Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of a two-part Owensboro Times series examining Daviess County’s registered sex offender population. Part 2 looks at how technology is changing both sex crimes and the investigations used to detect them. The series is based on publicly available data from the Kentucky State Police Sex Offender Registry, population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, and interviews with state officials.
Daviess County’s registered sex offender population has grown by nearly 54% since 2019 and now has a higher per-capita rate of registered sex offenders than Kentucky’s three largest counties, recent data shows.
A review of the Kentucky State Police Sex Offender Registry conducted by Owensboro Times found that 428 registered sex offenders live in Daviess County as of June 22, 2026, compared to 278 in November 2019 — an increase of 150 offenders, or nearly 54%.
During the same period, Daviess County’s population increased by about 1.5%, from 103,312 residents reported in the 2020 U.S. Census to an estimated 104,898 in 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
Based on those figures, OT calculated Daviess County’s registry rate at approximately 40.8 registered sex offenders per 10,000 residents.
Using Kentucky State Police registry totals and 2025 population estimates, OT found Daviess County’s per-capita rate exceeds those of Kentucky’s three largest counties.
Jefferson County, home to Louisville, has approximately 20.9 registered sex offenders per 10,000 residents. Fayette County, home to Lexington, has about 16.2, while Warren County, home to Bowling Green, has approximately 11.0.
The OT analysis found Daviess County’s rate is approximately 95% higher than Jefferson County’s, 152% higher than Fayette County’s and 271% higher than Warren County’s.
The findings build on an OT investigation published in 2019 that also found Daviess County ranked among the counties with the highest number of registered sex offenders in Kentucky on a per-capita basis.
According to Kentucky State Police data cited in that 2019 investigation, only 98 of Daviess County’s 278 registered sex offenders had committed their offenses in Daviess County. The remaining 180 relocated from elsewhere in Kentucky or other states.
Researchers and corrections officials have long pointed to housing availability as one factor influencing where registered sex offenders establish residency following their release from prison. Kentucky law prohibits registered sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, and day care facilities, limiting where many offenders can legally reside.
The area surrounding Dismas Charities also contains one of Daviess County’s largest concentrations of registered sex offenders. A one-mile radius search of the Kentucky State Police Sex Offender Registry identified 99 registered offenders living in the surrounding area as of June 22.
“Dismas Charities may assist residents with housing recommendations; however, residence approvals for offenders on supervision are ultimately reviewed by the Department of Corrections,” said Beth Moore, director of public affairs for the Kentucky Department of Corrections (DOC).
Moore said the DOC’s role is to supervise offenders after sentencing and carry out state law, while Kentucky courts determine guilt, sentencing, and whether an individual is required to register as a sex offender.
“When it comes to the supervision of sex offenders under the authority of the Department of Corrections, the department executes state laws as passed,” Moore said.
Moore also said questions regarding trends in the number of registered offenders or changes in offense types over time should be directed to the Kentucky State Police, which maintains the registry.
State police officials said the types of crimes leading to placement on the registry have changed significantly over time, particularly as technology has created new avenues for child exploitation and provided investigators with new tools to identify offenders.
Those changes have contributed to a growing number of cases involving online activity, according to KSP.
In Part 2 of this series, set to be published on Wednesday, OT examines how technology is changing both the crimes that place offenders on Kentucky’s sex offender registry and the methods investigators use to detect them.
