http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/9-investigates-homeless-sex-offenders-living-osceo/npYzQ/
Posted: 6:03 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30, 2015
9 Investigates: Homeless sex offenders living in Osceola County tent city
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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. —
9 Investigates uncovered a group of sex offenders living in an Osceola County homeless camp next to a neighborhood of families.
They said they were dumped there by the probation department.
The site sits off Old Vineland Road in Osceola County.
The people living there said the probation department is directing sex offenders to live at the camp.
Channel 9 Reporter Janine Reyes reached out to the probation department to see if the claims were true, but the department didn’t respond.
At least 11 sex offenders living in the camp said they were sent there by probation officers.
“I know they dump them over there, that's all I know,” said Navira Torres, who is among 40 people living in the tent city.
Torres said homeless sex offenders are dumped there on probation.
Reyes spoke to a registered sex offender who backs up that story.
The man, who did not want to be identified, said he and the other sex offenders were told to pick up other offenders who have nowhere to go.
“Come get them show them, where it’s at, show them the ropes and everything,” he said.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s website, 11 sex offenders are living at the campsite. The people who live there said there are actually five, and according to the terms of their probation they must be in the woods come curfew time.
“Ten o'clock you got to be in the woods,” said one of the men in the camp.
But that didn't stop an alleged attack by one of the offenders on Torres on Nov. 2.
She said she knew her attacker was an offender because he was wearing an ankle bracelet.
People living in the camp knew him only as "big man."
Police identified him as registered sex offender Russell Logan.
According to a police report, Torres was "hit with a chair on her head" and "punched with closed fists"
“I was unconscious. I was unconscious for a few minutes,” Torres said.
Logan is now in jail, but Torres worries other offenders living at the site and being near families.
“I’m in a community and I was in danger. Imagine other people around,” Torres said.
The probation department did not respond to Reyes’ request by 2 p.m. Monday.
