SAFE Task Force

           Sexual
                   Assault
                          Felony
                                  Enforcement

Protecting Santa Clara County since December 1994
(408) 808-4300
safetaskforce@sho.co.scl.ca.us

It is estimated that one in three women, one in four girls, one in six boys, and one in eleven men will be victims of sexual assault at least once in their lifetimes. (1)
The Sexual Assault Felony enforcement (SAFE) TaskForce is a team of local, state and federal law enforcement officials dedicated to proactively preventing sexual assault crimes and keeping convicted sexual assault offenders off the streets of Santa Clara County.

SAFE Task Force Objectives:

Monitor sex offenders who have a high propensity to commit another sexual assault crime.

Identify and apprehend sexual predators, and track convicted predators in the Megan''s Law database.

Assist other law enforcement agencies with sexual assault investigations.

Educate the community to recognize predatory behavior and know where to seek help. 

Registered Sex Offenders in California (2)
EXCLUDED 290(4)(6)(e) - 1,978 | FULL ADDRESS - 62,149 | NO POST - 27,589 | ZIP ONLY - 18,717

Registered Sex Offenders in Santa Clara County
EXCLUDED 290(4)(6)(e) - 102 | FULL ADDRESS - 1375 | NO POST - 916 | ZIP ONLY - 552

For purposes of public notification, California’s sex registrants have been classified into three categories according to level of disclosure:

Full Address - High-risk sex offenders are serious sex offenders who have been convicted of at least one violent sex offense and a combination of other offenses. Information regarding high-risk sex offenders is subject to public disclosure.

Zip Code, Only - Serious sex offenders are those that have been convicted of such felonies as rape; sodomy with a minor or by force; lewd and lascivious contact with a child or dependent adult; oral copulation with a minor or by force; continuous sexual abuse of a child; foreign object penetration; child molestation; kidnapping with intent to commit specified sex offenses; felony sexual battery; felony enticement of a child for purposes of prostitution; or abduction of a child for purposes of prostitution.   Information regarding serious sex offenders is subject to public disclosure.

No Post - Other sex offenders have been convicted of pornography, incest, indecent exposure, misdemeanor sexual battery, spousal rape, or adjudicated in juvenile court.  Information regarding other sex offenders is not subject to public disclosure.

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SEXUAL PREDATORS

FACTS:

• The Federal Health and Human Services Department reports 900,000 cases of child abuse annually. Because abuse and neglect are vastly underreported, they project that this is only 1/3 the actual total. (3)
  
  
• Individuals who have been abused or neglected as youngsters are 29% more likely to become violent criminals than are other children. (4)  Based on this estimate, 36,000 of the 900,000 children reported abused annually will become violent criminals when they reach adulthood, 250 of which will become murderers.
  
  
• Sex offenders come from all walks of life and from all socio-economic groups. They can be male or female, rich or poor, employed or unemployed, religious or non-religious, educated or uneducated and from any nationality or ethnic group.
  
  
• Offenders develop predatory behaviors early, between the ages of 8 and 12. They feel their behaviors are natural although they understand such behavior is criminal.
  
  
• A predictable cycle of abuse creates abusers of the abused. Children who are abused or neglected are far more likely to become criminals as adults. This makes it important to recognize abusive behaviors in families, schools and communities at large and take action to address the situation.

UNDERSTANDING SEXUAL PREDATORS

• Although some sex offenders are strangers and stalkers, many know the victim as a family member, friend or neighbor. These predators target adults, teens and children and often have well-developed techniques for luring victims. These include cautious predatory search for an easy victim and practiced assessment of the victim’s vulnerability (safety and security levels), personality, physical abilities and lifestyle.

• Serial killers and sexual sadists, both predators, love to drive. It is not unusual for them to put thousands of excessive miles per month and year on their car. (5)
  
  
• Predatory behavior is resistant to permanent rehabilitation: at least 50% of all convicted sexual predators will re-offend. (6)

CHILD SEXUAL PREDATORS

• Because of their vulnerability, children are a favored target of sex offenders.
  
  
• One in four girls is sexually abused before the age of 14.  One in six boys is sexually abused before the age of 16. (7)
  
  
• The median age for reported sexual abuse is nine years old. (8)
  
  
• Research shows that reporting of these offenses is very low.  One study reported that only one in ten child victims reports the abuse. (9)
  
  
• Children are the segment of our U.S. population with the highest crime victimization rates.
  
