COLUMBUS Bill to register rapists, tell neighbors

The murder of a 14-year-old by a rapist last year sparked the bill.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- Convicted rapists would have to register with the state, and neighbors would have to be notified if one moves within 1,000 feet of them, under a bill passed by the Ohio House Wednesday.
In a 98-0 vote, the House approved and forwarded to the Senate a bill that would automatically classify as a & quot;serious sexually oriented offender & quot; anyone convicted of rape.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Carmichael, a Wooster Republican, would require those designated a & quot;serious sexually oriented offender & quot; to comply with the state's sexual offender notification law for 20 years.
Those so labeled would also have to file a notice of intent to live in a county 20 days before they move.
The bill says those living within 1,000 feet of the convicted rapist would have to be notified by the county sheriff.
The bill came about as a result of the death of 14-year-old Kristen Jackson of Wooster last September.
What happened
Kristen was found slain and dismembered in Wayne County. The man convicted in her death, Joel Yockey, a convicted rapist, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, rape and kidnapping in Kristen's death.
Yockey, who has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole, lived just a few blocks from Kristen's family.
Yockey had been classified a & quot;sexually oriented offender, the lowest of three classifications created by state lawmakers in 1997.
Currently, & quot;sexually oriented offenders & quot; have to register with authorities when they are released from prison, then annually for 10 years, or if they relocate, state officials say.
If a judge labels a person a & quot;sexual predator, & quot; however, he must register with authorities every 90 days and law enforcers must notify everyone living within 1,000 feet, state officials say.
If the Senate bill becomes law, the & quot;serious sexually oriented offender & quot; proposal would apply to anyone convicted after the bill's effective date.
Carmichael's bill drew support from the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association, a coalition representing the 88 county sheriffs and about 3,000 deputy sheriffs.
According to a legislative analysis of the bill, the proposal could cause more work for sheriffs.
& quot;For the safety of the community, we think it's well worth it, & quot; said Robert Cornwell, executive director of the BSSA.
The bill will now be considered by the Senate.