Volusia County residents mistakenly get text alert about sex offender moving in nearby
Many Volusia County residents received a text alert Tuesday afternoon telling them that a sex offender had moved in nearby but for most of them, that wasn’t actually the case.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said the message about XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, should have only been sent to those who live within 1,000 feet of his new address.
Those who received the alert in error got a follow-up message clarifying the information. The sheriff’s office also posted the correction on its Facebook and Twitter pages.
“Volusia County residents: You may have just gotten a text saying a sexual predator moved within 1,000 feet of your residence. That message was sent in error to ALL users. You should be getting a follow up message shortly. Sorry for the error,” the post read.
When the Hell did this start happening? Is Volusia the only county doing this? Since we are not allowed notifications for things like this and facebook, nextdoor etc, how are we to even know?
What is next, a special unit that goes to every door when someone on the registry moves in? WHAT is the purpose of the registry then? Wow, how many notifications are needed? Mailing every household a postcard. Emailing, faxing them, flying a banner behind the sheriffs helicopter?
It will never end until we are all killed by vigilantes. This is why we have so many homeless registrants. We have done our time but you just cannot leave us alone.
Polk county does it to. my mom got a message on her answering machine telling her about a registrant who was homeless that listed that he put his tent within 5 miles of her house !
Tim
3 strikes on that tent guy . #1 He is Homeless, #2 He is on the registry #3 And he lives in Polk county, the home of the King of sting operations Sheriff Grady judd. What could go wrong?
What about an apology to the sex offender? I am certain that that provided his photo and all necessary vigilantly required information!
That didn’t stop Orlando News 6 from announcing his 15-year-old conviction.
That 15-year-old conviction has again become newsworthy because— well, I don’t know why.
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All, please comment.
The registry is clearly being used as punishment.
Bob
PLEASE convince a judge of that. Lawyers have been trying for years. A few states or jurisdictions have made some rulings in our favor but does not affect those in Florida where I am.
I truly believe ALL of the judges know in their heart this is punishment. They also want to get re-elected or keep their friends. None of them want to be known as soft on sex offenders.
An idiot sheriff lives and is driving around even closer than that . So beware.
David
Did he finally get out of the hospital? He has been hit twice while riding his bike. He got hit again about 2 weeks ago.
It was NO mistake…just a reminder for the “good” people that the Police are on top of things and saving them from the boogeyman!
Yep. They created smoke where there was no fire, but took credit for putting the fire out anyway, then gloated about it to seek ill-earned praise from the stay-at-home moms.
They can all go back to safely watching TikTok memes and The Bachelor now. .
Ok first, not so sure it was a mistake. Probably some zealot did that intentionally. Second, Im not surprised by the fact the Sheriffs Office has every single county resident’s cell phone number; just scared to know that they do.
Kevin
That reminds me of something that happened to me about 8 years ago. I went to get my driver’s license renewed. When they called my name and I got up to the window, in a loud voice where all 200 people in the waiting room could hear, she loudly said “Did you know they have you listed as a sex offender on your driver’s license”?
I had to look at the floor as I left and hoped no one followed me out to the parking lot. I went back to the same spot just a month ago as it was time again, and had no issues what so ever.
David
I was just watching local news and they mentioned this story stating that a correction text went out to those who were not supposed to get it.
We should send him an FAC Welcome Packet.
So the sheriffs office basically told the entire population of the county where this registrant lived so not only his neighbors know but any other nut case wanna be vigilantly knows too. How very convenient. Yep sounds like a mistake………..if I still believed in all mythical things like santa , the easter bunny , innocent until PROVEN guilty or that all police always tell the truth and your lawyer is looking out for your best interest or the biggest myth of all you have nothing to worry about if you haven’t done what your accused of.
Tim
OMG You mean there is not a Santa or Easter bunny? Thanks for ruining my day. I guess my entire life has been a lie LOL
Thanks for the laugh :)~
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/30/matt-gaetz-investigation-congressman-probed-for-possible-sex-trafficking.html
Just seen this tonight. It shows just how easy it is to bring accusations against someone, when those accusations aren’t even necessarily of a sexual nature, but just involving a minor in general.
I can’t help but wonder if they do the same thing for drug dealers, armed home invaders, burglars, arsonist, murderers, DUI drivers, etc?
Judges, L.E., and government needs to understand that they are risking not only the registrant but also any person including a child that might live with them. The registry is not only punishment for the registrant but all persons living in the household.
B.Webb
Having both worked in law enforement and being on the registry(not at the same time lol) I know some things from experience. Although there was not such thing as the registry way back in the mid 1980s when I was a cop.
From my personal experience, my daughter lived with me for a while when she was 15 and I was on the registry but not on probation. I had two different instances. The first was someone called the police saying a sex offender had some young girl in his house. Secondly, when she said she was my daughter, they told her they needed to search the house. When she tried to call me(I was not home at the time and had a job then) they took the phone away from her.
I won’t go into the rest of it as it will get me upset just typing the rest of the story but basically the family of ex sex offenders are considered scum bags just by association. (To be fair not all cops are like that).
So B.webb your statement “Judges, L.E., and government needs to” although true, most likely isn’t going to happen. a majority of them hear blah blah blah. Just who is going to educate them? And really it is the legislatures that need to open their eyes and ears, they are the ones Making the laws.
But well all know they scratch each others backs with “If you sponsor my bill, I will bring you and your wife on our boat when we go to the Bahamas next month”
The irony is that the phone was taken away from a child so that the only potential victim of a child sex crime was made helpless. I find it ironic in the same way that registered child sex-offenders are made to live away from schools and parks where many parents and teachers are supervising. Instead the child sex-offenders are moved to remote areas where children wait for the bus alone, far from the prying eyes of parents and teachers.
Roger, please do not look for any common sense in what these phony public servants do in the name of public service. They can not see any further into the future than to the next election and their wallet…sorry if the ‘word’ wallet can be construed to be sexist…so I’ll use the word ‘purse’. Actually I’m not sorry.
I live in volusia and my son inlaw nor my daughter received any text. Im wondering if you have to sign up for text alerts. Maybe the entire county did not receive the texts
Just tired
You have to opt in
Here is from the Volusia county Emergency management website
“Code Red Notification System: If you have a cell phone or unlisted telephone number, you aren’t in our database! The only way to get notifications about emergencies in your area would be to “opt-in” to the free service. Any information furnished for the purpose of emergency notification is exempt from public records requirement.”
How is this LEGAL?
“Sorry for the error.”
Isn’t this the equivalent of yelling “fire” in a crowded theater or a reverse cry wolf?
How else are these LEC’s supposed to justify their paychecks?
Predator is the only word the Sheriff’s use, regards of all you pissed in
Your welcome Cherokee. I thought we all needed a little humor to go with the harsh reality we have to endure as long as the registry exists