Ten years ago Demetrius Edwards pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old Brooklyn girl at gunpoint. According to the justice system, his debt to society has been repaid, so he was recently released from prison and moved into his parents' apartment, about 100 feet from the St. Raphael Elementary School on 37th Street in Queens. It's no surprise parents are panicking, but although Edwards is a sex offender with a record and a "Level Three" status—which means he's at "high risk to commit another sex crime"—nothing in the law prohibits him from living by the school.
Edwards's father William insists his son moved out last week, but neighbors and parents say he still "lingers" around the building during school hours with his parents' dog. One parent with children enrolled at St. Raphael tells the Daily News, "I see him outside all day. He's always in front of the apartment, always walking the dog." Today, parents and local politicians will be holding a press conference to highlight the issue of sex offenders living near schools.
But William Edwards calls the parental outrage "shameless" and says, "People should just leave it alone. He's registered. He's following the law. It was something that he did when he was a teenager. He did his time." Edwards also tell the News, "I bet you have Level Three terrorists and people who shouldn't be living in the country."
