The numbers aren't even close.

According to the West Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry, on Easter Sunday, there were 19 lifetime registered sex offenders living in Hurricane. Nitro was second with seven. Poca had five. Scott Depot and Winfield has four.

It should be noted that Putnam County has fewer registered sex offenders than Cabell or Kanawha Counties, however, that may not matter to you if one is living next door or down the street. And it also may upset you to see a co-worker on the list, or see on offender in line next to you at a store.

The numbers can change daily as sex offenders move and re-register as they are required to do within 10 days. However, Hurricane has had this problem for at least a month, probably much longer.

Late in February, PutnamLIVE.com decided to check the numbers and found Hurricane to have 24 registered sex offenders at the time. Nitro then had nine, however, after we published his profile, Roy Lee Arthur left Putnam County and was arrested in Kanawha City after we published a story indicating that he was wanted.

PutnamLIVE.com sent an email to Hurricane's Disputed Mayor Scott D. Edwards asking for his comment on the issue. So far, he has declined the opportunity. City Manager Benjamin Newhouse responded saying Chief of Police W. Mike Mullins says the town cannot prevent sex offenders from living in Hurricane. Mullins simply says he wishes they would live somewhere else.

Because PutnamLIVE.com didn't want it to look as if we were picking on Hurricane, we waited for the town to respond to this important issue. It hasn't. At least not yet.

No state allows cities to completely restrict a sex offender from living within its borders. However, many cities across America deal with the issue by zoning where they can't live. It is very common to require a sex offender to live more than 1,000 or 3,000 feet from a church, school, or park. In doing so, many cities manage to drive sex offenders away from children, even out-of-town, as it is sometimes impossible to comply with those zoning laws.

Hurricane's council met March 3rd after PutnamLIVE.com spoke with Newhouse about the issue. Mayor Edwards and council did not place such a zoning issue on the agenda that night, so nothing has been done in the form of an ordinance to discourage sex offenders from living in Hurricane. If this changes, PutnamLIVE.com will report what happens.

In case you are wondering, Harold Dewane Wooten, 58, a former City of Hurricane employee, was convicted of taking pictures of a teenage girl at his home in Ona.

Within days of his arrest, Hurricane fired him. But not before Newhouse ripped the media for its coverage of the story. Wooten now lives in Hometown. You can read Wooten's profile, as well as every lifetime registered sex offender in West Virginia, by clicking on West Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry.

It should also be noted that this list only consists of those that keep their registrations updated. A major problem for police is that sex offenders often move around in an illegal attempt to stay "under the radar." Also, many live in one town or county and work or shop in another. They are required to register their employment, but there is nothing to stop a sex offender from living in Milton or Cross Lanes and shopping in Hurricane or Nitro or Teays Valley, which is why retail shoppers may want to familiarize themselves with the names and faces on the registry.

For several years, as a community service, PutnamLIVE.com has provided a link to the West Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry on each of our pages (on the left side). We also are in the midst of once again publishing a link to the page of each sex offender registered to Putnam County. It is against West Virginia law to harass a sex offender simply because you don't approve of their conviction. However, PutnamLIVE.com publishes the list to help families have an awareness of who is living, shopping, and working in their communities.

Follow the issue:

Sex Offenders Can Live Anywhere

Sex Offender Arrested Again

Sex Offender Arraigned On New Charge

Sex Offender Pleads Guilty

Wooten Sentenced For Child Porn