Editor’s Note: What follows is part one of a three part series regarding sex offenders in Chenango County. Parts Two and three will be published in the two upcoming editions and deal with the prosecution, judges, and defense.

CHENANGO COUNTY– A slight majority of Chenango County residents, like United States citizens across the country, are concerned about sex offenders living in the community and would like to see them receive harsher sentences, but many residents also believe rehabilitating sex offenders and educating the public about sex offenders is more crucial to creating a safer, healthier community.

As of May 18, 2015, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services lists Chenango County as having 184 sex offenders out of 49,503 residents (2013 Census), which is .37 percent of the population.

Of the 184 sex offenders in the county, there are 74 level 1s (lowest risk of reoffending), 65 level 2s (moderate risk of reoffending), 44 level 3s (highest risk of reoffending) and one yet to be classified.

According The United States Department of Justice's National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), 60 percent of those who commit sexual abuse know the victim but are not family members of the victim, 30 percent of sexual abuse perpetrators are family members of the victim and only 10 percent of sexual abuse offenders are strangers to the victim.

An estimated 23 percent of sex crimes are committed by those under the age of 18, reads the site.