Residents in a Sanford community gathered Thursday to protest the concentration of registered sex offenders near their elementary school.

  • Sex offender register shows nearly 50 people living near Midway Elementary
  • Neighbors question why the concentration is so high

We searched Florida's sex offender registry and found nearly 50 people registered as sex offenders – most of them with convictions involving children – live within a two mile radius of Midway Elementary School.

In one case, nine men listed as sex offenders live in a home across from a church and a school bus stop.

Registered sex offenders can legally live beyond a distance of 1,000 feet of a school.

But the people who live here are questioning why there are so many concentrated in just this one area.

Euletha Byrd-Campbell says she used to enjoy hanging out with her grandchildren in front of her family home in Midway.

“We would just sit here up under the tree and have a good time, but now we don’t,” Byrd-Campbell said.

Byrd-Campbell says she doesn’t even feel comfortable outside of her aunt’s house because right next door, several men listed as sex offenders live at that property right behind the fence.

“We don’t let the kids come around because of the situation, do you see how close they are to her?” she said.

That house is also across from a church, and a bus stop.

Dozens of residents gathered right across from Euletha’s family home for a rally Thursday night.

H. Alexander Duncan helped organize the rally because he says many people he talked to while campaigning for a spot on the Seminole County Commission shared their concerns.

“At least every other door we came to, the residents would ask us about sex offenders,” Duncan said.

Current Commissioner Brenda Carey wasn’t available for an interview, but says she is aware of the situation and urges sheriff deputies to make sure there are no violations in the area.

So far, deputies say there haven’t been any.

One resident of the home next door to Byrd-Campbell says he’s not a convicted sex offender, but said off-camera his roommates have to live where they can find a landlord that’s willing to take them in.

All of the listed registered sex offenders we found are further than the required 1,000 feet from a school – and are not breaking that law.

But Byrd-Campbell believes the law needs to be changed.

“They got a smorgasbord here, all of these kids around here – take what you want, okay? I’ve been there before.”