More pervs getting busted again Data comes on heels of SJC’s GPS ruling

More pervs getting busted again
Data comes on heels of SJC’s GPS ruling

By Laura Crimaldi | Saturday, September 25, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage

The number of sex offenders who have been busted again since being removed from GPS devices has doubled in the past five months, with suspects facing new charges for drug dealing, armed robbery, assault and battery - but not new sex offenses.

“I suspect that would not have happened if they had the GPS on,” said Essex County District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett. “Sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated.”

The 22 new arrests include five charges of assault and battery, one armed robbery and one assault and battery on a correctional officer, according to the Office of the Commissioner of Probation. That figure is twice the 11 new arrests reported by probation in April after an inquiry from the Herald.

The new arrest figures also come a week after the Supreme Judicial Court ruled to block new GPS regulations and bans against sex offenders lurking around schools, libraries and playgrounds unless they break the rules.

Probation, which administers the GPS monitoring program, did not identify the offenders who were rearrested.

However, all are among a group of 222 sex offenders who were charged with a sex crime before Dec. 21, 2006, said probation spokeswoman Coria Holland. Those sex offenders can petition the court to go off GPS monitoring because of a 2009 SJC ruling, but probation officials could not say how many were cut loose from the program because of that decision.

“My position is that means 10 percent of those who had been taken off (GPS) got caught,” said Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. “These cases are the hardest cases to bring. They are underreported and very often the reporting doesn’t come until well after the additional offense has occurred.”

In all, 730 sex offenders are currently on GPS monitoring, Holland said. She added another 612 sex offenders went off GPS between Aug. 19 2009, and Aug. 21, 2010, for reasons including new busts and the end of their probation.

The Level 3 sex offender at the center of the SJC ruling, Ralph W. Goodwin, 49, of Lowell, is due to appear for a probation surrender hearing next month after he failed again to comply with the mental health conditions of his 10-year probation, Holland said.

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