ORLANDO, Fla. — The sexual offender registry is designed to help residents know where sexual offenders live.
Channel 9 found out that within a 1-mile radius of Lake Eola Park, there are twice as many homeless sexual offenders as there are sexual offenders living in permanent residences.
In dense downtown Orlando, there are 11 sexual offenders and sexual predators with real addresses (homes or apartments).
TRENDING NOW:
Twice that number -- 22 sex offenders or predators -- live on the street or list homeless shelters as their residence.
"It seems horrible," said Sam Johnson, an Orlando parent. "My concern, is is there a plan in place? That's just a thing?"
Transients are typically marked by a tent instead of a home on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement sexual offender registry website.
Channel 9 found that people listed their addresses at places including a 7-Eleven on North Mills Avenue, the Lynx Central Station, Lake Cherokee's Al Coith Park and a State Road 408 overpass.
"You've got to have a way to keep track of them," Orlando resident Larry McIntyre said. "If you have no residence, how can you keep track of the sex offender?"
Transients may list any address they wish. One sexual predator listed an intersection outside Howard Middle School as his address.
"That's a school, so how can that be your address?" McIntyre said. "(It) seems like there's a hole in the wall or a crack in the floor somewhere."
One offender listed his address as Lake Eola Park, steps away from downtown Orlando's most popular playground.
"How could you just list a street?" Johnson said. "People have to be aware of that. I have children. My child is running around. This is supposed to be a place for children. This is a park."
At least a half-dozen of the sexual offenders in the area use a homeless shelter as a permanent address.
State law requires that an offender stay at a shelter for at least five days in order to list it as a home in the state registry.
Click here to receive email alerts whenever a registered sexual offender or predator moves into your neighborhood.
DOWNLOAD: Free WFTV News & Weather Apps
Not near a TV? Click here to watch WFTV newscasts live
Cox Media Group
