Ahead of Hurricane Milton, a Florida sheriff said sexual predators are prohibited from entering hurricane shelters.

“The sheriff’s office will ensure that there is a safe environment for anyone that comes there, anyone that comes in, will be checked to make sure that they are not a fugitive and not wanted, not a sex offender,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said.

“If you are a predator, you are not allowed at the Rymfire Shelter. If you are designated under Florida Law as a sex predator and you need shelter, you need to go to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. That’s the county jail,” he continued.

“Welcome to Florida If you’re a convicted sex offender, you aren’t allowed in our hurricane shelters You can spend the night in the county jail,” DC Draino commented.

WATCH:

Florida’s Voice reports:

Another user, @xoxomrslucky, said “You gotta love Florida for this!! Protecting their people from BAD CHARACTERS No one should feel unsafe when seeking protection from a storm Thank you, Florida!!”

The Sheriff also announced a curfew for the county effective Wednesday from 7:00 p.m. to Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 a.m. The curfew will be nightly until rescinded.

Staly provided an update for Flagler County in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton:

Per NewsNation:

Not all counties are taking the same approach, however. In Marion County, a separate shelter was announced for those on the registry.

Sex offenders risk felony charges if they try to stay at a regular shelter where children are staying, giving them fewer options for evacuation during a storm.

A 2018 law also adds an additional hurdle for those who might evacuate instead of heading to a shelter by requiring sex offenders to register temporary addresses within three days and update their driver’s license or ID with that address within 48 hours of departing.

Those who aren’t able to do that receive a mandatory sentence of six months of GPS monitoring and a maximum of up to five years in prison.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.


We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.