Sex offender arrested – Was working near middle school
A sex offender was arrested and is being held on $25,000 bond because he was working at a flea market 1474 feet away from a school!
As you read this article, think about this other article (http://www.prisonpolicy.org/zones/thousand_feet.html) which shows how difficult to see someone from just 1000 feet.
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A convicted sex offender was arrested Monday, April 27, while working at the Atmore Flea Market, 1815 Highway 21, less than 1,500 feet away from Escambia County Middle School (ECMS), in clear violation of his release status as a sex offender..
Phillip Joseph Stimens, 48, of 15 Zorn Lane in Atmore, was arrested by deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office when he was found to be working at the flea market, just 1,474 feet from ECMS, according to Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Lambert.
“A convicted sex offender must register with the local sheriff’s office,” Lambert said. “He must also not work or live within 2,000 feet of a school or daycare. We measured and the school was well within the area that Stimens was to stay away from.”
According to the Sex Offender registry, Stimens was convicted of “criminal attempt, sexual exploitation of minors” in December of 2010.
Stimens was transported to the Escambia County Detention Center where he is being held on $25,000 bond.
– See more at: http://www.atmorenews.com/2015/05/06/sex-offender-arrested-was-working-near-middle-school/#sthash.bvVJXh4N.dpuf
Was this restriction from working within a specific distance from a school a “local” restriction? I believe it must be because the story states a 2,000 ft distance.
In my communication with FL DOC The State of FL does not restrict employment address distances.
Now… This is really not clear in the statute/registration requirements but it is what FL DOC told me.
We were successful removing employment addresses from the Pasco ordinance on the argument that registered citizens on probation are required to work legally and the ordinance would make employment addresses illegal in nearly every address in the county.
I think that point is a good one to use in fighting these address restrictions.
Yes – this is a local restriction.
Florida statutes do not contain any restrictions on employment proximity to a school.
The counties or cities might have their own. I know (because of our lawsuit) that Palm Bay in Brevard does have a restriction on employment at not only schools, but “any residence, including the curtilage thereof, any designated private or public school facility or grounds, including school bus stops, or any day-care center, library, after-care center, park, playground, hospital, hospice facility, nursing home, adult day-care center, dwelling, domicile, or other place where children or vulnerable adults may reside or regularly congregate, to make deliveries or perform work.”
Ahh.. the all encompassing “where children regularly congregate”. So in other words; in Palm Bay you can’t take any job that would require you to be on the grounds of pretty much anywhere, (landscaping, for example, is out).
And, naturally, this is FOR LIFE, so good luck finding jobs, welcome homelessness and we move on to the next issue. So you try to improve yourself by working and supporting yourself but you can’t because you’re so limited. You wind up homeless and then are accused of trying to exploit a “loophole”.
Thanks for the clarification. So now registered citizens after children AND “vulnerable” adults? (insert sarcastic tone here)
Would the probation requirement of “remaining legally employed” be a helpful argument here?
P.s. The sheriff/gps story link is broken (or missing)
Thanks JR – good catch – I just fixed it.
FYI folks, Atmore is in Alabama. Both Florida and Alabama have an Escambia County which actually border each other across the Florida-Alabama state line.
Correct Jerry – good catch. Still important article as FL municipalities have similar laws.
You know, I look at all the stories on here from around the state and I just ask myself, “This is a joke right?”, “You cannot be serious?” It also seems to me that state conditions and law should trump city and county law. Especially if all offenders are supervised under and registered under the DOC and FDLE. Their laws and conditions should be the only ones offenders are required to abide by.