HOUTZDALE – A 43-year-old black man reportedly failed to register as a sex offender as required by Megan’s Law.
State Police at Clearfield have not released the man’s name, but the police report shows that the man was a resident of Houtzdale and may have been an inmate at the State Correctional Insitution at Houtzdale. Police are continuing their investigation.
Earlier this month, State Police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller said “significant improvements” have been made in law enforcement officials’ ability to protect Pennsylvania residents and inform them about sex offenders and sexually violent predators. However, Miller said more improvements, including listing full addresses for all offenders and increasing the penalty for failing to comply with the law still need to be made.
Currently, only the addresses of those classified as sexually violent predators, those who have undergone psychological testing and have been proven to have a mental state that makes them more likely to commit a sexual offense again, are listed on the state Megan’s Law Web site, found at www.pameganslaw.state.pa.us.
Megan’s Law, named for a New Jersey girl who was raped and killed at the hands of a twice-convicted sexual offender, was enacted in Pennsylvania in 1995. A national Megan’s Law was put into effect the following year.