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Residents Warned of Child Molester Moving Into Torrance Neighborhood
Photo by kristen_neveu via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Residents of a Torrance neighborhood received a visit from police today, and not a welcome one. Authorities were knocking on doors to let community members know that they had a new neighbor -- twice-convicted child molester Ronald Lee Smith, 58. In 1997, reports KTLA, Smith was convicted of molesting a 9-year-old girl, and in 2001, a 4-year-old girl. He has now moved into the New Horizons Retirement Home in Torrance.
According to KCBS, police made the decision to hand out flyers with Smith's picture on them after he warned officials that he didn't know whether he'd be able to resist attacking another child. The two kids he is known to have molested were children of acquaintances.
Smith is on probation until 2021.