Ever since moving to Southwest Florida about 4 months ago I noticed a trend on local news and media outlets. At first I was shocked to hear about it and thought this was just a once in a long while incident. For where I was living back in central New York you never heard of these stories to often in the media. What I am talking about is child predators and sex offenders. Boy was I in for something. I have to say that Southwest Florida has a major problem and many people might not know of it because it is so often reported in the media. It’s not a shock anymore to sit on the couch and watch a late edition of the local news and hear about someone being arrested for child molestation or pornography. It’s almost a weekly maybe daily news story. Some of you maybe thinking I am crazy, but just do a local search of Florida’s Sex Offender Registry, you’ll be amazed. For instance let’s take a look at the local unsolved murder of Coralrose Fullwood from North Port, Florida that happened just a month ago. Immediately after she was found dead just down the road at a housing construction site a total of 67 registered sex offenders and five registered sex predators where all under investigation and questioned. This is a small town with approximately 23 thousand residents making it 1 and every 319 person is a registered sex offender. It’s really sad that we have to worry about these people ruining our lives. Tougher laws need to be enacted or current ones improved. NBC Dateline a short time ago did piece entitled “To Catch a Predator” in Fort Myers, Fl. Fort Myers is located in the Southwest portion of Florida and current counts account for 488 Sexual predators (for Lee County Florida) or offenders. In the NBC sting jointed with Perverted Justice the Fort Myers police department netted 2 dozen or so people. Most have proven not guilty but one has pleaded guilty with a plea deal and accepted to serve nine months in jail and then spend three years on sex offender probation. Is this harsh enough? This is why I have entitled this entry why I’m not surprised about Foley! I’m sure I am not the only one in Florida that isn’t either. This happens all the time. Florida needs to step up there priorities and start to protect there children. However, on the other hand the news media including national media has made us aware and maybe to aware of these predators. With all the stories in the news every day people just don’t take it as a serious problem. They have grown aware of seeing it every day and it gets reported just like a car accident on I-75.

Just has a side note, I haven’t seen to much outrage about Foley in his district. This goes to show you that no one may really care! Maybe because It happens every day here!