  
• Teens between the ages of 16 and 19 are 3.5 times more likely to be sexually abused than the general population. (10)
  
  
• The U.S. leads the world in its rate of juvenile homicide victimization.
  
  
• The average pedophile
  
  
  • will victimize between 50-150 children before he comes to the attention of law enforcement.
    
    
  • seeks out mothers of single parent families to victimize their children.
    
    
  • Likes places where children congregate.
    
    
  • participates in activities with teens, seeking activities that exclude adults or offering sports expertise to parent/teens who want to excel.
    
    
  • seeks employment or volunteers where they will be in contact with children and teens.

CHILD SAFETY TIPS

• Good communication between parents and children is the most important way to keep them safe from sexual abuse. Talk to them every day and take time to listen and observe.
  
  
• Introduce safety information to children as early as age two. Even young children can understand concepts related to abuse; for example, some wrong-minded adults, even someone they know and trust, may try to touch, threaten or hurt them.
  
  
• Many parents warn their children not to talk to strangers. But more often than not, the child knows an abuser or abductor: a school bus driver, teacher, relative, neighbor or family friend. Many times the molestation occurs in the victim’s or abuser’s home.
  
  
• Teach your children what behaviors and situations are unacceptable and how to avoid them, such as what touches are good and what touches are bad. No one should touch them in the parts covered by their bathing suit, and they should not be asked to touch anyone there.
  
  
• Don’t let anyone take the child’s picture without permission from his or her parents or teacher.
  
  
• Teach children to stay away from people who call them to their car.
  
  
• If someone tries to take a child, they should yell, “This person is not my father (or mother),” and run.
  
  
• If lost in a store, the child should find another mom with children or go to the checkout counter. They should not wander around on their own.

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INTERNET PORNOGRAPHY

FACTS:

• One in 5 children from ages 10-17 who are regular Internet users are sexually solicited online. One in 4 receives unwanted sexual content online. (11)
  
  
• Solicitation of minors for sex online is growing at the rate of 1000% every month. (12)
  
  
• Fewer than 15% of parents feel they know more about PCs than their teenage sons or daughters, or how to trace where their PC has "traveled" online.

IDENTIFYING INTERNET PORNOGRAHPY ACTIVITIES

Signs that your child might be conducting at-risk online activities include:

• Child spends large amounts of time online, especially at night.
  
  
• You find pornography on your child’s computer.
  
  
• Child receives phone calls from men you don’t know or is making calls, sometimes long-distance, to numbers you don’t recognize.
  
  
• Child receives mail, gifts or packages from someone you don’t know.
  
  
• Child turns off the computer monitor or quickly changes the screen on the monitor when you come into the room.
  
  
• Child becomes withdrawn from the family.
  
  
• Child is using an online account belonging to someone else.

INTERNET SAFETY TIPS

• If anyone in your household is participating in the activities described here, immediately contact your local SAFE TaskForce or state law enforcement agency, the FBI or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
  
  
• Communicate with your child about sexual victimization and the potential for online danger.
  
  
• Spend time with your children online. Let them teach you about their favorite online destinations.
  
  
• Keep your home computer in a common room in the house, not in your child’s bedroom.
  
  
• Use parental controls provided by your service provider and/or blocking software.
  
  
• Use of chat rooms should be heavily monitored because computer sex offenders prowl them.
  
  
• Instruct your child never to provide any personal information or upload pictures of themselves onto the Internet or online service to people they do not personally know. Nor should they download pictures from an unknown source, because there is a good chance these could be sexually explicit images.
  
  
• Never respond to messages or bulletin board postings that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent or harassing.
  
  
• Always maintain access to your child’s online account and randomly check email. Tell your child you will be doing this.

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Adult Sexual Assault

FACTS:

• Adults are often the target of socio-psychopathic violent offenders, resulting in more brutal victimization.
  
  
• Sexual assault is on the rise in the U.S.
  
  
• Rape is one of the most underreported crimes. According to the Bureau of Justice statistics, only 30.7 percent of women who were raped reported the crime. (13)
  
  
• The majority of rapists continue to rape until caught.
  
