Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "sex offender" ...

  • Walking into Danger

    The unprecedented investigation takes an in-depth look at child abduction in Chicago. The reporters found that every other day a stranger tries to lure or force a child into a building or vehicle. Furthermore, the majority of these predators avoided prison time due to breakdowns in the legal system.

    Tags: child abduction; kidnapping; sex offender; youth; predator

    By David Jackson; Gary Marx

    Chicago Tribune

    2010

  • Predatory Doctors

    The investigation shows how Illinois authorities have failed to stop predatory doctors from practicing even when there's been evidence of sexual abuse or rape.

    Tags: sex offender; predatory doctors; Medical Practice Act; repeat offender; regulatory agency

    By Megan Twohey

    Chicago Tribune

    2010

  • Fugitive Sex Offenders

    State and federal authorities have lost track of 100,000 of the nation's 700,000 convicted sex offenders. This report examines the sex offender oversight that was supposed to have been addressed by a landmark 2006 law requiring states to keep uniform records on sex offenders. Only four states complied with this law.

    Tags: sex offense; oversight; FOIA; sex offender tracking; AWOL

    By Isaac Wolf

    Scripps Howard News Service

    2010

  • Carnival Safety Investigation

    Inside Edition sent a producer with hidden cameras to work at several traveling carnivals around the country where he uncovered major drug use by some of the carnival ride operators. In addition to capturing "ride jockeys" abusing (and dealing) drugs just minutes before they began operating major thrill rides popular with children and young adults, our producer also observed several serious safety issues inherent in the traveling carnival industry. Among these safety issues were questionable hiring practices, inadequate training policies and dangerous mechanical issues on multiple rides.

    Tags: carnival safety; public safety; ride jockeys; drug use; sex offenders; ex-con; traveling carnivals;

    By Charles Lachman; Bob Read; Matt Meagher; Charles McLravy; Marissa Yaremich; Filip Kapsa

    Inside Edition (New York)

    2008

  • FOIA Package

    This is a series of stories that show how the Courier Journal used FOIA requests to report on various problems in the Kentucky government and police systems.

    Tags: freedom of information act; Louisville; Jefferson Circuit Court; sex offender; database; metro government

    By Andrew Wolfson; Jessie Holladay; Deborah Yetter; Antoinette Konz

    Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.)

    2008

  • Day-care dangers; DCFS: Guilty until proven innocent; DCFS Declassified

    The series focused on how the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services protects children and found problems, including a state law with wording so flawed it couldn't work, major errors in investigating alleged child abuse that ended up accusing innocent parents and repeated errors in the investigation of a murdered boy.

    Tags: children; DCFS; Kalab Lay; custody; child abuse; sex offender

    By Beth Hundsdorfer; George Pawlaczyk

    News-Democrat (Belleville, Ill.)

    2008

  • Free to Flee

    For years in many states "fugitives have been let go by police, only to victimize more people. Between crimes, fugitives have used their real identities to get new drivers licenses in new states. Some have registered with police as sex offenders and still avoided arrest...The lapses mean hundreds of thousands of felony fugitives can run - and they don't need to hide."

    Tags: Philip Meyer Award; felons; police; crime; warrants; St. Louis; database

    By Joe Mahr

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch

    2008

  • The Home Depot

    WCVB found that Home Depot used sub-contractors as installers, not full-time employees, and deliberately mislead customers about it. This lead to poor quality installations and dissatisfied customers. Because of the investigation Home Depot not only "changed the way it does background checks on its sub-contractors nationwide but it also developed new policies for its sales staff and sub-contractors."

    Tags: company; policy; Home Depot; sub-contractors; consumer; installations; sex offenders;

    By Kristen Setera; Sean Kelly; Susan Wornick; Barry Mullin

    WCVB-TV (Boston)

    2007

  • Sex Offenders Near Bus Stops

    WTEV-TV found that sex offenders in Duval County, Florida, were living in areas surrounding school bus stops, often within two blocks. This included offenders who had targeted children.

    Tags: sex offenders; schools; school district; bus stops; children; students; education; sexual predators;

    By Celine McArthur; Tony Labonte; Danielle Gifford; Robert Jackson

    WTEV-TV (Jacksonville, Fla.)

    2007

  • Good Time Credit

    Nevada legislature passed AB510 to reduce prison overcrowding by "granting 'good time credits' to nonviolent, non-sexual offenders." However, what the public wasn't told was that it would apply to all felons on parole.

    Tags: sex offenders; parole; felons; violent felons; prison; overcrowding; convicts; AB510

    By Colleen McCarty; Kyle Zuelke

    KLAS-TV (Las Vegas, NV)

    2007