Sex Offender Information Available at Sheriff’s Offices

A package of two computer disks with the names of California’s worst sexual predators will be available starting today to Ventura County residents at Sheriff’s Department offices in Ventura and Thousand Oaks.

“It’s going to be pretty user-friendly so that people can come in and actually sit down at a computer and do a search themselves,” said Capt. Mark Ball.

The CD-ROMs are packaged with 7-year-old Megan Kanka’s face and name on their covers.

Megan’s rape and murder in July 1994 by a repeat sex offender prompted legislation across the country to make public information on parolees convicted of sex crimes.

California’s version of Megan’s law went into effect Jan. 1.

The CD-ROMs--available to the public at the east and west county sheriff’s stations--will make it easier for residents to check someone’s background for convictions on serious sexual offenses, Ball said.

“If you wanted to check, say, a child-care worker, you could use a name or get a list by ZIP Code and then search the list,” he said.

The CD-ROMs contain the names of 63,920 offenders statewide. About 1,100 live in Ventura County, according to the state Department of Justice.

Of the total, 1,617 of them have been classified as high-risk--individuals who have been convicted of at least three felonies, including two violent offenses.

The information can be accessed by anyone 18 or older with a valid photo identification and no previous convictions for sexual offenses.

Searches may be done by name or ZIP Code. Other distinguishing attributes such as height, weight and race can be used to narrow a search.

The list does not include street addresses but does identify the county and the ZIP Code where an offender lives.

For each offender, the database lists a physical description, date of birth and criminal history. About half the entries include a photograph, officials said.

Nothing on the list can be printed, but users can take notes.

Although there has been a lot of support for public access to the records, sheriff’s officials said Monday they do not expect a great demand for the material.

“I don’t think there’s going to be big lines, but it will be used,” Ball said.

As many as 40% to 45% of ZIP Codes and counties listed for the sex offenders on the CD-ROMs may be incorrect, according to state officials.

But the list is to be updated as many as four times this year.

“We received a Teletype [Monday] stating that they were actually doing some last-minute updating,” Ball said.

So far the list is being made available to municipal police departments with city populations of 200,000 or more. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department will be the repository of information for the entire county, officials said.

The CD-ROMs will be available in the west county at the Ventura County Sheriff’s Station at 800 S. Victoria Ave. in Ventura.

East county residents can access the list at the east county sheriff’s station, 2101 E. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks.