BERNE — A registered sex offender has recently moved into the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District.

John McIntyre, 19, of 328 Witter Road in Knox, is identified as a Level 2 sex offender, in the middle of the state’s three-tiered system. Until last year, only Level 3 offenders, defined as the most likely to re-offend, were listed in the state’s registry. Since July, Level 2 offenders are listed as well.

BKW Superintendent Steven Schrade sent home a notice about McIntyre to parents and guardians of its elementary students last week. The notice was distributed to elementary classrooms, because the victim was of elementary-school age, Schrade told The Enterprise this week.

The district was not notified of the sex offender by official channels.

Normally notified of registered sex offenders by the Albany County Sheriff’s Department, the district received the information about McIntyre from Altamont Elementary School Principal Peter Brabant, said Schrade.
"A parent told me that a parent told her," Brabant told The Enterprise this week. "Rumors fly through here quickly," he said. "I went on-line at the registry".Some information came up," Brabant said, adding McIntyre’s picture did not come up. Brabant said that he then got in touch with his district’s transportation department and learned that Witter Road is not in the Guilderland School District but is in the BKW School District.

Brabant said he then called the BKW superintendent.

McIntyre is listed in the state Criminal Justice Department’s registry as having an Altamont address — 328 Witter Road, Apartment B. However, Witter Road is in the nearby town of Knox, although its mail comes through the Altamont Post Office.

Knox Town Supervisor Michael Hammond wasn’t aware McIntyre lived in the town. Hammond told The Enterprise this week that he isn’t aware of any sex offenders within the town, that he isn’t contacted through any official notification process, and that the town does not have a policy to notify its residents of sex offenders once they reside within the town’s limits.

McIntyre, according to the state’s website, is 19 years old; white; with blond hair and blue eyes; stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall; and weighs 190 pounds.
He was arrested by the Cohoes City Police Department, and convicted last November of first-degree attempted sexual abuse, the site says. The victim was an 8-year-old female, according to the registry. McIntyre had "actual contact" with a "non-stranger," did not use force or a weapon, nor were computers or pornography involved, the registry says. McIntyre was sentenced to 10 years of probation, ending on Jan. 11, 2017, supervised by Albany County Probation, it says.

McIntyre could not be reached for comment.

Reaction

One concerned BKW parent, whose children are 16 and 18 years old, called The Enterprise this week saying, "My children are scared to death, especially my daughter. You hear so much on the news about these sex offenders."
"Everyone up here ought to be notified," she said of Hilltown residents, adding that she thinks sex offenders should be kept under closer watch. The mother said sex offenders should wear electronic ankle bracelets, letting law enforcement know where they are at all times. She also said sex offenders should be put under house arrest, and their homes patrolled regularly by local law enforcement. "Otherwise, it’s going to keep happening," she said.
"You hear about kids missing here, and kids missing there, and then, when you hear of one living in your hometown, you get nervous," she said.
"It works both ways," said Schrade of parent reaction to the notification. The district, he said, could be criticized for being too cautious if it releases the information; on the other hand, if the district didn’t release information, it could be criticized for not informing parents.

Since releasing the notice, Schrade said, he hasn’t been contacted by parents. Also, Schrade said, he didn’t think it should be the district’s responsibility to notify residents.
"I think it’s the job of law enforcement, but they leave it to us," Schrade said.
New York’s version of Megan’s Law, passed in 1996, says law enforcement agencies may disseminate relevant information to any entity with a vulnerable population; the town board in Guilderland listed itself as "a vulnerable entity" so it would be informed of sex offenders living in town.

Senior Investigator Ron Bates with the Albany County Sheriff’s Department told The Enterprise this week that the sheriff’s department is notified of sex offenders by the state’s Department of Criminal Justice. Sex offenders, he said, are required to notify their parole officer within 10 days of moving.
The sheriff’s department, Bates said, contacts schools, and has lists of day cares and town halls. The department, he said, is also notified when sex offenders move out of the district; the procedure, he said, is "the reverse" of the initial notification, with the Department of Criminal Justice contacting them when they have been informed when an offender changes their residence.Bates recommended concerned residents visit criminal justice’s website. "There’s a wealth of information there," he said.
In July of 2003, BKW was informed of six sex offenders living in the district. "I don’t think we have that many now," said Schrade, adding that he spoke with the resource officer, a policeman stationed at the school, who informed him that two or three of the offenders have left the district.
"As a precautionary measure, we suggest that you talk with your children and remind them to follow these basic safety rules," the notice says. "Be cautious of strangers, keep a safe distance from cars, stay away from a car when a stranger is asking for information, stay in groups and do not walk alone, and report any unusual events to your parents and the school."
Building principals and building and transportation staff are "aware of this individual," the notice says.

The notice also lists the New York State Registered Sexual Offender website and phone number.

A directory of Level 2 and Level 3 offenders is available at local law enforcement agencies. A registry can also be accessed by phone at 1-800-262-3257, or on-line at www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us. The registry is maintained by the state’s Department of Criminal Justice.