Dear Amy: I just learned that the co-worker sitting next to me is on the registered sex offender list for abducting a 13-year-old girl. I am very uncomfortable working next to him, not to mention that I have had to travel to various locations alone with him in a car.
No one in the office was ever notified of his record. Is this legal? — Frightened
Dear Frightened: I assume the information you have about this person is correct.
I shared your letter with Janine Kava, spokeswoman for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, which operates the state’s Sex Offender Registry.
She says that while all states handle sex offender registration differently, there is nothing specific in her state’s Sex Offender Registration Act that requires an employer to tell an employee that a sex offender has been hired.
“We encourage people to educate themselves by checking their state’s Sex Offender Registry. Offenders can have different restrictions, especially if they are on parole or probation, for example. However, all registered offenders must comply with the registration requirements — notifying the registry where they live, if they mov, to name a few — under the law,” says Kava.
Sex offenders are assigned “risk levels” by the courts. Depending on the risk level of an offender, the burden is placed on him or her to self-report to the appropriate agency. The risk level also determines what the public can be told about an offender.
You don’t say what you do for a living or where you live, but in New York, a “Level 3” offender is required to report his or her address and employer to the registry.
Your concern is understandable, and you should take this to your HR department.
The FBI provides links to each state’s sex offender registry: / registry.
Dear Amy: I have entered the dating scene again after many years. So far, my experience has been appalling.
I met one guy who wanted to have our first date in a secluded public park and three more who wanted to meet in hotel lobbies.
Two men actually grabbed my breasts (which were well-covered); another pushed himself up against me; and several tried to kiss me. I found one person who was a gentleman until I found out that he was married.
What’s even worse is that they keep calling and texting me, even though I told each of them to get lost. Whatever happened to courtship, friendship, and just plain dating? What are the rules? — Disgusted by Dating
Dear Disgusted: You don’t say where you are meeting these princes, but I suggest you stop hanging out there. If you are matching with people on an online site, then try a different one. There are “matching” sites appealing to just about every interest.
Stick with daytime dates until you feel you know someone well enough to brave a lengthier interaction. Set up meetings via e-mail, don’t provide your phone number.
Send questions via e-mail to askamy@tribune.com or by mail to Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.
