2 registered sex offenders move to West Seattle: Another SPD alert

| Crime | Safety | West Seattle news

Once again this month, the Seattle Police crime-prevention coordinator for the Southwest Precinct, Mark Solomon, has sent an alert about registered sex offenders moving into this area. Just out of the inbox:

In an effort to keep you informed, and in our constant attempts to reduce future victimization, we want to let you know about level 3 sex offenders that have recently moved into South(west) Precinct neighborhoods.

· Marcus Bright, 30 year-old African American male, is a level 3 registered sex offender who has recently moved to the 2700 Block of 60 Ave SW. Mr. Bright is no longer under Department of Corrections supervision.

· Charles Landry, 28 year-old African American male, is a level 3 registered sex offender who has recently moved to the 9400 Block of 13th Ave SW. Mr. Landry is currently under Department of Corrections supervision.

Det. Fields from the Seattle Police Department’s Sex Offender Detail is assigned to check on these offenders and verify their information.

To learn more about these offenders and to see their photos, please visit the King County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender website and search by their names. You will also find personal safety tips and resources on this site. http://www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=54473&disc

According to the website, Bright was convicted of first-degree child molestation in 1998, and second-degree assault with sexual motivation in 2003; Landry was convicted of second-degree rape in 2004. If you are concerned about sex offenders living in your area, that same website also will show you who else is in the area. Meantime, Solomon’s e-mail continues with safety information:

If you have further questions about these offenders, contact Michelle McRae of the Seattle Police Sex Offender Detail at (206) 684-5581 or e-mail at mi************@*****le.gov.

To register to receive an email alert whenever a published offender registers within one mile of your desired addresses, go to the following link: http://www.icrimewatch.net/register.php?AgencyID=54473

Level 3 sex offenders pose the highest risk to re-offend. It is normal to feel upset, angry and worried about a registered sex offender living in your community. The Community Notification Act of 1990 requires sex offenders to register in the community where they live. The law also allows local law enforcement to make the public aware about Level 2 and Level 3 offenders. Since these offenders have completed their sentences, they are free to live where they wish. Experts believe sex offenders are less likely to re-offend if they live and work in an environment free of harassment. Any actions taken against the listed sex offenders could result in arrest and prosecution as it is against the law to use this information in any way to threaten, intimidate or harass registered sex offenders. The SPD Sex offender detectives will check on these offenders every 3 months to verify our information.

The single most effective means of protecting your child is communication with your child. They have to feel comfortable discussing sensitive matters with you. Teach your children that they should not be asked to touch anyone in the bathing suit areas of their body or allow anyone to touch them in those areas. Teach them types of situations to avoid. It is not good enough to tell a child to avoid strangers. Please remember that children are most often molested by someone they or their parents know.

Last month, the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network hosted representatives of SPD’s Sex Offender/Kidnap detail, to answer questions and provide more information about how offenders are monitored; we videotaped their presentation and you can see/hear it in our story here.

Sean July 23, 2013 (3:31 pm)

Ughhhhhh I live close by to the second guy. Goddamit. Thanks, WSB, good lookout.

WSDiva July 23, 2013 (3:57 pm)

If Bright is a convicted first-degree child molester, then why is he allowed to move next to a park and elementary school? This just doesn’t make any sense.

WSB July 23, 2013 (4:06 pm)

WSDiva, this has come up before – there are no laws governing where someone can live if s/he has served their time and is no longer on probation. They have to register their address, and it’s a crime if they don’t, but otherwise, there’s nothing that says they can’t live anywhere they want. – TR

Diane July 23, 2013 (4:09 pm)

right by Alki playground; lovely

Amie July 23, 2013 (4:22 pm)

If you expand your definition of West Seattle there are a lot more of these dirtbags moving in.

I live in the 9200 block of 17th and set the alert email radius to 2 miles (which admittedly includes White Center and maybe some Burien) and there have been 12 new dirtbags just since June 5th!

Granted they’re not all level III, but I want to know about every one of them!

WTF July 23, 2013 (4:38 pm)

I feel your pain Sean, I live directly next door to SO #1.

