Once they are released from jail or prison, convicted sex offenders can reside wherever they choose.

Some return to the community where they previously lived, while others may relocate somewhere new.

In St. Lawrence County, their numbers are growing.
 
"They come back to where they were born, raised," said county Sheriff Kevin Wells.                       
 
Wells says it's becoming a full-time job keeping up with the whereabouts of those sex offenders required to register.
 
"Are we on the high end of our population density as far as the amount of sex offenders? We probably are," he said.
 
The sheriff's department's website tracks the whereabouts of Level 2 and 3 sex offenders living in the county.

Last year, more than 1,200 people searched for information or requested e-mail notifications when an offender moved into their area.

Of the 52 counties in the state, St. Lawrence ranks 13th in the number of registered sex offenders living there.

The county also has the eighth highest number of Level 3 offenders - those classified by the state as most likely to re-offend.

There were 175 as of January 3.
 
Despite the growing number of sex offenders in the county, it apparently isn't a major deterrent for those looking to buy houses in communities where there is a sex offender presence.
 
"The overall quality of the neighborhood is important, but taxes are probably number one," said Jennifer Stevenson," county Board of Realtors president.                                            
 
There are numerous reasons why convicted sex offenders may be gravitating to the county, including cheap housing and familiar faces.

However, authorities don't feel it has anything to do with the county's three prisons or a state-operated civil confinement facility for violent sexual predators.