Tracking Sex Offenders
KXAN-TV - AUSTIN, TEXAS
Among the 250,000 evacuees of Hurricane Katrina, some are on parole for violent crimes like rape.
They are staying at shelters across the state and here in Austin.
City officials have said several sex offenders from Louisiana were staying at the Austin Convention Center but have since been kicked out.
This comes at the same time Austin Police conduct their annual sex offenders sweep.
While checking on registered sex offenders, Detective Louis Forte is focused and driven.
"Making sure they are in compliance. Make sure everybody is living where they are suppose to be living," Forte said.
The first stop is a house in northeast Austin.
Robin Henry says her son is out of town but is in compliance.
"I don't think he will ever repeat what he did. He knows he made a mistake, and he's over it and he's trying to get back into society which is hard for him," mother Robin Henry said.
Just down the street is another offender named Andrew.
He was convicted of indecency with a child.
"I was fourteen. The child was like six or seven. I do think it was wrong because I have no reason to expose myself to anybody," Andrew said.
Now he's closely monitored by police.
"I follow the procedure and everything. I do what I have to and they don't worry about me. If I don't register they send a warrant for me and come pick me up," Andrew said.
The next stop is the home of one man with numerous convictions -- one violator considered highly likely to re-offend.
He was not home.
"At this point we don't any reason to believe anything is wrong at this point," Forte said.
Austin is now home to six more sex offenders. They are displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
"We don't have any identification on them or fingerprints. All we are basing it on right now is their word as far as they're name," Forte said.
That's where this sweep comes in. Police are not stopping until all offenders are tracked down.
Out of the 4,000 paroled sex offenders from Louisiana, at the most only 40 have been accounted for in Texas.
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