Many, if not most sex offenders are not listed in the public database. Megan's Law requires a public database, but doesn't tell the states how to decide who is seen in the public database. SORNA specifically allows the states to decide which sex offenders the state wants to include in the public database.

Jessie K. Timmendequas had two previous convictions for sexually assaulting young girls. In 1979, when he was 18-years-old, he pleaded guilty to the attempted aggravated sexual assault of a five-year-old girl in Piscataway Township, New Jersey. If there was a sex offender registry at that time, Timmendequas would have been a Level One sex offender by today's standards. He would not have been listed on the public registry. He was given a suspended sentence but, after failing to go to counseling, he was sent for nine months to the Middlesex Adult Correctional Center.Still, Timmendequas would have been a Level One sex offender.

In 1981, Timmendequas pleaded guilty in regards to the assault of a seven-year-old girl, and was imprisoned at the Adult Diagnostic & Treatment Center (ADTC) in Avenel, New Jersey for six years and a half years. He had waited in the park for an hour looking for a victim. Two little girls age 7 appeared. When he tried to lure them away, one got on her bike and ran home screaming. Timmendequas had lured the other little girl into the woods with the promise of giving her some firecrackers. He choked her until she turned blue and passed out, saying later that he thought she was dead. The families living in this neighborhood wouldn't have known he was a Level One sex offender by today's standards. His identity would have been protected before this second victim.

He was charged with five felonies including kidnapping and attempted murder. Again he was allowed to plea out in spite of more than enough evidence against him. This is where the anger of Kanka's parents and all parents should be placed. He plead guilty to attempted sexual contact and attempting to cause serious bodily injury, which would get him a Level One sex offender rating in most states, because the crime was only an "attempted sexual contact", not an actual sexual contact. He would have still been hidden on the public registry, if there had been a sex offender registry, the family of Megan Kanka, for which Megan's law was named, still wouldn't have known he was a sex offender.

These are the offenders being protected from public view, which dishonors Megan Kanka and the intent of Megan's Law.

In many states, Level One sex offenders are not listed in the public database. In numerous states, Level Two sex offenders are not listed. In one state, sex offenders who targeted children are NOT listed. Many of these crimes were horrendous, but due to plea deals, were reduced to lower offenses, that qualify the offender for Level One or Level Two monitor and reporting.

When children are involved, plea deals are often reached. This is because the trial further traumatizes the child and because children are unreliable witnesses and cases may be lost as a result.

In the state of Massachusetts, only Level Three sex offenders are listed in the public database, a serious corruption of justice for victims.

The average American believes that the sex offender registries, both national and state, will keep them informed so they can protect themselves and their children. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Every level three sex offender was once a level one sex offender, though he/she may have never been caught. Hiding level one or level two sex offenders from public view, gives the public the highly incorrect impression: 1. The number of sex offenders in their town are very low. 2. There are no sex offenders living next door to them and their childen. 3. Sex offenders are not members within their employment or members of their organization, where children may be present.

All sex offenders need to be on the public registry, in every state, not just the state we live in, so that families traveling can be aware of those sex offenders living in tourism communities they visit.

More information on the state registries can be found here; http://www.militarysexoffendersregistry.com/National_and_State_Sex_Offender_Registry_Myth.html