-- sex offenders in the neighborhood

This is kinda scary. Someone sent me a link to a website which will let you plug in your address and then view all the nearby rapists and molesters:

http://www.familywatchdog.us

I combed through the map and wondered if I'd ever seen any of these people in the local supermarket. I also wondered what the story was behind their offense, like what is the difference between 4th degree rape and 1st degree rape? And "sexual offense of a minor" -- I wondered whose children were victims: their own or someone else's? And these are just the people who were caught. It's sobering.

**hey, update. Some people commented that all may not be as it seems; one forwarded a link to a This American Life episode worth listening to (see act 2).