Can A Registered Sex Offender Go To A Theme Park?

Could registered sex offenders be sitting next to your kid on a ride, or standing in line backside them at Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando?

ORLANDO, Fla-- In February a registered sex offender was arrested after deputies say he exposed himself to a young girl at SeaWorld's Aquatica which raises the question: exercise theme parks screen for offenders?

52-yr-old Gerald Youmans was convicted in 2004 of exposing himself to a kid in Palm Beach. He was designated a sexual predator.

In February, Youmans was over again defendant of exposing himself to a child. This fourth dimension at Aquatica. Sheriff'due south office documents reveal he had an annual pass to the park. Co-ordinate to court papers, Youmans has since pleaded not guilty and faces trial in June.

SeaWorld, along with Universal and Disney, all refuse to share specifics of their policies regarding the comprisal of sex offenders or whether they screen for them.

Criminal defense attorney Richard Hornsby has represented clients on the sex activity offender registry and says some of those clients believe Disney denies or revokes their admittance if they discover someone is on this list. "I've had people that also happen to accept had flavour passes or got their passes on line so later they bought them gotten a letter saying their passes are revoked or beingness canceled, they're not allowed to employ it."

It's unclear exactly how Disney may search for or flag sex offenders, but one readily available identifier is their commuter's license which carries their designation.

Hornsby says as long every bit someone convicted of a sexual activity crime is no longer on probation there is no state law banning them from theme parks. But, he says the theme parks have every right to ban sex offenders. "Whatsoever private business is immune to trespass a person as long equally the reason they're trespassing them is not some constitutionally-protected condition such as gender, race or age."

The Florida Action committee, a grouping that advocates for sex offenders, wants companies to look at each individual. It stresses that there are dissimilar degrees of sex offenses and not all are confronting children.

"Information technology's the overwhelming, i size fits all policy that individuals or companies sick-informed to make an informed conclusion about who should be there and who shouldn't exist in that location is very bizarre to me," said Gail Colletta with the Florida Action group. " Non every individual required to register creates a danger to public safety."

While there may be no mode to know for sure is someone on the sexual activity offender registry has been admitted to ane of the theme parks, law enforcement says expert communication for parents may be to act every bit the first line of defense by keeping their kids close to go along them safe.