After their sentences are complete, sexually violent predators are allowed to register as 'homeless'

7-4-15 Colorado:

DENVER - A recently released sexually violent predator registered his Denver address as "homeless," which turns out to be a common occurrence.

Earlier this week, Denver police posted a community notification on YouTube and Facebook about the release of --. He registered his address as the 1100 block of Park Avenue West, which is near Park Avenue West and Broadway. That location is near the Denver Rescue Mission and other homeless services.

According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, sexually violent predators are given that designation because they meet certain criteria:

---A sexually violent predator is an adult who has been convicted on or after July 1, 1999 of a sex crime in accordance with statute committed on or after July 1, 1997.

---An SVP's victim must have been a stranger to the offender or a person the offender established a relationship with for the sole purpose of sexual victimization.

---An SVP must be likely to commit subsequent sex offenses based upon the results of a risk assessment screening instrument administered to the offender.

"The only requirements are that they register. You can't mandate somebody to have a home," said Chris Lobanov-Rostovsky, program manager with Colorado's sex offender management unit. "There is no state law that requires them to be in a certain location."

7NEWS checked and found 41 sex offenders listed as homeless in the 1100 block of Park Avenue West.

"This is a very popular block for them to register people as transients," said Josh Geppelt, senior director of emergency services for the Denver Rescue Mission. "It's kind of those Catch-22s, you may not want them next door to you in a home or an apartment, but you also don't want them homeless on the streets."

"To find residence as a sexually violent predator, and to have a landlord who would then be willing to have their address listed on a state site saying a sexually violent predator is registered here, some people are reluctant to rent in those situations," said Lobanov-Rostovsky.

"It's very dangerous because there are a lot of women out here," said downtown Denver resident Nikki Dorritie. "You should have an ankle bracelet on, to track your whereabouts, even if you're done with your time because you still have the chance to do it again."

In the case of Greer, he has served his sentence and is no longer on parole or probation.

"The law requires them to check-in more frequently with law enforcement, as a result, so there's greater safeguards in place in those situations," said Lobanov-Rostovsky. "They're expected to tell law enforcement where they're staying and if they're not staying there, they're in violation of their requirements to register and they can be charged with that as a 'failure to register' charge."

In May, another sexually violent predator, who registered as homeless in the 1100 block of Park Avenue West was arrested in the violent attack on a student on the Auraria campus. James Alphonso Holmes was charged with attempted first-degree murder and attempted sexual assault. He had been living as homeless since March. ..Source.. by Marshall Zelinger