Abuse Victim Fights for Homeless Sex Offenders

The homeless sex offenders who live under Miami’s infamous Julia Tuttle Causeway aren't quick to thank two of their most diligent advocates for working on their behalf. “They know who we are, and don’t like us very much,” says Lauren Book-Lim. Book-Lim was sexually abused by her nanny from age 11 through age 17, and her lobbyist father, Ron Book, helped push through the ordinances that forced many of these men from their homes.

The sex offenders, shunned and forbidden to live within 2,500 feet of a school or playground, have formed a community under the bridge. Now Book-Lim and her father are working to find legal homes for them. “Yes, they are sex offenders,” she says, “but that doesn’t mean they have to live like this.” Besides, she says, the work benefits children; desperate offenders are more likely to strike again. (More homeless stories.)