New York Vows To Remove Registered Sex Offenders From Housing Near Schools

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- The State of New York has vowed to fix a troubling issue. Convicted pedophiles have been housed near city schools in violation of a state law.

"They need to put them somewhere else. Away from the school, period," mother of three Shavon Taylor told CBS 2's Tony Aiello.

Parents were distressed to learn that Hipolito Ramos, a registered sex offender convicted of raping a 15-year-old, was placed in the Delta Manor Homeless Shelter by the city.

The shelter is just 600 ft away from P.S. 536.

State law forbids level r offenders from living within one thousand feet of a school.

"These are individuals who committed heinous crimes against children," State Senator Jeff Klein (D - Bronx/Westchester) explained.

Klein's office investigated and found that six registered sex offenders had been placed, by the city, in homeless shelters and nursing facilities that are within one thousand feet of a city school.

"I have every indication from the state that they're looking into this. They're not going to allow any dangerous sexual predator to actually leave the system unless they know their whereabouts and make sure they're not within a thousand feet of a school," Klein said.

The Senate report also found problems with the state website that allows residents to search for sex offenders by zip code.

More than 130 convicts were listed under incorrect zip codes. When residents checked the site they didn't know there were dangerous sexual predators in their neighborhoods.

Klein said that the state will audit the website and work with the city on placement of released offenders to make sure laws intended to protect children are enforced.

Klein said that at least one offender who was living in a shelter in Alphabet City has been relocated.

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