State Sen Coughlin Introduces Bill Keeping Sex Offenders Away from Schools

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In an effort to strengthen enforcement of Ohio’s sex offender laws, State Senator Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls) has introduced Senate Bill 159, legislation that would enact criminal penalties for all sex offenders living within 1,000 feet of a school.

While current Ohio law prohibits a sex offender from residing within 1,000 feet of a school, there are no criminal penalties for a violation of this prohibition. Instead, a property owner or the prosecuting attorney must seek an injunction from the court that orders the offender to move. This process is not only costly and time consuming, but it ties the hands of law enforcement.

S.B. 159 works to remedy this dangerous gap in Ohio law by making a violation of the 1,000-foot residency requirement a felony of the fifth-degree, punishable by a 6-12 month prison term and a fine of up to $2,500. Creating a criminal penalty for violation of this law gives police officers the ability to enforce it.

“Having a law restricting where a sex offender can live does little good unless law enforcement officers have the ability to apprehend and punish those who violate it,” said Coughlin. “Without proper enforcement and tough penalties to deter these crimes, we are not only issuing a free pass to offenders who choose to break the law, but we are endangering some of our communities.”

According to the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office, in 2005, 148 sex offenders in the county were identified as living within 1,000 feet of a school building. When notified by mail, 71 offenders complied with the law and moved. Shortly thereafter, another 30 offenders were evicted through court injunction. However, because of a complicated, cost-prohibitive and ineffective enforcement process, more than 40 sex offenders continue to live dangerously close to local schools.

“While we have taken important steps in recent years to strengthen penalties for sex crimes and keep offenders behind bars, major gaps still exist in the enforcement of some of these laws,” explained Coughlin. “Our children are the future and we must do everything possible to keep them safe.”