Results indicate that the majority of people in Nebraska do not proactively seek sex offender information using the Internet-based sex offender registry. (The Nebraska statute makes specific inference to the public’s need to take some proactive preventative measures, or at the very least, construct a community protection plan. Nebraska legislators constructed a three-tiered notification system to inform citizens of sex offender information, based on a risk assessment of offenders’ propensity to reoffend). A lack of awareness of the registry cannot explain this finding, as most people reported being aware of the availability of sex offender information. When the public accesses this information, however, it appears to make people feel safer themselves and for their families, yet most do not take any preventative measures to ensure these perceptions of safety. Respondents’ comments did not suggest any situational crime prevention techniques taken on behalf of themselves or their families, such as installing home security systems, enhancing locking devises, installing security cameras, or more actively monitoring pubic spaces where children dwell. Given the concern and attention that sex crimes against children invoke it is surprising; however it is likely that people do not live in a constant state of moral panic. These findings suggest several implications, not only for community notification procedures, but also for the resulting legislation of moral panic more generally. Data were collected from 1,821 residents from Nebraska who responded to 3 specific research questions. Tables, appendix, notes, references