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Feb 25, 2007 6:18 pm US/Central
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Sex Offenders On College Campuses
by Brooke Richie
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
You may think you know how to find a registered sex offender.
You may have searched by a name, neighborhood or zip code. But do you know about the sex offenders in your midst when you're on a college campus? There are more of them than you might think.
It's a secret they don't have to tell you. They could be sitting right next to you.
Johnathan Lamb, a registered sex offender living in Fort Worth, said, "Nobody that worked with me knew that I was a registered sex offender." Lamb served time for aggravated sexual assault of a 12-year-old and sexual assault of a 15-year-old.
Lamb can't say for sure it will never happen again. "If I see a child in a store, I go the opposite way," he said.
He briefly worked at Tarrant County College. "I went through a temp agency," he said. "The temp agency said, 'Oh no. It's not going to be a problem," and they got me hired on a Tarrant County College as a janitor working nights."
A TCC spokesperson said Lamb was fired when they learned of his sex offender status. Many other schools, including Texas Christian University and the University of Texas at Arlington, go on a case-by-case basis.
But when it comes to sex offender students, the policies are much more lenient. Some students were surprised to learn that.
"I think that's kind of scary. It kind of makes us aware of who we talk to, what we say, what we do," said local student Kaci Kenimar.
According to state law, sex offenders must notify either campus security or local law enforcement of their affiliation with a school. The schools must make that information available to the campus community.
But is it enough? Jana Barker, President of the Board of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, feels more needs to be done. "If they are going to hire them, if they are going to let them attend school, which they have every right to do, then I think it's important that the student body know what they're dealing with," Barker said.
On DPS' sex offender database, under the "Higher Education" category, you'll find at least 74 North Texas students and employees. Most schools have at least one offender.
One of them is an 18-year-old local student we'll call "Tom." He explained his situation. "We were at a party," he said. "We drank a little. Her mom found out about it, so her mother called the cops and pursued the matter further."
He pleaded guilty to inappropriately touching a 16-year-old. At the time, he was also 16. He will be a registered sex offender for life. "Just the fact of living with it, it's a big burden. It's something that you can't get over, and it's with me for the rest of my life," he said.
Both Tom and Lamb believe sex offenders have a right to pursue their education.
"A sex offender should be able to better themselves too," Lamb said.
But you also have a right to know if the person sitting next to you or working with you on campus is a convicted sex offender.
"I think it's just important that the people around them know that they are sex offenders," Barker said.
"It's there, bothering me every day. I think about it every day," Tom said. "It's just something that comes back and haunts me."
The DPS website is not the only place you can find a list of registered sex offenders on college campuses. You can also call the school or your local police agency. Safety advocates say your best bet is to contact all three.
(CBS 11 News)