Sex Offenders Change Name To Avoid Registry Stigma
Lawmaker Wants To Ban Name Change For Convicted Offenders
POSTED: 8:06 am CDT July 24, 2002
MADISON, Wis. -- At least two registered Wisconsin sex offenders have changed their legal names.With new names, they wouldn't show up on the sex offender registry and their backgrounds would probably appear spotless.That's why Wisconsin state assemblyman Mark Gundrum said he wants to ban sex offenders from changing their names.
It happened in Waukesha, Wis. Jeremy Klingel, 27, was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 1996 and is on the state's sexual offender registry.Police said he changed his name in order to hide his past from them, neighbors and future employers.Officials don't know how many convicted sex offenders have changed their names. Gundrum said the bill he was drafting would prohibit only convicted sex offenders from making the change.Sex offenders are the only convicts who are required to register their locations and job information after they finish probation.
It happened in Waukesha, Wis. Jeremy Klingel, 27, was convicted of sexually assaulting a child in 1996 and is on the state's sexual offender registry.Police said he changed his name in order to hide his past from them, neighbors and future employers.Officials don't know how many convicted sex offenders have changed their names. Gundrum said the bill he was drafting would prohibit only convicted sex offenders from making the change.Sex offenders are the only convicts who are required to register their locations and job information after they finish probation.Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