  
• Rape is a violent crime of aggression, a hostile attack intended to hurt and humiliate. It is NOT the result of “uncontrolled passions.” Rapists look for someone who appears vulnerable.
  
  
• Rape can happen to anyone, male, female, wives, children, even grandmothers. It can occur anywhere, day or night, in public or in your own home. Many rapes occur in or near a victim’s home.
  
  
• One-third of reported rape cases are committed by an acquaintance, neighbor, friend or relative of the victim.
  
  
• At least one of every two crimes in the U.S. goes unreported. Report crime! -- or you are allowing the criminal to continue to operate without interference. “To ignore it is to condone it.”

HOME SAFETY

• Install effective locks on all doors and windows and USE them.
  
  
• Install a peephole viewer in your door; NEVER open your door without knowing who is on the other side. Demand to see identification.
  
  
• NEVER admit to a stranger at your door or on the phone if you are alone. If they request an emergency phone call for help, offer to make one for them while they wait outside.
  
  
• If you live alone, list only your last name and initials on mailboxes and in telephone directories.
  
  
• Avoid being in your apartment laundry room or garage by yourself, especially at night.
  
  
• If you come home and find a door or window with signs of forced entry, DON’T GO IN! Go to the nearest phone and call the police or sheriff.

STREET SAFETY

• Travel with a friend whenever possible.
  
  
• Stay in well-lighted areas.
  
  
• Walk confidently, directly and at a steady pace on the side of the street facing traffic and make eye contact with people when walking.
  
  
• Walk close to the curb and avoid doorways, bushes and alleys where someone could hide.
  
  
• If you are being followed, walk quickly to a lighted area with people. If a car is following you, turn and walk in the opposite direction, or on the other side of the street.

CAR SAFETY

• Park in well-lighted areas and always lock car doors after entering or leaving your car.
  
  
• Have car keys in your hand before entering your car so you don’t have to linger, and check the back seat before entering your car.
  
  
• If you think you are being followed, drive to a public place, police or sheriff’s station.
  
  
• If your car breaks down, open the hood and attach a white cloth to the car antenna. Then stay in your locked car, and if someone stops to help, ask him or her to call the police, sheriff or a towing service.
  
  
• Don’t stop to aid motorists on the side of the road. Go to a phone and request help.
  
  
• Don''t invite trouble by flashing jewelry. Keep gold chains out of sight and turn rings around so stones don’t show.
  
  
• During off-hours, ride as near to the bus operator as possible. If someone bothers you, or you see any suspicious activity, tell the driver. Change seats if necessary.
  
  
• Carry your wallet inside your coat or in a front pocket. A comb placed horizontally in the fold of the wallet will alert you if someone tries to remove it from your pocket.
  
  
• Keep your handbag in front of you and hold it close to your body with both hands.

OFFICE SECURITY

• Never leave your purse or wallet in plain view or in the pocket of a jacket hanging on a door and don’t bring cash or valuables to the office.
  
  
• Keep the office door locked if you are alone or working before/after regular hours.
  
  
• If you work late, ask another worker or a security guard to walk out with you.
  
  
• If you are in an elevator with another person, stand near the control panel. If attacked, press the alarm and as many of the control buttons as possible.
  
  
• Be alert for pickpockets on crowded elevators.  Be aware of escape routes for emergencies and post emergency numbers near telephones.

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HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF A PERSON IN A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER?

The Megan's Law database provides information on California sex offenders. The website is accessible by the public at www.meganslaw.ca.gov. The below information available:

• Registrant’s name
• Aliases
• Photograph (if available)
• Sex
• Physical description, including scars, marks and tattoos
• Registered sex offenses
• County of residence
• Zip Code (based on last registration)

WHERE DO I OBTAIN INFORMATION ON SEX OFFENDERS IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY?

 Contact the SAFE TaskForce
(408) 808-4300

safetaskforce@sho.co.scl.ca.us

 Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department
(408) 808-4500

San Jose Police Department
(408) 277-4290

The SAFE TaskForce is a Community Resource

If you have a concern about any individual or any suspicious behavior contact us by phone at 408-808-4300 or email at safetaskforce@sho.co.scl.ca.us.