More than half of all sex offenders and predators in Duval County live within 1,000 feet of at least one school bus stop.
And it’s all perfectly legal according to state law.
Every time Melody Cannon’s 9-year-old son gets off his school bus, she holds her breath.
His bus stop is right down the street from dozens of people convicted of sex crimes.
“When I did the search and I realized how many were here, I was like, 'Oh, no. No,'” Cannon said.
Top five Duval zip codes where sex offenders live
Action News Jax’s investigation uncovered that 1,197 sex predators and offenders live within 1,000 feet of Duval County’s 926 school bus stops, which makes up 60 percent of all registered sex predators and offenders in the county.
“The stigma is that we re-offend 24 hours a day, 7 days week. And that’s a joke,” said a Northwest Jacksonville registered sex predator, who does not want to be identified out of fear for his safety.
The Vietnam veteran and father of five spent 15 years in prison.
“You will learn really quick you don’t want to go back. It’s not HBO, and it’s not steak dinners,” he said.
He lives in a mobile home park with 28 other sex predators and offenders -- one street over from a school bus stop.
State law prohibits sex predators and offenders on conditional release from living within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop. State law does not explicitly prohibit sex offenders and predators on probation from living near a stop.
The law’s wording gives judges to the opportunity to decide what conditions are necessary on a case-by-case basis.
“Here’s the thing. I don’t care where they live,” said the sex predator. “Watch your children. You won’t have a problem.”
Cannon said that’s not enough.
“It actually upsets me to the point where when I see cars and stuff that I don’t know, I usually have a pistol in my hand,” Cannon said.
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Court records that Action News Jax got from the Department of Corrections showed that 38 Duval County predators are facing the most stringent sanctions for probation, which still allows them to live near a school bus stop.
Cox Media Group
