Following the recent murder of two registered sex offenders in the state of Maine, the Washington Post is reporting that some defense attorneys, criminals' rights activists and university criminoligists are concerned that the availability of information regarding sex offenders will lead to a rise in vigilantism.

As one example, the article cites a University of Louisville study that found "50 percent of all registered offenders had been harassed in person, and more than 25 percent had received threatening calls, letters or e-mail."

Sex offender information is available online in varying degrees in all 50 states. The U.S. Department of Justice makes the information from 40 of those states readily available at its National Sex Offender Public Registry.

See also:

• Judge Rules NJ Cannot Post Sex Offender Database on the Web
• Judge Halts Online Access to Massachussetts Sex Offender Databases
• FBI Crimes Against Children Program