State records reveal where sex offenders work in South Florida

Records show registered sex offenders are closer to children than parents think

MIAMI – "I been coming to this park all my life," Sandra Cobb said.

With kids screaming and swinging behind her at St. George Park in Fort Lauderdale, Cobb said she has long been standing watch.

"You have to watch for everything," Cobb said.

WHERE THEY WORK

Broward: 855

FDLE records show 774 offenders and 81 predators reported they work in Broward County.

Miami-Dade: 895

FDLE records show 777 offenders and 118 predators reported they work in Miami-Dade County.

Monroe: 107

FDLE records show 102 offenders and 5 predators reported they work in Monroe County.

 NOTE: Most of them said their jobs are mobile.

"Do you ever think about sex offenders and wonder if there are any around?" Local 10 News investigative reporter Ross Palombo asked.

"Yes. There was one living where we stayed at," Cobb said.

She, and most mothers, know that offender's status because of the state's sex offender registry. Using it, a Local 10 investigation uncovered that in South Florida, the single-largest cluster of convicted sex crime felons is currently in Miami-Dade County ZIP code 33142.

"It's crazy," mother Sofia Ramez said.

There are 44 in her trailer park alone.

"All of 'em come over here," she said. "And there's kids here. You got kids playing here every day."

Today, though, that's only half of the picture. State records obtained by Local 10 reveal where the sex offenders work. In these same South Florida counties, the single-largest cluster shifts to Broward County ZIP code 33311. That's the same area surrounding the park where the Cobb children play.

"Oh, that's bad. That's really bad," Cobb said.

COMPUTER-ASSISTED REPORTING

Local10.com reporter Andrea Torres dissected the Florida Department of Law Enforcement data for this report and map.

- Click here to search the "Where They Work" map

Related: Residents unhappy with sex offender cluster in their ZIP codes

They are sex offenders like Errol Cunningham. Records show that after a conviction for sexual battery, he stated that he works for a carpet cleaning business based out of a home just a few blocks away from the park.

"Is that a problem?" Palombo asked.

"People have kids everywhere you go," he said.

There are others like Willis Habershaw. Records show he was convicted of sexual battery. He now said he does electrical, plumbing and handyman jobs based out of a home in the same ZIP code.

MAP: Where registered sex offenders work in South Florida

"When you get a referral, do you tell those people right away?" Palombo asked.

"No," Habershaw replied.

"You don't tell them?" Palombo asked.

"No," Habershaw said.

"You don't think they should know?" Palombo asked.

"I don't think they should know, no," Habershaw said.

"We don't know where they're working. That's a problem," lobbyist Ron Book said.

He helped write many of the sex offender laws. Book said Florida does keep records of where each offender works. That information, though, is not on the state's website and not easily available to the public.

"It's disclosed, but not required to be part of the registry," Book said.

"And why is that?" Palombo asked.

"I don't think any of us really thought about it," Book said.

That is almost unthinkable, though, to those who play in that area and those who are just wondering who works nearby.

"Wow," Jury Brown said as he was playing basketball in the park. "That's a little unsettling."

Sex offenders said, though, that their punishment is already public enough.

"It's not fair," Habershaw said. "I think it's up to me if I want to disclose that or not."

Parents are not so sure. They said the state shouldn't play hide and seek with crucial information that it already has.

"It's so scary for the kids," Sandra said. "It should tell where they work. I'm going to watch them real close now."

After this Local 10 investigation, Book said he's now working on getting the law changed so that where offenders work is on the state's website in the future.

Follow Ross Palombo on Twitter @rosspalombo

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10