street.
The guy will be 60 in December. The offense date is January 1, 1997, conviction on September 26, 2014. He has one count of Attempted Sexual Abuse 1st:Sexual Contact With Individual Less Than 11Years Old and 2 counts of Course Of Sexual Conduct Against A Child- 2nd Degree. The ages are a 4 year old male, and 2 girls ages 5 and 13. It also states the kids were not strangers to him.
Crime descriptions are Actual,MoreThanOnce Deviate Sexual Intercourse
Actual,MoreThanOnce Sexual Intercourse
Actual,MoreThanOnce Sexual Contact
His sentence was 4 years in prison, so must have had a really good attorney.
He has a previous conviction in December 2000 of 2nd degree rape against a 13 year old girl that he knew. The sentence for that one was 30 months to 5 years. A public records search shows he bought the house on August 25, 2022, so he’s been there for almost 2 years.
A public records search of Karen shows she bought her house across the street from him on May 24, 2023, so he was definitely in the neighborhood before she was.
I’m not going to post his name or either of the addresses.
The dude definitely has a bad history and obviously didn’t learn his lesson the first time, but it appears that Karen’s kid is safe because apparently he only went after kids he knew.
If Penrose was concerned about her children’s safety why didn’t she check the registry before purchasing her house. Did she believe that People Forced to Register wouldn’t be living in her community and living next door? For every red dot listed, how many unknown dots does the public not know about and don’t care till an accusation or arrest happens? I bet Penrose would blame the registry if something sexual happened to her children in her house due to her being naive.
She needs to move to Florida- look her up. She’s a professional victim seeker and crime crusader. The Lauren Book type. She needs to take care of her children instead of being out of her home 12 hours a day.
I was convicted in Watertown. My lawyer is now the judge.
In general NY is not a terrible place for Former US citizens now known as sex offenders. The ESTOP law is a pain in the butt. The dumb part about NY is that no matter where you live, or even if you are alive, you remain on their registry if you were convicted there.
Early on I “threatened” to move back to Watertown if I was not removed from the registry. They did not reply to my childish tactic.