GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. -- Sex offenders. We know their names, their faces, where they live. But what about where they work?
WFMY News 2's Erica Stapleton started looking into this after someone emailed our newsroom, saying an employee at Open Door Ministries, a men's shelter in high point, was on the registry.
"We just like giving people second chances," explains Steve Key, the executive director at Open Door Ministries.
His shelter director, William Bohaboy Jr., is a registered sex offender.
"We don't have any concerns about that," Key explains. "We've known Will for about 3 and a half years."
In North Carolina, sex offenders are required to report their workplace to their local sheriff's office. Sex offenders aren't allowed to work at or volunteer for an "child-involved activies," like lower-education schools or summer camps.
In Bohaboy's case, he oversees the men's shelter and children aren't allowed to stay there.
But there are some other restrictions. When it comes to living, sex offenders can't knowingly live within 1000 feet of a lower-education school, meaning an elementary, middle or high school.
But work is a different story. Depending on the offense, offenders might have to stay at least 300 feet away from lower-education schools at all times. That includes getting to and from work.
If you drive around the shelter, you'll see houses, a fire station, some shops, even High Point University. The nearest lower-education school is about a mile away, well beyond the limit. The shelter isn't breaking any rules.
"He's not trying to hide anything from anybody," Key tells. "He did something wrong. He admits that. But we want to say we're glad he's here and he's done a great job with us."
The Guilford County Sheriff's Office keeps track of registered sex offenders in the county. Right now deputies say they're monitoring 958 sex offenders, adding some are incarcerated. Part of that job includes checking residences and adding sex offenders to the database. There are about 14,000 reported sex offenders in North Carolina.