Tenny Alki July 23, 2013 (4:43 pm)

I live in the 2700 block of 60th. Can they give out addresses?

flimflam July 23, 2013 (4:47 pm)

nice. i’m sure they are well on their way to total rehabilitation!

Michelle July 23, 2013 (4:56 pm)

dont leave your kids alone or unsupervised, talk to your kids about the bad touch and to tell someone right away. your shocked to see sex offenders living right beside you?
there are 100’s from west seattle to rainier. move anywhere you want but they will be there too. simply do not let your kids go alone.

enough July 23, 2013 (4:59 pm)

@Tenny .. I am pretty sure exact address are not allowed, they can just say 2700 block of 60th for example.

Michelle July 23, 2013 (5:05 pm)

west seattle is not what it used to be. i came over to west seattle in 1996 and it was a totally different neighborhood. so much more quaint and welcoming than it is now. many parts have improved but it is no longer a small community in the junction area. in fact west seattle has become quite the stuck up place to live. restaurants that are not very affordable for entire families much or maybe even 2 people. every thing has to be organic or its a travesty. many people can not afford that either. the high rises have driven up the cost of living tremendously in the area because it is catering to a particular income of residents. over on delridge apartments are now upward $1400. no longer a very welcome community. get off your high horse. no one wants a sex offender living next to them but this is society and you have to deal with it.

Pro Mafia July 23, 2013 (5:06 pm)

These and many other happenings in our neighborhood that police have no leverage to help us with ever convince me that we need to begin organizing outside of the system …

WTF July 23, 2013 (5:07 pm)

@Teeny, on the webpage the gave, when you look at the sex offender’s “details”, you can also view a map. The site lists a disclaimer that the location “dot” on there is approximate, but if you check a few different addresses on that side of the block against where it lists him on the map, you can pretty much narrow down the address to one building :)

kim July 23, 2013 (5:09 pm)

Yikes. Stay alert folks..

WS Gal July 23, 2013 (5:26 pm)

People PLEASE watch your kids. These are the SO’s that we KNOW about. There are plenty of them out there but they haven’t been caught yet. I’m disgusted by the amount of people I see daily that let there kids roam around unsupervised. One of these days, their kid is going to get snatched up by one of these freaks.

Trackguy1978 July 23, 2013 (5:59 pm)

Sex offenders have probably been living in the area way before these notification websites have been around. While these websites are good at notifying you, they can also cause panic and worry, sometimes unnecessarily. Educate your kids, talk with them about being open about what happens to them. Most of the time it’s not a stranger that is the abuser, it’s someone you know.

candrewb July 23, 2013 (6:09 pm)

Seriously, how can a level 3 sex offender (child molester no less) afford to live at 60th and Alki?

Desertdweller July 23, 2013 (6:27 pm)

Wow. I’m not really sure how organic vegetables have ANYTHING to do with sex offenders.

sbre July 23, 2013 (6:32 pm)

Don’t just watch your kids, watch others too.

If you see them walking down the street, playing in a yard or a playground and you can, watch what is going on AROUND them.

Do you see anyone sitting and ‘watching’ them? Could be a good guy, or could be a bad guy (generic term, however sadly most of those creeps are male)

If you do see something that isn’t right don’t waste any time punching 9-1-1, once the dispatcher hears that kids are possibly being targeted the light-and-sirens won’t be far behind.

Even if it is a wrong call, the sights and sounds of the police will let the creeps know that people are watching.

Be a part of all the kids’ community.

nemobeansmom July 23, 2013 (7:02 pm)

“afford to live in Alki” a sex offender can be a sleaze ball, s/he can be a millionaire or even a school teacher as we all remember. That’s why you need to talk to your children, not scare them to death but make them “aware” and smart.

WSB July 23, 2013 (7:08 pm)

Also please note – police stress over and over again, that while they go public with this information in the spirit of “knowledge is power,” when children are victimized, sadly, it is much more often by someone close to them, even in their family, than by a stranger. So please be vigilant but don’t freak out. If you can take the time, listen to the audio on the meeting from last month (linked at the bottom of the story) in which the detectives who work on this issue spoke to the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network.

annika July 23, 2013 (7:03 pm)

Unbelievable that Alki has a sex offender so close to the elementary school, children’s playgrounds and the beach. Why the heck is this guy living in this neighborhood???!!! He lives right around the corner from me and now I am totally freaked out.

