There are assumptions that sex offenders are more dangerous than other types of offenders in that they inevitably reoffend; and that some offense types, such as burglary and robbery, serve as “gateway” offenses to sex crimes. This research examines both these assumptions in light of current empirical evidence. An analysis of variance techniques on Illinois arrest data from 1990 to 1997 was employed to examine the degree to which sex offenders had higher proportions of repeat offending than other criminal categories and if some offense types predicated offenses to sex crimes. The results of the research indicate that the overwhelming majority of sex offenders were not rearrested for another sex crime. This finding is surprising given the way in which DNA collection, registration, and notification policies have come about. Research would indicate that robbers may be better candidates for DNA collection, registration, and community notification than sex offenders. The results offered little support for the notion of predicate or “gateway” offenses to sex offending. The extension of sex offender policies to nonsexual offenders appears unjustified and would have little effect on preventing future sex crimes. The results indicate that policies can be founded on misconceptions, and these misconceptions not only have financial consequences, but also can affect the likelihood that the policies enacted will achieve their goals. Policy makers need to become better informed on the issues they subject to far-reaching and costly legislation. 2 tables, 2 footnotes, 3 figures, 33 references