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	Laws Must Give US Protection Fromsexual Offenders The Courier April 25, 2008 http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19520104&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=542100&rfi=6 We must continue to make the world a safer place for our children, the elderly and the mentally disabled those who are most vulnerable to sexual predators. Federal and state legislation over the past several years has enhanced requirements for sex offender registration, enabled states to share registry information and required many entities, such as school districts, daycare centers and nonprofit organizations, to perform criminal background checks. Without these measures, sexual predators could infiltrate our communities without notice. That was the case in Montgomery County in 2002, when a man who had molested nearly 40 Louisiana youths, mostly boys, was working and living here. Gilbert John Gauthe, now 62, pleaded guilty in 1985 to sexually abusing the children while he was a Catholic priest. At the time he lived in Montgomery County, however, he was not required to register as a sex offender in either Texas or Louisiana, even with his crimes in Louisiana and an additional accusation that he molested a 3-year-old in Polk County in 1996. He pleaded guilty in that case to a lesser charge of intentional injury to a child and was not required to register for that crime. After moving to Montgomery County, Gauthe got a job driving a bus in Conroe and The Woodlands for The Friendship Center, which provides services to senior citizens. At the time, the center did not conduct background checks on drivers and staff there had no idea about his past until The Courier brought the information to the executive director. Gauthe immediately resigned and was not heard from again here. Only after laws were enacted that enhanced requirements for sex offender registration was Gauthe required to register. His failure to comply with the law led to his arrest in Galveston County earlier this week. Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 62 requires sex offenders who have a "reportable conviction or adjudication" to register with the local law enforcement entity in the city or county where the person lives or intends to live. This includes violators in Texas, as well as other states and countries. TFC Executive Director Nancy Harrington told The Courier all applicants now are checked through a paid service. The policy went into effect two years ago. With several hundred registered sex offenders living in Montgomery County alone, it is imperative to have strict and enforceable laws regarding registration and background checks.
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