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Although it's not something that we like to think about, sexual abuse is an issue that affects communities across the United States. It's estimated that 500,000 children are sexually abused each year in the U.S. We hear a lot about violent child molesters randomly looking for victims, but the reality is that most sexual abusers choose victims that they know. Statistics show that most abusers want to stop abusing children, but they need help to do so.

Unlike other places in the U.S., convicted sex offenders who are on probation in Oswego County are being closely monitored and held accountable for their actions in a specialized sex offender court. The court was implemented in 2003. All convicted sex offenders that are supervised by the county probation department now appear once a month before County Court Judge James McCarthy.

Oswego County was the first in the U.S. to develop a sex offender court, and we are one of three jurisdictions in the state that are expanding supervisory courts for sex offenders. New York State Chief Judge Judith Kaye made mention of Oswego County's efforts in her State of the Judiciary speech in January, along with specialized courts in Westchester and Nassau counties.

The court is not a substitute for jail or prison time. Only offenders who are appropriate for probation supervision are allowed into the program. People who are charged with violent crimes or serious sex offenses are sent to state prison; they aren't eligible for supervision through the county probation department.

Judge McCarthy is currently supervising about 13 sex offenders. They meet with him in an administrative proceeding, with their probation officer present, at least once every month. The goal is to make sure that offenders are complying with the terms of their probation before there is a possible problem or violation.

Research shows that long-term therapy is often necessary to control the behavior of sex offenders. Felony cases that go through the county probation department are sentenced to 10 years of probation supervision, and misdemeanor cases are sentenced to six-year terms of probation. If an offender does not comply with mandated treatment, or violates other terms of his or her probation, the probation officer has the tools to address it quickly through the court.

A specialized team of probation officers, under the direction of County Probation Director Barbara Schuler, supervises all sex offenders that are on probation. The team has been trained in monitoring sex offender behavior, home searches, evaluations and treatment methods and is trained to recognize behavior that could jeopardize community safety.

About five years ago the county received a planning grant from the federal government to organize a sex offender management program. Through that process, several terms of compliance - 57 in all - were developed. The process brought to the table key staff from the probation department, courts, district attorney's office, law enforcement, victim advocates, and social workers, who spent more than two years studying best practices and developing the framework for a sex offender management program in Oswego County. They developed standards for evaluation and treatment of sex offenders, monitoring, acquired a voice stress analyzer for interviews, and developed a database for law enforcement that contains information about all convicted sex offenders in Oswego County.

The team recently won a grant to take part in an intense training workshop sponsored by the Center for Effective Public Policy. In late November Judge McCarthy, Schuler, and other key members will travel to Washington, D.C., at no cost to the county taxpayer, where they will work on strategies to expand Oswego County's sex offender court. Out of 19 applicants, Oswego County is one of five jurisdictions across the U.S. to be chosen for the training.The fact that Oswego County was chosen is a tribute to the hard work and collaboration of agencies across Oswego County. Committee members met every month, for several years, to research and strategize components of a supervisory court for sex offenders. Their work has been invaluable in supervising sex offenders who are on probation in Oswego County, and keeping our communities safer.