Member-only story
Sex Offender Status Should Be Mandatory on Dating Apps & Social Media
There are over 750,000 registered sex offenders in the US, 37% will go on to re-offend.
I briefly dated Jeremy* in High School. (My reasons for changing his name will be apparent.) My recent encounter with him has led me to call for sex offenders to identify themselves on social media and dating apps.
Jeremy was the tall, good-looking All-American Jock. He was well-liked by the guys and friend-zoned for being too nice by most of the girls.
That image you have in your head of an “aw-shucks” player being interviewed about baseball? That was Jeremy.
He did everything by the book — he was clean cut, didn’t drink or smoke, and rarely swore. Teachers and parents alike were fond of him and my own family adored him. Jeremy was the guy who got good grades and was likely to go on to a college athletic scholarship, perhaps even moving on to professional sports.
He was physically very appealing, and ideal for hot and heavy teen-fueled make out sessions, but we didn’t click personality-wise. At the time, I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was off. There was this underlying meanness just below the surface, like biting criticism he struggled to contain. I felt he was barely managing to conceal his hostility.
