Eatontown approves pedophile-free zones

BY SUE MORGAN
Staff Writer

EATONTOWN –– Joining the ranks of numerous other municipalities in Monmouth County, the borough has enacted legislation banning convicted sex offenders from living close to schools, or anywhere else where children are known to meet.

A new law prohibiting those offenders, upon release from prison, from living within 1,000 feet of any public or private school building, its administration building or child-care center garnered the Borough Council’s unanimous approval on Oct. 5.

The same ordinance also restricts those offenders from living within 500 feet of any public park or playground in the borough.

Those designations, known as “pedophile-free zones,” are based on the parameters used by the borough to establish existing drug-free school zones, officials have said.

Basing the boundaries of the pedophile-free zones on the approved drug-free zones decreases the likelihood of a court challenge over the constitutionality of the law, according to Borough Attorney Gene Anthony who drafted the ordinance.

In addition, the approved law mandates that any convicted sex offender residing in a rental property situated within the pedophile-free zones must move within 60 days from the date when the municipal law takes effect or upon the termination of that person’s lease if that would be within less than a year.

The pending legislation will not apply to anyone registered under the state’s Megan’s Law who bought property in the borough for use as a primary residence before the municipal law takes effect, the ordinance states.

Convicted sex offenders found to violate the law could be fined up to $1,250 or imprisoned for up to 90 days. Those offenders could also be asked to perform community service for up to 90 days under the measure.

Under the state’s Megan’s Law, convicted sex offenders released from prison are required to provide their names, addresses and other information to officials in the municipality they choose to reside in.

To date, Shrewsbury, Keansburg, Holmdel, Marlboro and Matawan have enacted laws to prevent those registered under Megan’s Law from living near schools, churches, day-care centers and parks as a precaution to protect children congregating in those places.