If you have information about a registered sex or kidnapping offender that you would like to pass on to the Sheriff’s Office, you can call Primary Contact, Detective Chris Liles, Ext. 327 or Secondary Contact, Detective Dylan Helser, Ext. 657

Offender Watch manages and monitors the whereabouts of registered sex and kidnapping offenders in Mason County, as well as allowing you to see where level 2 and 3 registered sex offenders live within a 2 mile distance to your home. Click on the search icon on the left to be taken to our specific Offender Watch page.

WARNING – Citizen abuse of this information to threaten, intimidate or harass registered sex and kidnapping offenders will not be tolerated. Such abuse could potentially end our current ability to release this important information to the public and may subject the citizen violator to arrest. Only Level 3 and Level 2 Offenders are listed on this web site. If you want to know about the other registered offenders, you must contact the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.

Community Protection Act

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office considers the protection of the community from sex and kidnapping offenders to be of significant importance. The objective of the 1990 Community Protection Act is to provide adequate notice to the community concerning sex and kidnapping offenders who are, or will be residing in the community; and to assist community members in developing constructive plans to prepare themselves and their children for residing near released sex offenders.

(RCW 9A.44.130 is the law that regulates the registration of Sex and Kidnapping Offenders. For simplicity sake, all references to sex offenders in this document also refers to kidnapping offenders).

The Sheriff releases sex offender information pursuant to RCW 4.24.550 which authorizes law enforcement to: release information to the public regarding sex offenders when the agency determines that disclosure of information is relevant and necessary to protect the public and to counteract the danger created by the particular offender. The content of the information made available, as well as where and how the information is disseminated, is restricted to the standards set forth in Chapter 4.24 and by the Washington State Supreme Court ruling in State v. Ward, 123 Wa 2d 488 (1994).

The Washington State Legislature has determined that the extent of the public disclosure of relevant and necessary information shall be related to: (a) the level of risk posed by the offender to the community; (b) the location where the offender resides, intends to reside, or is regularly found; and (c) the needs of the affected community members for information to enhance their individual and collective safety.

Level I

Low risk to re-offend within the community at large. Information shall be shared with other law enforcement agencies and, upon request, the Sheriff may disclose relevant, necessary and accurate information to any victim or witness to the offense and to any individual community member who lives near the residence where the offender resides, expects to reside, or is regularly found. Level I offenders MAY NOT be the subject of general public notification.

Level II

Moderate risk to re-offend within the community at large. Relevant, necessary and accurate information concerning risk Level II offenders may be disclosed to public and private schools, child day care centers, family day care providers, businesses and organizations that serve primarily children, women or vulnerable adults, and neighbors and community groups near the residence where the offender resides, expects to reside, or is regularly found. Level II offenders MAY be the subject of general public notification.

Level III

High risk to re-offend within the community at large. Relevant, accurate and necessary information concerning offenders classified as risk Level III may be disclosed to the public at large.

The Sheriff’s Office is releasing Level III Offender information pursuant to RCW 4.24.550 and the Washington State Supreme Court Decision in State v. Ward, 123 Wa 2d 488 (1994). Law enforcement agencies are authorized to inform the public of a sex offender’s release from confinement, or change of residence, when such information will enhance public safety and protection.

This notification is not intended to increase fear; rather it is our belief that an informed public is a safer public.

Sex and kidnapping offenders have always lived in our communities and Law Enforcement has no legal authority to direct where sex offenders may or may not live. Unless court ordered restrictions exist, an offender is constitutionally free to live wherever he or she chooses. However the Community Protection Act of 1990 requires that those convicted of sex and kidnapping offenses must register, with the primary legislative intent, “to assist law enforcement agencies’ efforts to protect their communities” by providing relevant and necessary information.