KA July 23, 2013 (7:20 pm)

These people have paid their dues and done their time. You should always watch your kids.

Alki Neighbor July 23, 2013 (7:25 pm)

I, too, fall in the camp of living a block away from SO#1 (sigh)…”Night Out” anyone (Aug 6th)? Registering our block right now…

Anomie25 July 23, 2013 (8:38 pm)

Watch your kids? The guy is a convicted child molester/level3. But we have no idea what else he has done that’s against the law and what he’s capable of doing. Ii would be surprised if his rap sheet I say isn’t half a mile long. Im sure his public record can be ferreted out. Watch out for yourself as well , and all of us in the neighborhood. And, WSB, why not provide us with balanced context instead of defensive pablum about where dangerous people can choose to live. This just isn’t right.

WSB July 23, 2013 (9:22 pm)

Anomie, that IS context. It’s not defensive. It’s a fact. Every time this kind of story comes up, there’s a mistaken belief that sex offenders aren’t allowed to live within a certain distance of schools, parks, etc. People should be aware that they can. What I said is directly taken from what SPD said in the last notification before this, in early June. https://westseattleblog.com/2013/06/west-seattle-crime-watch-2-sex-offender-notifications

Mike July 23, 2013 (10:05 pm)

For more details on how to handle sex offenders living around you (us), The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs has provided some good information on this site: http://www.communitynotification.com/cap_safety_1.php?office=54528

JB on Alki July 23, 2013 (11:07 pm)

I too live only a block from #1. I take my son to the park daily. I don’t like this news. However, I take comfort in knowing that the park is full of attentive parents and I’d like to think that our kids will be just as safe now as they were before this man moved to our neighborhood, as long as we remain watchful.

We will continue to parent the way we always have and know that while there are scary things (and people) in this world, raising careful, thoughtful, communicative kids is the best way to protect them. But still, this adds to my anxiety.

Alkisurfer July 23, 2013 (11:39 pm)

Sooo, Why no pictures of our new neighbors?

WSB July 23, 2013 (11:43 pm)

If you click through to the web link, you can find their photos. It’s built for search or I would link directly to each.

m July 24, 2013 (12:01 am)

Several years ago, 2 registered sex offenders moved across the street from us when we lived in Phinney Ridge. Our neighborhood was shocked and concerned so we organized a meeting of our block watch to discuss it and obtain more information. We invited 2 professionals to the meeting; a social worker with experience working with sex offenders and someone who worked in Corrections. This meeting resulted in a decision to hold another meeting, facilitated by a minister from a neighborhood church and inviting the sex offenders to the meeting. They nervously accepted our invitation. The meeting was tense at times, brutally honest on both sides, eye-opening for all, and there wasn’t a single person throughout the meeting who maintained dry eyes. The end result was our knowledge of exactly where the offenders lived, a strong message from us that our eyes would be on them and that we would fully look them in the eyes in passing, boundaries were established, and clear expectations were laid out including discussion that we expected them to be contributing members of our community as they pursued their educational and employment goals. We all agreed that it felt better to know of them than to be in the dark regarding their presence in our neighborhood. Eleven years later, they still live in that neighborhood.

concerned July 24, 2013 (12:40 am)

When I read more details of their crimes it seems less frightening. Maybe I’m just trying to make myself less scared of these scary people but one of them was convicted of raping someone he was “in charge of” (terrifying but specific, right?) And the other guy was 15 convicted of sex with someone under the age of 12. Somehow makes it seem less awful, don’t ask me why…

j July 24, 2013 (1:05 am)

