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There are 31 registered sex offenders living or working in Bridgewater n 10 are classified as Level 1 sex offenders, 17 are Level 2, none are Level 3, and four are waiting to be classified by the Sex Offender Registry Board.
A Level 1 sex offender has been determined by the Sex Offender Registry Board upon parole to be at low risk to re-offend, Level 2 is moderate risk and Level 3 is high risk.
Some will be classified as “sexually violent predators.” These serious sex offenders are called “the worst of the worst” and experts are 99 percent sure these men will offend again. They are called “day-to-life” guys and can serve from one day to life.
An inmate's classification hearing coincides with his release and the actually SORB decision can take up to six months after that which police call “another hole in the system.”
Police note that sex offender information found on the Internet is often outdated and encouraged residents seeking that information to call their police station.
The public can get a copy of all sex offenders living in their town by filling out the appropriate forms at the police station. You must be over 18 years of age and have signed a release saying you will not harass the offender as doing so is a crime.
One classmate told the story about sending her son over to a neighbor's house to thank him for helping with a home improvement project. She would later learn that neighbor was an unregistered sex offender. He has since moved.
“It just goes to prove, you never know,” said officer Anne Schuster. “It's not the guy you think it's going to be.”
“A lot of responsibility is put in the hands of the convicted,” said Shaw. Sex offenders are required to register in a town 48 hours before they move in, if they have a change in status or personal appearance (mustache, hair loss, etc) and on their birthday every year. If they do not register and are caught, they have violated their parole and are sent back to jail. Many sex offenders choose not to register because they say they cannot lead a “normal” life, say officials.
One woman suggested all sex offenders be sent to a mid-western state where they can roam and not hurt anyone.
Shaw disagreed. “I understand why you'd say that but I still believe we have a system. There's a process and it has to be followed. If it isn't followed, it's complete anarchy.”
Systems are also in place for calls of domestic abuse. The class heard a recorded 911 call used as an example of the reaches of domestic violence. A six-year girl graphically detailed her mother and stepfather physical argument including the stepfather “hurting my baby” [brother] until the man pulled the phone out of the wall.
The call was approximately three minutes long and visibly upset many in the 25-member class.
Many students were surprised to learn that often the abused woman will not leave the man or press charges against him, and often defends the man because he will later apologize and say he loves her, according to their cycle of abuse.
“Domestic violence is not above love and hate, it's about power and control,” ” said officer Anne Schuster. “It's the aggressor wanting to have power over the other person.”
Material adapted from “What You Need to Know About Dating Violence” by Liz Claiborne listed 10 warning signs of an abusive relationship: When a man and a woman are together, one calls the other names and puts the other down in front of other people; he acts extremely jealous when she talks to other boys even when it is completely innocent; she apologizes for his behavior and makes excuses for him; she frequently cancels plans at the last minute for reasons that sound untrue; he's always checking up on her; she seems worried about upsetting him or making him angry; she is giving up things that used to be important to her; her weight, appearance or grades have changed dramatically; and she has injuries she can't explain and what explanations she does give do not make sense.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call 877-785-2020. For more information regarding sex offenders in Bridgewater, call the police department at 508-697-6118.
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