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slug Neighbors should know of sex offenders Jules Sowder ± Sowder lives in Botetourt County. Today, my 12-year-old son added two new words to his vocabulary - pedophile and predator. My 8-year-old daughter for the first time in her young life went around the house checking door and window locks. Three years ago, my husband and I made a lifestyle decision to leave our corporate jobs and move from a high-crime metropolitan area to the Roanoke Valley. We wanted our children to embrace the beauty of the mountains and landscape. We wanted them to spend their time playing outside in the fresh air - not cooped up in the house staring at a television or computer screen. That all changed this weekend when we learned quite serendipitously that a convicted child sex offender bought a house behind us. Our new neighbor served five years in prison for aggravated sexual assault of a little girl. He was also given lifetime probation, which is expected to be waived this month by a judge's signature because of his good behavior. His house is situated near five families with small children - and countless others he passes daily to and from his drive to work. I recognize that this convicted citizen has rights. After all, he served his time in prison and has done all of the required activities, including submitting his new address and photo to the Virginia State Police for the sex offender registry. Yet, is he a danger to the community? Can sexual deviants be cured through rehabilitative therapy? According to the Center for Sex Offender Management, sex offending can be a lifelong, chronic pattern of abusive behavior. There are certainly documented cases where a sex offender has been cured - but the actual success rate of treatment is highly debated. Many experts say it is rare, and some even say curing sex offenders is impossible. The federally mandated Megan's Law, designed to protect children from sexual predators, does not require active community notification in the commonwealth of Virginia. Most people - like our family - have been under the false impression that law enforcement agencies actively notify a community if a sex offender moves into the area. This is simply not the case. New Jersey is the only state that requires active notification of schools, community groups and members of the public if a convicted sex offender is determined to pose even a moderate risk. When purchasing a home, real estate contracts in Virginia include a clause advising the buyer to check the sex offender registry before the sale is final. There is nothing, however, that requires buyers to report themselves as convicted sex offenders so neighbors may be aware of their presence. I challenge lawmakers in Virginia to reassess how to implement Megan's Law. While I cannot change the fact that my daughter is scared to ride her scooter down the driveway and my adolescent son now thinks twice about going to the back yard at dusk, I can only hope that our state uses New Jersey as a model. After all, as neighbors, we also deserve rights - to protect our families.