Computer system tracks sex offenders

Monday, November 14, 2005

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One of the provisions of the Jessica Lunsford Act was to get local law enforcement and FDLE to share information about sexual predators.

Bay area law enforcement agencies launched a new computer system Monday as part of the Jessica Lunsford Act.

Convicted sex offender John Couey is accused of killing the 9-year-old Lunsford earlier this year, and the computer system is working to keep children clear of other sex offenders across the state.

One of the provisions of the Lunsford Act was that local law enforcement and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) share the criminal history of child sex offenders.

A new computer system had to be developed so FDLE could exchange information with every law enforcement agency in the state.

Law enforcement agencies in Tampa Bay are at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Tampa headquarters to receive computer training. Once they're trained they'll be able to input data on the whereabouts of registered sexual offenders into a computer system that all law enforcement agencies can access.

"Primarily, what it's going to do is provide the sheriff's offices the ability to input that information when these individuals come to register now twice a year," FDLE Spokesperson Rick Morrera said.

Morrera said the new computer system will be used to track the

John Couey, a convicted sex offender, is accused of abducting and killing Lunsford of Homosassa Springs earlier this year.

whereabouts of registered sex offenders in Florida. When sex offenders check in with their community control agency, it will allow the information they input at the sheriff's offices to also be directly inputted in the sexual offender/predator database, Morrera said.

The database is a provision of the Lunsford Act. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office hopes the high-tech tool can be used to prevent the death of another child.

"This is going to be immediately updated, which will provide us with the opportunity to immediately provide FDLE with the information as it's updated," said Debbie Carter, spokesperson with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The system will go online statewide on Dec. 1. Law enforcement agencies across the state will use the next two weeks to train themselves and their colleagues.