How a simple search for a name online prevented me from hiring a sex offender

My wife and I run a children’s home that assists the less fortunate. Of course, we have undergone the strict scrutiny that people in my line of work go through from the social services and child welfare departments to ensure that the children I take under my care are safe. Our home provides food, shelter and clothing. Ordinarily, I would not do this work alone hence I need to hire people to help me around with the children as they are quite a number. I hire cooks, cleaners, gardeners and people to look after the children when I am not around. I usually work with many people as volunteers but when I need help that will stay with me for some time, I prefer to hire them myself. This is why I need to search criminal record online.

This particular time, I wanted to hire somebody who would mentor the older children to help them make right decisions once they are out of the home and living independently. I then decided to advertise the position in local newspapers and online as well. Many people sent their applications and I shortlisted some for the interviews. I conducted the interviews but there was something peculiar about one applicant who had been shortlisted.

I had heard about searching people online or conducting a free reverse cell number lookup but I had not tried it before. However, with this one person, I decided to embark on thorough search for him online because he had acted very strangely when I took him round to see the children and the place as well. Several search engines did not help me much as I did not get his information in those particular search engines. I did not give up as I wanted to hire the best people to work for me. As I used a phone number reverse lookup to look for his public records and what I stumbled upon made me very worried. I found some very disturbing information about this person.

He had been convicted once on rape charges when he was a teenager and a few times for indecent exposure. It then occurred to me that his purpose for wanting to work at a children’s home was because he would be with vulnerable children and who knows what he had in mind. It also justified the way he looked at the children and in particular the girls. It was very shocking for me as I realized that I was about to hire a sexual offender whose intentions were now very clear to me.

It occurred to me that there are so many things that we take for granted, yet they are usually just a tap of a finger away. I shudder to imagine what I would have exposed those poor children to if I had not listened to my gut instinct. You do not know who this people are and the information they give you might be all false, portraying them for what they were long ago and not what they became later.

The only way to know whether people are who they say they are is by conducting a background check on them. After this encounter, I decided to run a check on all the people I work with in the home whether employed or volunteering. I found out much more information about them and I even had to fire some, whom I found to have had criminal backgrounds. This was solely for the welfare of the children.

I would highly recommend that employers run a background check on their employees and the people they want to hire. As an individual, it is also advisable that you know who your colleagues and neighbors are. This is quite vital.