Story Created: Jan 3, 2012 at 5:16 PM CST
Story Updated: Jan 3, 2012 at 8:06 PM CST
MASSAC COUNTY, Ill. — Jessica Bowman comes to the County Library to check her email. But on Tuesday, at the urging of our crews, she checked something else.
"I live on Unionville Road," she said aloud, typing her address in a link provided on the sheriff department's new address.
With one click, the mother of three was shocked, "Oh my goodness!"
"OffenderWatch'' shows Bowman and her family live within two miles of 10 different sexual offenders.
Sheriff's Deputy Chad Kaylor was the one to set up the county's website. One day in, it's already proving to be a valuable tool.
"There's no more having to call the place where they were at before to get all the information sent to us," he said. "It's all right there on the computer."
Within seconds, anyone using the database has access to pictures, statistics, even arrest and offense history.
"It makes me not even want to send them outside anymore," Bowman said of her kids, after realizing a sex offender was just a few doors down on Unionville Road.
While Bowman might be cutting back on trips to the playground, she said she will be upping her trips here to the library and logging on whenever she can. "It eases your mind a little bit."
If you are interested to know if your area is part of it, call your local law enforcement office. If you live in Massac County and would like to check the registry, click here.
