Sex offenders will pay fee to register

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - The Montgomery County Sheriff's office said charging sex offenders will save them money in these tough economic times.

Starting in May, sex offenders will have to pay between 25 to 100 dollars everytime they register.

There are 1,500 registered sex offenders in Montgomery County. Sheriff Phil Plummer said the they spend about $85,000 every year on stamps to send out thousands of post cards alerting people where sex offenders live.

To offset those costs, tier one and tier two sex offenders will have to pay the Sheriff's Office $25 a year. Tier three, the most serious sex offenders, will have to pay $100 a year. Sheriff Plummer says tax payers shouldn't have to pay for the crimes of sex offenders, and residents who spoke to 2NEWS agree.

"I think they should pay something because the Sheriff's Office has to keep track of them. I think its a very good idea, to charge them," Tracy Demko of Dayton said.

"If you can save the taxpayers any kind of money, it should come out of sex offenders own pockets, said Aaron Gosser of Dayton. "I mean, if they did the crime, they should pay. Why should I have to pay for their mistake?"

Plummer said if sex offenders are indigent, or can't afford the fee, they will not be charged, so this will not be a deterrent for them to register.