OH- Mix-up registers sex offender at wrong address

10-3-2008 Ohio:

SALINEVILLE, OH (NBC) - Most people don't like the idea of a registered sex offender living in their neighborhood. But what if your neighborhood thought you were the sex offender?

A sheriff's deputy dropped by maple hill road in Salineville to inform neighbors that a registered sex offender now lived there.

That came as a big surprise to Cheryl Smith. "A deputy came up knocked on door," Smith said. "She gave us a piece of paper, we're reading it, wait a minute this is our address."

Cheryl was quite certain a sex offender didn't live in her house so she tracked down the deputy to tell her.

Instead of stopping until the papers could be corrected, the deputy instead finished passing out all the papers to the rest of the houses.

"I don't want people thinking that I'm involved with a sexual predator or that they are living in this house, or my mom might think 'she's got a boyfriend.' I don't want people thinking that of me," said Smith

"I want them to try to get these addresses fixed up so a person don't get embarrassed to death with all neighbors," said Salineville resident Shirley Locke. "I hope nothing becomes of this being harassed by it or anything."

It turns out the sex offender lived across the street. No one's really sure how the mistake occurred.

But since the letters are already out in the neighborhood Cheryl's worried about what might happen. "I'm afraid they might egg our house," she said. "I'm afraid they might slash my tires on my truck."

The online sex offender list now has the right address. The sheriff's department will likely go back to the neighborhood with an updated letter. ..News Source.. by Melissa Greathouse