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9 Investigates: Sex offenders listed as homeless, transient

ORLANDO, Fla. — Sex offenders are required to register their addresses with state law enforcement so they can be monitored when they get out of prison.

But 9 Investigates discovered hundreds of local offenders listing their addresses as homeless. And many offenders have been known to claim that they are “transients” or "homeless" so they can avoid tracking.

Law enforcement has pushed to close this loophole for years and Orlando's police chief told Eyewitness News anchor Vanessa Welch about a new change that may make a big difference.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s sex offender registry lets people know if offenders or predators live nearby. But 9 Investigates discovered nearly 300 offenders or predators across Central Florida are registered as homeless or transient.

“Transients move from place to place and it’s hard to keep track of them,” said Orlando Police Chief John Mina.

OPD’s sex offender squad, for example, may not see them for six months or a year, Mina told Welch.

But that all changes next month when a new law will require homeless offenders to re-register in person every 30 days.

“After 30 days if they haven’t come in to register based on our system, we will know about it and we will go arrest them,” Mina explained.

They’ll be arrested and charged with a third-degree felony.

Right now, members of the sex offender squad are using fliers to make sure homeless offenders know about the new law. They're taking the fliers to empty lots and wooded areas off major roads where transients are known to stay. And when they find the sex offenders, the police are making them sign the documents so there is no confusion.

Transient offenders are required to report a general address. The FDLE database shows many “claim” to live on benches near bus stops, behind stores where many of us shop, and in wooded areas off major roads we drive along in Central Florida.

But offenders have been known to register as homeless when they aren't in order to avoid detection.

The new law may help keep them honest.

“This is going to be a pain for them because they are going to have to come in every single month,” Mina said.

Critics say it will be difficult for homeless offenders to comply because many do not have transportation.

WFTV Legal analyst Bill Sheaffer disagrees.

“I don’t care what burden this puts on sexual offenders as long as we are able to monitor their whereabouts,” Sheaffer said.

Mina supports even stricter rules.

“I am not opposed to ankle bracelets,” he said.

GPS tracking would make the new law easier to enforce.

“If they are homeless how will you find them?” Welch asked Mina.

“We have our ways,” he said. “They can't hide from us. They can run but they can’t hide.”