Sex crime list draws crowd to Web site

The day after Missouri's sex offender registry became accessible statewide to the public through the Internet, the list became so popular that many couldn't log onto the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Web site.

"The actual equipment we're using is not designed for hundreds or thousands of hits all at once," said patrol spokesman Lt. Tim Hull.

The patrol is using existing computer equipment. No money was included in the state budget for the addition to the patrol's Web site.

State Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit, who sponsored the bill mandating the list, said he anticipated that the demand would be great.

"I didn't envision a Web site that you can't access," Bartle said. "But I did envision a Web site that would be immensely popular because I believed it would be a huge tool for parents and educators."

The list on the Web site for Cape Girardeau County is the same list that appears on the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department Web site.

In Cape Girardeau County, most people who have used the Web site, or have asked at the sheriff's department for a list, are people who are concerned about children -- either day-care workers or people who keep children in their home, said Capt.Ruth Ann Dickerson of the sheriff's department. Dickerson said she has no way of tracking how many people check the local list.

Information on the Web site refers only to those who have been found guilty or plead guilty to committing or attempting to commit sexual offenses. Offenders required to register for crimes of kidnapping, felonious restraint or child abuse may not be listed on this Web site.

The purpose of the list is to provide information easily, the highway patrol says, not to warn about any specific individual.

The patrol cautions that the addresses of some offenders may not be up to date due to possible relocation. For more complete information, those interested are advised to contact the sheriff of the county in which they are searching. If anyone has information about where an unregistered sex offender lives, they are asked to contact the patrol at mshpcrid@mshp.dps.mo.gov.

The registry is located on the patrol's criminal records and identification division Web page. To view the registry, locate the patrol's home site at www.mshp.dps.mo.gov and select the tab from the home page banner.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

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