Kent North Park Neighborhood

The Kent Police Department is releasing the following information as allowed in RCW 4.24.550; Washington State Supreme Court decision State v. Ward, and the US Supreme Court decision Connecticut Dept. of Public Safety v. Doe (2003) which authorize law enforcement to inform the public of sex or kidnapping offenders release when the release of information will enhance public safety and protection.

The individual who appears on this notification has been convicted of a sex or kidnapping offense that requires registration with the sheriff’s office in the county of their residence. Further, their previous criminal history places them in a classification level, which reflects the potential to re-offend. This offender has served the sentence imposed on him/her by the courts and has advised the King County Sheriff’s Office that he/she will be living in the location below. HE/SHE IS NOT WANTED BY THE POLICE AT THIS TIME. This notification is not intended to increase fear; rather, it is our belief that an informed public
is a safer public. The Kent Police Department has no legal authority to direct where a sex or kidnapping offender may or may not live. Unless court order restrictions exist, this offender is constitutionally free to live wherever he chooses. Sex and kidnapping offenders have always lived in our communities; but it was not until the passage of the Community Protection Act of 1990 (which mandates sex offender registration) that law enforcement even knew where they were living. In many cases, law enforcement is now able to share that information with you. Citizen abuse of this information to threaten, intimidate or
harass registered sex offenders will not be tolerated. Further, such abuse could potentially end law enforcement’s ability to do community notifications. We believe the only person who wins if the community notification ends is the sex or kidnapping offender, since sex offenders derive their power through secrecy.

The Kent Police Department distributes these notices to organized Block Watch’s via Community Crime Prevention. If you wish to set up a block watch, receive crime prevention or personal safety information, call 253-856-5838. If you have information regarding current criminal activity by this or any other offender, please call 911.

Name: Matthew R. Barnett AKA: none known
Birth year: 1959 Age: 52
Race: White Sex: Male
Height: 5-09 Weight: 200
Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue
Scars/Marks/Tattoos: noen known
Residence address: 23XX S. 251 St. Crime of conviction: Child Molestation 1
(2 counts)
County of conviction: Clark County Year of conviction: 1997
Suspect relationship to victim: unknown Participation in treatment: Yes
Victim profile: juvenile females Under supervision: No
Additional criminal convictions: Burglary, DUI

As of this date, there are over 20,210 sex offenders who have registered as required (since 02-28-90) and are living in Washington State. About 4,100 of these are registered to King County addresses. There are currently 312 registered sex offenders living in Kent.

WASHINGTON STATE SEX OFFENDER WEB SITE: www.icrimewatch.net/washington.php This bulletin is produced by Kent Police and should not be altered in any way without permission