When this happened to us, it wasn’t good enough to hear the police tell us that the offender had to re-offend in order for them to get involved. That didn’t make sense because the individual impacted the sense of security of the whole neighborhood of thousands of families and kids scared to play on the street or walk to the bus stop. We asked the police to do regular patrols to stay vigilant. That isn’t fair to anyone either, and encourages more fear. Eventually we figured out that you can distance the sex offenders from a crime of convenience. Some of them might have done their time, but might not have passed through recidivism treatment so beware of being told about their rights as felons. They are not typical felons who have served their time. They are given a degree in which they are determined harmful to the community and likely to re-offend by Dept of Corrections who can no longer legally contain them for their sentence. In today’s society, not enough resources are put into giving that community security with recidivism and mental health therapy, and as such, we can not be confident that it will not happen to someone else’s child. You must come together as a community to stay vigilant and look after your children.
If you want to know more, ask the city of Issaquah how we instituted city ordinances to prevent access to schools and day cares in 2006. It generated some pressure, and eventually press which garnered the attention of our state legislators, who followed suit with similar laws: http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002450339_sexoffender24e.html

60th resident July 24, 2013 (3:00 am)

Can we get the exact addresses? I think one is RIGHT beside me. As in i can look out my bedroom window…

T Rex July 24, 2013 (9:25 am)

These people have paid their dues and done their time. You should always watch your kids??

Memo to KA, THESE GUYS DO NOT GET BETTER, THEY ONLY GET SMARTER. THEY SHOULD BE PUT AWAY FOR LIFE.

Good Lord, read a newspaper.

scubafrog July 24, 2013 (4:56 pm)

It’s too bad that sex offenders aren’t castrated, or given automatic life sentences.

How is it legal for these wretched child molesters to live next to a playground?

Tracey July 24, 2013 (5:44 pm)

It was my understanding as well that sex offenders are not allowed to live within a certain distance of schools and playgrounds. Apparently, several other people believed this as well. So, why is there such a widespread mistaken belief out there? Was there a law at one time that stated that, but it got overturned or something? Is it true in only some parts of the country and so people (including me) have just assumed that it’s a nationwide law?

WSB July 24, 2013 (7:59 pm)

Tracey – according to this federal FAQ, yes, some states do have those laws:
.
http://www.nsopw.gov/en-us/Education/CommonQuestions?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1#answer-12
.
For our state, if the offender is still under DOC supervision post-release, there can be restrictions:
.
http://www.doc.wa.gov/community/sexoffenders/rulesincommunity.asp
.
I believe in the case of these offenders, they are no longer under DOC supervision, since their offenses were some years ago.

Melisssa July 24, 2013 (10:57 pm)

Oh, and by the way, and forgive me if someone already mentioned this, anyone can sign up for alerts. I live in Arbor Heights and received one a week or two ago. It made me realize that, were my kids old enough (in my eyes) to take the bus, they’d be going right near a child rapist’s house.

Does this mean that I’m going to hover over them every minute? No. It means that I’ll talk to them — again — about how to walk and ride their bikes and how they should deal with people they don’t know who approach them.

Sure, it skeeves me out and makes me nervous and scared, but I also know that they have great common sense. They look out for each other and we look out for them. I also know that not every offender is a horrible, unreformed person.

Shawn July 25, 2013 (2:35 pm)

Wow. Stay classy WSB readers.

Lil B is My Friend July 25, 2013 (4:08 pm)

Obviously not defending these people’s past actions, but the level of vitriol on here is disgusting. For God’s sake, you can be registered as a sex offender for public urination. The most recent charge was nine years ago. If you seriously don’t think people can change in nine years, then I don’t know what to say. Good to know that so many closed-minded people are here.

JB on Alki July 25, 2013 (8:25 pm)

“Level 3 sex offenders pose the highest risk to re-offend.”

So, yes, people can change but change is not likely with level 3 sex offenders. You’re right, they’re still people, but potentially dangerous people.

And nobody’s worried about public urinators.

That said, calls for castration are unneeded and disgusting.

Alki July 25, 2013 (9:15 pm)

A “sex offender” as defined by our laws is a vague description. As 1 commenter stated, it could be someone who urinated in public. It could also be a 17 yr old having consensual sex with his 16 yr old girlfriend. Neither of which I am going to worry too much about living next to (unless I’m the mother of the 16 or 17 yr old). However, it could also be a 17 yr old who molested a 5 yr old or an adult who beat a woman within an inch of her life and raped her or somewhere in between. Either of the 2 cases – you bet I would be concerned!! So the point of this is that I like to see if I can find out WHAT the sex offense was. Here is what I could find about #1: http://www.komonews.com/news/archive/4073316.html