SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In 2021, California enacted a law to reform the sex offender registry. Now, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office says dangerous people are taking advantage of it.
California divided the sex offender registry into three tiers in 2021. Tier 1 is for low level offenders, Tier 2 is for mid-level offenders, and Tier 3 is for violent offenders and are likely to re-offend. Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) authored SB384 detailing this system.
"It made the sex offender registry so massive, like 120,000 people in California, that law enforcement couldn't even use it for its intended purpose," he told ABC10 in 2021.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office says it's because of this law that two previously convicted sex offenders were allowed to go essentially undetected.
"Both of them were able — after 2021 — to petition the court to be removed from the lifetime registry ban," said sheriff's office spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi.
The sheriff's office says both recently had the intention to re-offend, when an undercover agent spoke with Kevin Gipson who was interested in meeting with a minor for sexual acts. During that conversation, investigators say Gipson introduced another man, Kenneth Lorenz, who was also interested in committing the crime.
Lorenz was convicted in 1966 and 1984 for indecent exposure and sexual battery. Gipson was convicted in 1991 on two counts of lewd acts with a child under 14.
"This wasn't just a chat, like he was convicted, served time in prison and was let back out into the public with now no supervision," said Gandhi.
Because of the tiered system, the sheriff's office says both men were not required to register as sex offenders. ABC10 searched the Megan's Law website and neither of them showed up.
"They've taken advantage of this law with crafty lawyers and again, are taking full advantage," said Gandhi.
Senator Wiener refused an interview with ABC10, but did provide us with this statement:
“These allegations are horrific. If they prove true, the suspects deserve to be held accountable with a long sentence in state prison.”
He added the bill was supported by the California District Attorneys Association and the California Police Chiefs Association.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office says parents should be heavily involved in their children's lives and to always know where your kids are and who they're talking to.
For more on the case mentioned in this story, click HERE.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: 2 minors rescued, more than 100 arrested in sex trafficking sting in Sacramento County
