Registered Sex Offender's Wife Offers To Watch Neighborhood Children, Residents Say

Residents in a Kenly neighborhood said a registered sex offender's wife volunteered to baby-sit their kids for free. At the time, however, those neighbors did not know her husband was convicted for child molestation.

When the neighbors found out, they went to police asking them to look into the situation.

One of the residents, Amanda Kelly, does not understand how a convicted sex offender's wife can get away with asking to baby-sit small children in her neighborhood.

"He and his wife should not be asking for trouble by asking children to come into that home," Kelly said.

Police discovered that the man in question spent 11 years in a Florida prison for indecent liberties with a minor. When he got out of prison, he came to North Carolina and properly registered with the

North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry

.

Since the man's wife offered, but did not actually baby-sit, police said laws were not broken.

"Anybody with children can understand that type of frustration," said J. P. Gibson of the Kenly Police Department. "Our hands are tied on a situation like that."

The registered sex offender spoke to WRAL, but asked that his identity not be revealed. Because police said he has not committed a crime, WRAL will not reveal his identity.

The registered sex offender said he understands his neighbors' concern. He told WRAL that his wife would not be baby-sitting.

"I don't want no kids around, period," he said. "I told her no, and that won't happen."

He also said he wanted to mind his own business.

"I don't want nothing from nobody, and I also expect the same from them."

Still, Kelly said the nature of the situation could not help but leave people suspicious. "When someone is two houses down from you and they're a registered sex offender, you don't know what's going on in their mind," she said.

Sex offenders do have to register if they move to North Carolina, but they do not have to notify their neighbors.

WRAL found out that the probation office told this sex offender and his wife that they cannot baby-sit children in their home.

This man's probation does prohibit him from being around children in North Carolina.