An extra warning

Deepa Bharath

There’s a new business in town that has made it its business to

track registered sex offenders.

Children Alert, a company based in West Newport, claims it is the

only one of its kind in California that sends out monthly e-mail

notifications to its customers detailing how many sex offenders live

in their zip codes and how many new sex criminals have moved into

their ZIP Codes within the last month.

The company, which began operating Monday, gets its information

from the California Department of Justice, the entity that sends out

detailed sex offender information that the public can access at

police departments because of Megan’s Law.

Every state has adopted some version of Megan’s Law, named after

Megan Kanka, the New Jersey girl raped and killed by a child molester

on parole who lived in her neighborhood. Under California’s law,

cities receive monthly updated lists of registered offenders from the

state Department of Justice.

Children Alert does not provide personal information about the sex

offenders. People can only access that information from their police

department. Also, Children Alert only informs its customers about

serious and high-risk offenders. There is a third category that

comprises a miscellaneous group of criminals, typically those who

have committed relatively minor one-time offenses, such as possession

of child pornography.

Craig Brown, founder of Children Alert, said his company aims to

give people the motivation to look up the sex offender database for

their ZIP Codes.

“We’re hoping this service will make more people go to the

terminals and find out more about sex offenders in their area,” he

said. “A lot of people don’t know much about Megan’s Law. Hopefully,

this will also educate them and help keep their kids safe.”

The service costs $37 a year. Brown, also a security consultant,

said he plans to market it to schools as well.

“We wanted to make it affordable so a lot more people have access

to the information,” he said.

The company is working to give its customers specific numbers

about high-risk offenders in their area, Brown said.

“Right now, we only have one number that includes both

categories,” he said.

Brown said that will eliminate situations such as the one

involving James Lee Crummel, a convicted sex offender now awaiting

trial in connection with the murder of 13-year-old Jamey Trotter, who

disappeared off Harbor Boulevard on his way to school in 1979.

Residents picketed for several days to kick Crummel out of a condo in

Newport Crest.

“In that case, the police informed the residents that he was a

high-risk offender,” Brown said. “But it takes the police at least

two months to inform residents. They need to go through a legal

process, talk to a judge, determine if the offender is really

high-risk or not. There is a lot of time lost.”

Costa Mesa Police Det. Sgt. Jack Archer said he had not heard

about Children Alert. “It’s up to people to use it or not use it.”

“It could be useful to some, maybe not so useful to others,” he

said. “But even if it saves one child or person from being

victimized, it would’ve helped.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.