Sex offenders in Ohio: Licking County among top 3 zip codes

LICKING COUNTY, Ohio — As a means of helping to keep families safe, the State of Ohio provides an online database of registered sex offenders.

CrimeTracker 10 took a look at all of the zip codes in Ohio that have a high number of sex offenders in one area.

After reviewing all the zip codes in the state, the 43055 zip code in the Newark area has the third most sex offenders in Ohio. In addition, an area near Obetz in Franklin County is 10th, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Deputy Corey Love said his role with the Licking County Sheriff’s Office is to track the more than 300 sex offenders in the county, a number from data as of February 2022. 

“My main goal is to make sure the offender is at the home and is living there and has provided me with the correct information,” he explained.

Love said he was surprised to know a neighborhood in his county has one of the highest numbers of sex offenders in the state.

“At first, I was a little surprised at that number,” he said.

“We do have some housing where there are multiple offenders living in the same residence,” Love explained.

Love says that the area is one of the most populated zip codes. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has also been proactive in arresting sex offenders.

“We tried to identify potential threats of offenders in our community. Over the course of doing that, just here and there above our regular work hours, over a course of about 18 months, we arrested 42 offenders who actually came to a location here in Newark somewhere and attempted to meet what they thought was an underage kid,” said Captain Chris Slayman with the Licking County Sheriff’s Office.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost adds that because sex offenders can’t live within 1,000 feet of a school, there are certain areas that have higher numbers in one area.

Yost explains why it’s important for parents to be proactive and check the state’s sex offender register and search for your address.

“The first step to protect is knowing. That’s what this law is so important to parents,” Yost said.

Slayman suggests becoming familiar with any sex offender in your area, but you should do more.

“Don’t be so focused on the known offenders that you let your guard down with the unknown offenders,” he said.

The Licking County Sheriff’s Office conducts random compliance checks several times a year to make sure the offenders are where they are supposed to be.

“We take it extremely seriously in light of all the things that could go wrong and the potential dangers not just to the kids, but to the community in general,” Slayman said.

To search in your neighborhood, click here.

Click on the interactive map to view how many registered sex offenders live in your zip code. 

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