Someone just moved into your neighborhood and you don’t know anything about him. You worry about your children walking to school or going to a friend’s house down the block. How do you know if this guy has a criminal background or is listed on a sex offender registry? You’ve heard that there is a list that can be checked, but you don’t know where to find it. You could check the newspapers for stories, but it would be a hit or miss method. The government records aren’t available to the public, so how can you check this guy out? The Internet is a good place to look for a database that is available to the public, where a quick search will give you peace of mind.