Home mislabeled as a registered sex offender's residence

4-20-2010 Texas:

DENISON, TX – Most people would want to know if a convicted sex offender lived in their neighborhood. But one woman says authorities sent her neighbors notice a criminal lived in her home, when in fact, they’ve never even seen the person.

Texas state law requires that all convicted sex offenders must register their information and address with local law enforcement and then residents living nearby are notified.

But when roughly 600 postcards warning of a registered sex offender were mailed to residents in a Denison neighborhood, Sandy and Dave Wilkirson’s home became the target of neighbors’ concern and questions.

"People have come by, they have looked over here at this house, and my neighbors are hurt by it,” said Sandy Wilkirson.

The quaint blue house at 32 West Parnell in Denison has been in the Wilkerson family for over 40 years. But on Monday authorities claimed it to be the home of a registered sex offender.

"Someone should have verified that this gentleman lived here at this house before Texas Department of Public Safety printed this out and sent it out,” said Wilkerson.

DPS delivered hundreds of postcards in her neighborhood, which is right near Terrell Elementary School, saying that 20y-year-old Derrick Gregory lives at her house. The card shows his photograph, gives the address and even tells the age of his victim, a seven year old female, and that he was just released from prison.

"What this man evidently did, he made up an address or someone else told him to use this address, somehow he came to using this address but he's never even lived there doesn't even know who lives there,” said Lt. Mike Eppler, Public Information Officer for the Denison Police Department.

Because Gregory was a juvenile when the crime was committed, he's not banned from living in restricted zones for sex offenders, such as near a school. But Wilkirson says law enforcement should have verified his address first.

"I think it's already too late to repair the damage, this should have never gone out,” said Wilkirson.

Denison has about 70 registered sex offenders, and only one detective in charge of keeping up with them.

"We do periodic checks on them at random; also know when their birth date or their registration date's coming up,” said Eppler.

Lt. Eppler said Gregory will now be charged for failure to register, a very serious crime that could land him back in jail.

"Well it's a felony charge, it's something we don't take lightly we take it seriously. We investigate it and we file those cases when we find them, whatever the violation is we file them,” said Eppler.

But while DPS told Wilkirson a retraction letter would be too costly to print, she and her husband have to answer to the rest of their neighborhood for a criminal they don't even know. Sandy said it has been a traumatic experience, and she’s worried that people who don’t know them might harass her home.

"So maybe this can get out so the community can know that a sex offender doesn't live here,” said Wilkirson.

As of April 15, 2010, Derrick Gregory has now listed his address as 1318 Bennett Road in Howe, TX. DPS says it's the job of local law enforcement to gather that information and report it to the state's database. Denison Police say a warrant for Gregory's arrest will be issued. ..Source.. Maddie Garrett