Friday May 9

Audit: Sex offenders overlooked

Local assemblywoman to propose law requiring more oversight after two found at child facilities

By Banks Albach / Daily News Staff Writer

An audit that found one registered sex offender living in an East Palo Alto foster care home and another in a San Francisco child care facility proves that regulatory agencies need to do a better job of protecting potential victims, San Mateo County officials said Thursday.

"This opened our eyes," said Deborah Torres, county director of prevention and early intervention services. "(There's) certainly information that we want to obtain, another level of information that law enforcement has access to that we don't have access to."

Results of the county audit - which grew out of a state investigation launched by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, San Francisco/San Mateo, that revealed 49 similar situations - were announced at a press conference Thursday.

Conducted through Supervisor Jerry Hill's office, the audit cross-referenced the addresses of known registered sex offenders with the addresses of foster and child care facilities listed with the county.

The county is not releasing the identities and convictions of the offenders or names of the facilities, said Hill's legislative aide, Eric Pawlowsky.

Child care facilities are licensed with the state and foster care homes with counties.

In the East Palo Alto case, even though the offender registered with local police, no report was made to county officials.

After the audit's findings, the county contacted local police, visited the foster home and found that the registrant had been living there for several months, Torres said.

"As soon as we made contact the person moved," Torres said.

East Palo Alto police Capt. Carl Estelle said it's difficult to comment on the situation without a name or address. He said his department was not notified of Thursday's press conference, did not receive the press release and, to his knowledge, was not told about the county audit. When a convicted sex offender registers with the department, he said a detective will follow up to ensure that the person's new home is safe.

"(But) we can't corroborate the findings," Estelle said. "There's just not enough information."

The offender in San Francisco was registered in San Mateo County and had been gone from the child care facility for a couple of months, Torres said. Because the home was run by a close relative, no license was needed.

In both cases, the facilities housed only one or two children and teenagers, Torres said, adding that standard protocol is to canvass the facility with caseworkers to ensure everyone involved has not been harmed.

The law requires that information about sex offenders be shared only with law enforcement.

But on Thursday, Ma announced she is proposing new legislation that would require the attorney general to share all information about sex offenders with licensing agencies.

"It's unacceptable for the state to tell local governments they can't access information that could help prevent the most heinous crimes," Ma said. "Next week, I will propose new state legislation that makes sure Megan's Law information goes to those who need it most - officials charged with regulating children's care programs."

In addition, Ma is co-sponsoring AB 2593, a bill that would allow local governments to pass laws to prevent more than one sex offender from living in the same group home.



E-mail Banks Albach at balbach@dailynewsgroup.com.