Sex Offender Arrested for Living Too Close to School

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Sex Offender Arrested for Living Too Close to School
By: CJ Cassidy

QULIN, Mo. - At least four changes to Missouri sex offender laws in the past three years.

The latest ruling allows offenders living within a 1000 feet of a school or daycare to stay on if they've lived in their home before 2004.

But just a day after the ruling, Heartland News still had viewers calling asking for help in making sure sex offenders don't break the law.

I went to Qulin after getting an email.

Folks I talked to there say sex offenders are still a big deal to them. They're worried about a sex offender living just a stone's throw away from a public school, and they want to make sure that changes.

"It's a screwed up situation," William Lampley said.

Lampley doesn't want to go to jail or move out of his neighborhood. But as a convicted sex offender, who moved into his home two years ago, he doesn't have much choice.

"Until last week, I thought I was quite a ways from the school. I found out only last week it was only 200 feet," Lampley said.

Investigators say Lampley's home is just about 200 feet away from Qulin Junior High School.

His neighbor, Neva Baker, says she thought the distance would have been shorter. Baker initially figured out the problem and called police. Investigators say they told Lampley he had to move weeks ago. They arrested him the same day Baker called us with her complaint.

"Parents around here need to know what is going on," she says.

Lampley isn't protected by the new supreme court ruling, so how did he slip through the cracks for so long?

Butler County Sheriff's deputies say they acted as soon as they were notified about the situation three weeks ago asking Lampley to move.

Qulin police say the law leaves it up to sex offenders to figure out the distance between their home and schools or daycares. It's a loophole they hope lawmakers close someday.

"From my knowledge, the only ones worried was my neighbors. The rest of Qulin was not worried," Lampley said.

Lampley's being held in the Butler County Jail.

Police say they often rely on tips as they did in this case and ask you call them if you know of any sex offenders living illegally near a school or daycare.