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Sex Offender Clustering Law Being Readied For Hillsborough Board

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By MIKE SALINERO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 22, 2008

TAMPA - A local law to prevent sexual predators and offenders from clustering in Hillsborough County neighborhoods will be ready for the county commission in about two months.

Commissioners gave county attorneys the go-ahead Wednesday to draft an anti-clustering ordinance and strengthen an existing ordinance that prevents certain sexual offenders from congregating or lingering within 300 feet of any facility that caters to children, such as parks and libraries.

In March, commissioners asked county attorneys to toughen the laws after residents in the Palm River community complained a mobile home park was being used as transitional housing for sexual offenders. The park was 250 feet from a school bus stop.

While investigating whether the housing was being operated legally, Assistant County Attorney Sheree Fish discovered the Child Safety Zone ordinance, passed a year earlier, affected only sexual predators, not sexual offenders.

Sexual offenders are declared predators if they have committed multiple or especially egregious crimes.

Fish recommended the Child Safety Zone include any sexual offender who has been involuntarily committed to treatment after a civil hearing that shows he or she is likely to commit another crime.

"It's really a small percentage of sexual offenders who are highly likely to offend," Fish said.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

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