TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

County Can Force Sexual Predators From Cluster

ADVERTISEMENT

By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE and MIKE SALINERO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 6, 2008

Updated: 03/06/2008 07:53 pm

TAMPA - TAMPA - TAMPA - Palm River residents wanted quick action when they found out a nonprofit group was providing transitional housing for convicted sex offenders in their neighborhood.

They got it.

Several hours after residents showed up at Thursday's county commission meeting to complain, the county's legal staff announced they had found a way to make most of the sexual offenders move. Their weapon: A law prohibiting sexual predators from being within 500 feet of certain facilities, including schools, playgrounds and bus stops.

The mobile home park where the offenders live is within 250 feet of a bus stop, according to the county attorney's office.

The county attorney's office began investigating the situation after Palm River residents spoke during the public comment session at today's commission meeting, protesting Florida Justice Transitions' plan to house sex offenders in Juli's Mobile Home Park.

At least eight sexual predators and two sexual offenders already live in the mobile homes, and the founder of the nonprofit group has announced plans to house up to 24 at the park, which sits across the street from families living at J&L Mobile Home Park.

The plans have enraged residents at J&L, including Michelle Williams.

Born and raised in the Palm River area, Williams extended an emotional plea to commissioners requesting they take action. She said she was sexually assaulted in 1984, and her attacker went on to victimize 17 more children.

"I'm a survivor. You never get over it. Make them go somewhere where there aren't any children. Yes, they've served their term, but what they've done to us is a lifetime thing," she said. "I can't allow this in my community, not now, not ever."

Faith-based Florida Justice Transitions already operates a transitional program for sex offenders at a mobile home park in St. Petersburg, where offenders receive counseling and close monitoring by the sheriff's office and probation officers, according to founder Nancy Morais.

Veronica Moore, president of the Palm River Civic Association, who spoke to commissioners with her 18-month-old foster daughter, Dixie Lee, in her arms, said she doesn't think any amount of monitoring will keep children in the community safe.

Moore is organizing a community protest march at 1 p.m. March 15 that will begin at 78th Street and proceed along Causeway Boulevard to Palm River Road. The Palm River Civic Association will discuss the march at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the First Baptist Church of Palm River, 5415 Palm River Road.

Tony Spino, the father of two daughters ages 4 and 2, built a $400,000 home about a mile from the mobile home park and said he's not only worried for the safety of children but also declining property values. Spino has launched a petition drive to close the transitional program, so far gathering about 200 signatures.

County code enforcement supervisor Bill Langford said today, and property records confirmed, the property the mobile home park is on, 5011 24th Ave. S., is owned by Rooring Lake Gilbert LLC.
After hearing residents speak this morning, Commissioner Jim Norman asked the county attorney to immediately file an injunction to stop Florida Justice Transition's plans.

"The last thing we need to do is bring another predator into this community," he said. "We need to jump on this right away."

Commissioner Kevin White was especially disturbed to learn one of the sex offenders living at the Palm River mobile home park had been released after raping and carving his initials into the chest of a 15-year-old girlfriend.

"It sounds like our judicial system is failing," he said. "This needs to be a collaborative effort with all government agencies involved."

By late Thursday afternoon, the county attorney's office announced the county could legally force the eight sexual predators to move because of the 500-foot rule. The rule covers only sexual predators, who are categorized as having committed more serious crimes than sexual offenders.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT