I’ve been recently considering buying one of those owlet baby monitors. Becoming a new mom comes with all sorts of wonderful emotions, but unfortunately worry has to be one of them. I thought it would help me sleep at night knowing I’ll be alarmed if she weren’t okay. It’s obvious a parents first concern is always the safety of their children.

Two emotions currently at the top of my list now: worry and concern. A few months ago a deputy showed up at my door and explained he was conducting an investigation. It appeared the state of Wisconsin had purchased the house next door. The sheriffs office was conducting an investigation to see if they could place a sex offender there. Being 6 months pregnant, my heart sank and I could feel the warm blood rush from my face as he spoke. The deputy sensed my concern as I told him we were expecting our first child. He advised to me that the sex offender cannot live within 1500 ft of a child’s primary residence and that he was confident nothing would come of the matter. We still made a few phone calls and the chief deputy was made aware of our concerns. I took comfort from their responses knowing that he would not be placed in that house.

Fast forward three months later. It was 6:30pm on a Friday night when a friend sends me an article that a violent sex offender is being placed at the neighboring property Monday morning. We were not notified. No warning. We found out from a published article online. My heart sank and my faced flushed again, only this time being 38 weeks pregnant, many other symptoms appeared as well.

In a weeks time I will be on maternity leave for 12 weeks to take care of my first baby. Becoming a mother comes with many emotions..excitement, happiness, anxiety, fear of the unknown. I now have to start my 12 weeks of maternity leave with a sex offender next door who has multiple charges dating back to 1993. The latest ones being kidnapping and committing a violent sex crime. He has spent the last decade in a mental facility. I cannot express the fear I have knowing this man will be 100 ft away from me.

I know I am not alone in my thoughts as the neighbor on the other side of this property is a young couple who also just welcomed their first child this year. My biggest question is what was this investigation months ago for? You’re placing a violent sex offender between two young couples with their infant children. How exactly is this community instilling public safety?

Rock County Sheriff’s Office you have FAILED.
Wisconsin Department of Corrections you have FAILED.
District Attorney you have FAILED.

It’s 3am and I have to work in the morning as I type this in the midst of my insomnia. Instead of shopping for an owlet baby monitor, this 38 week pregnant mother-to-be is now shopping for a hand gun. Happy nesting to me.