LOS ANGELES, CA — Before kids go out trick or treating on Halloween, fall is a good time to take an inventory of who is living in your neighborhood. Did you know that Los Angeles County currently has more than 13,900 registered sex offenders living in the region?

The state runs the web site, which provides information on registered sex offenders, pursuant to California Penal Code § 290.46, “… so that members of the public can better protect themselves and their families.” The information is pulled from the California Sex and Arson Registry.

You may want to avoid trick or treating at these houses and apartments on Halloween, or merely be aware of who’s living in your neighborhood during the rest of the year.

The below map offers a snapshot of where registered sex offenders currently reside in Los Angeles. The Megan’s Law website has full addresses for most of them.

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VIEW INTERACTIVE MAP

Here’s how to find a map of sex offenders in your California community. First, visit the Megan’s Law home page. On the right-hand side of the page, you can enter an address and hit “search.”
There are some information and a disclaimer you’ll need to read; scroll to the bottom, click that you’ve read the info (once you have, of course) and click “continue.”

Once you’ve arrived at the search page, you can use the menu on the left side of the screen to search by name, address, city, ZIP code or county. If you’re doing a city search, click on “city” and start typing the name in the empty field on the right-hand side. Click “search.”

NOT ALL OFFENDERS LISTED

It’s important to keep in mind that the Megan’s Law site does not list every sex offender living in the community. Under California’s Penal Code section 290, the DOJ is only authorized to display certain types of sex offenders online, according to the agency.
People who have been convicted of a registrable sexual offense that falls into one of the following categories can apply for exclusion from Megan’s Law website:

  • Felony sexual battery by restraint (Pen. Code § 243.4, subd. (a))
  • Misdemeanor child molestation (Pen. Code § 647.6), or former section 647(a)
  • Any offense which did not involve penetration or oral copulation, the victim of which was a child, stepchild, grandchild, or sibling of the offender, and for which the offender successfully completed or is successfully completing probation
  • Felony child pornography conviction (Pen. Code §§ 311.1, 311.2 subd. (b), (c) or (d), or Pen. Code §§ 311.3, 311.4, 311.10, or 311.11) where the victim was at least 16 years of age or older
  • What’s more, on any given offender profile, take note of the statement which reads “The Department of Justice has no information about subsequent felony incarceration for this registrant.”