Child rapist sparks White Plains sex offender policy

A convicted child rapist living in White Plains has sparked a new sex offender notification policy in the city.
Jose Rivera was convicted of raping a 5-year-old girl in Ossining in 1997. Rivera, 45, is a registered level-3 sex offender, making him most likely to repeat his crimes. Rivera moved to Chatterton Parkway right across from a school bus stop.
Since there are no laws in the city about where sex offenders can reside, the bus stop was moved two blocks away. But neighbors were still outraged because they were never notified when Rivera moved in.
In response, White Plains Mayor Joe Delfino announced the new initiative Friday. Delfino says letters will be mailed to the 54,000 residents of the city notifying them of where level-2 and level-3 registered sex offenders live. He says if another registered sex offender moves into the city, the neighborhood would be notified. Delfino says after an evaluation, letters will be sent to other residents and institutions.
Delfino also announced the creation of a Web site with an interactive map so people can see exactly where sex offenders reside in the city.