Residents are trying to block a convicted sex offender from settling in Brockville, but instead of placing posters on lampposts, residents are sharing information through Facebook.
When Kim Hodge heard that Leonard Watts, a man convicted of sexually assaulting four young women, could be moving to the community located 100 kilometres southwest of Ottawa, she launched a Facebook group.
"I started the group because I actually spoke to my neighbour. He has young daughters and he had no idea about it. A lot of people do not get the newspaper and a lot of young girls are on Facebook. So I decided just to put it on there," said Hodge.
Watts is scheduled to be released from the Kingston Penitentiary next week.
The site already has 2,500 members and features a very active discussion group. Most want Watts to stay away. Others feel he has paid his dues.
Police say they'll make sure Facebook doesn't become a launch pad for vigilantes. But for now, they say it's another tool.
"We have publicized this information. We have put Mr. Watts' photo in the newspaper. This is just more information that's out there. Really, this is just an assistance to us," said Sgt. Surinder Gill of the Brockvillle Police.
While the urge to keep communities safe can take on a life of its own, some say using this new technology could be risky.
Mental health experts who work with sex offenders say the extra publicity can actually do more harm than good.
In the short term, it can definitely make life more uncomfortable for the person who is trying to fit back in. In the long term though, that extra anxiety could cause a person to re-offend.
Some see this website as a social barometer. If so, the debate about what to do with sex offenders could be taking on a new face.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kanina Holmes
