How would you feel, as a parent...?

This is the problem. Pedophiles don't have that name tattooed on their forehead so anyone could be a risk to my child. I would certainly tell other parents but then if they don't know the details of the person, all kinds of people will be accused/assumed to be the pedophile and nobody will trust anyone in the street. Crime is everywhere, we just got to educate our children better and watch out for any behavioural changes in our kids.

Well, I would be extra sure not to let him alone with anybody's kids! Yes I would warn other parents, but I would try to make sure they understood that he's probably just a sad, unhappy guy. And do you know the details of his crime? I mean having sex with a 15 year old is different to abusing little kids or even watching child porn even if they are all awful.

If you do feel really unsafe maybe you could look into moving. I'd hope that spending time in prison helped him and he did some sort of therapy while he was there to help him?

Edit: Just to add, even if you don't tell people his exact address or who he is, there's a good chance people will still figure it out. And I don't really see what you mean by "orientation" - are you saying he chooses to like children? I was under the impression paedophiles have serious mental issues and may have been abused themselves as children.

Most states (at least in the US) require convicted sex offenders to be registered with current address information. This would be on your state's web site for public access. Confirm things there first if you can. If you are ABSOLUTELY sure, then yes, I would inform other parents. You don't have to point the guy out, name him or say which house, but encourage them to check the sex offender database themselves.

I know where all the registered sex offenders are around our neighborhood (fortunately none are actually IN our neighborhood).

who did you hear this from exactly and are you sure the source is 100% accurate that would be my first concern before i thought about letting it bother me i would be calling the police and asking if this was true

The police have a duty to protect people and children and they must not thought of him being that much of a risk if they can let him live near a park and children

Also your dad is committing an offence by listening in to a police channel and committed an even bigger crime by telling you what he heard so that to me is more of a worry than this so called man living near you

As a parent, i would want to know.

I had an experience with a registered sex offender. When my son was about 8 months old, we lived in an apartment complex. One day, while getting him out of his car seat, this giant man snuck up behind me. I turned about and he was 2 inched from my face, acting weird and trying to make small talk. I told my husband and he started watching for me when I left and came back. A few days later, he accosted me again while I was taking out the trash and scared me half to death. I ran in the house and told my husband but the man was gone. The next day he stopped and stared at me the whole time I put my baby in his car seat and left the parking lot. Creepy! A week or so later, I pulled up the sexual predator registration through our Sheriff's department website and there he was, multiple rape, sodomy and sexual assault charges and living in the apartment below me. I printed out about 10 copies of his mug shot, charges and info. I took the sheets to the neighborhood hooligans, who I had been introduced to by a friend of my husband so that they wouldn't bother me and would keep an eye out for me when I walked my son in his stroller. They may be hooligans and serious troublemakers, but if you lived in the neighborhood you knew they were better than any neighborhood watch if they knew you. I told them what was happening and they took those pictures and kicked in the mans door and took care of business. He moved out within three days. Had I not looked it up and found out who he was when I did, I don't want to think what may have happened to me.

If you don't tell them outright the person's name and address, then at least mention that there is a registered sex offender in the neighborhood. We have one in my neighborhood, too. Having them there has provided me the opportunity to talk about sexual abuse of children with my son.

If you are ABSOLUTELY certain of your facts, then of course you should inform other people about this.

But make sure you're certain - you wouldn't want to accuse someone who's innocent.

If the person is a paedophile, then hanging's too good for them.