Joseph Park will never forget the round of applause he received on the day he went to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office to have his ankle monitor removed. He flashed a smile at the crowd in the sheriff’s office. Like Park, these were convicted sex offenders about to be freed from their tracking devices. And Park was the man responsible.

In 2003, Park was arrested and convicted of child molestation for having sex with a 15-year-old girl when he was 50. He took graphic pictures of their intercourse. Several other girls told police he hosted parties at his house, treating underage guests to alcohol and drugs. After serving over a decade in and out of prison, Park was ordered to wear an ankle monitor for the rest of his life. He soon found himself fighting in court to have the device removed on the grounds that it was an “unreasonable search” prohibited by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Two years ago, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled in his favor, meaning hundreds of formerly convicted sex predators would be freed of monitoring.

“It’s beyond what I could possibly imagine,” Park said, describing his hero’s greeting at the sheriff’s office. “People were thrilled. Having an ankle monitor is a constant misery you can’t get away from.”

Not everybody is so thrilled. Many sex-victim advocates didn’t know about the rule change until State Affairs brought it to their attention. They worry that the absence of ankle monitors will embolden convicted predators to commit more sex crimes.

“I think it’s very upsetting,” said Gayla Nobles, executive director of the nonprofit Southern Crescent Sexual Assault and Child Advocacy Center serving 15 counties south of Atlanta. “We’re not protecting our victims very well by not affording every resource we can by keeping these predators away from innocent victims.”

Local sheriff’s offices in charge of watching convicted predators like Park also feel the strain. Without ankle monitors, they’ve leaned on unannounced house checks and self-registrations to track people that the state has deemed its most dangerous sex offenders. After Park’s case, many sheriffs would like the ankle monitors back.

“Anytime that you have a tool like an ankle monitor that can be that exact and can track somebody, it’s obviously helpful,” said Lt. Anthony Cromer with the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, which supervises around 350 sex offenders, including predators.

“These guys get designated as a predator for a reason.”

What else would you like to know about sex-related crimes and the judicial system in Georgia? Share your thoughts/tips by emailing [email protected].

• Ankle monitors gone for hundreds of sex predators in Georgia
• Part V: Long road for survivors
• Part IV: ‘Peace of mind’ for sex predators
• Part III: Search and seizure
• Part II: Lawmakers slow to act

Twitter @STATEAFFAIRSGA
Facebook @STATEAFFAIRSUS
Instagram @STATEAFFAIRSGA
LinkedIn @STATEAFFAIRS

Header image: Joseph Park won a landmark Georgia Supreme Court ruling in 2019 that has led to the removal of ankle monitors for him and hundreds of convicted sex predators in the state. (Credit: Beau Evans for State Affairs)