``The whole department was brought into this. We all feel like part of our community was lost,'' said sheriff's Lt. James Martone, who oversees the new sexual offender monitoring team.

Convicted sexual offenders have been charged in the deaths this year of Jessica Marie Lunsford, 9, of Homosassa, and Sarah Michelle Lunde, 13, of Ruskin.

Mark Lunsford, Jessie's father, praised the steps taken by Sheriff Jeffrey Dawsy, including the formation in May of the two-detective team devoted solely to monitoring Citrus' 186 sexual offenders, including 11 sexual predators. One detective previously kept tabs on the offenders, along with handling other duties.

``I think that's the kind of changes we need,'' Lunsford said. ``I don't think we can do enough. We can't just stop at one thing.

``There's got to be an education we can give our kids without scaring them. If we had done that, some children might still be alive,'' he said.

The two detectives' efforts have resulted in the arrests of nine sexual offenders on charges including drug and firearm violations and moving without notifying authorities.

Investigators also identified 55 of the county's sexual offenders whose crimes involved children younger than than 12 years old. Deputies will check on each of those offenders and the county's 11 predators every month to make sure they have not moved, sheriff's Sgt. Dave DeCarlo said Wednesday.

If they cannot be found, the two detectives in the special unit will begin a more intensive investigation and seek arrest warrants.

Jessie And Sarah

The man accused of killing Jessie, John Evander Couey, was convicted in 1991 of fondling a 5-year-old child in Kissimmee.

Couey, 46, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, sexual battery on a child under 12, kidnapping and burglary with battery.

Jessie was discovered missing from her family's Homosassa mobile home Feb. 24. Her body was found March 19, buried 150 yards away behind a mobile home Couey shared with his half sister and three other adults. The killing of Jessie and of Sarah in Ruskin prompted the Citrus County Sheriff's Office to create the sexual offender tracking unit.

David Lee Onstott, a convicted rapist, has been charged in Sarah's death.

Sexual offenders not among the 55 considered the most dangerous are to be checked every three months.

In addition to verifying the predators and worst offenders are at the proper address, the sheriff's office distributes fliers when one moves into a neighborhood. Also, an automated telephone system calls households to tell them a sexual offender lives nearby.

The call includes the offender's or predator's name, description, address and crime, as well as court-ordered restrictions on their movements such as a curfew and a prohibition on living within 1,000 feet of a school, playground or day care center.

Florida law requires sexual offenders to register with the local sheriff's office and notify authorities if they move.

The Citrus County Sheriff's Office also improved its Web site listing the county's sexual offenders, highlighting predators and letting residents search the list by ZIP code. The list is at www.sheriffcitrus.org.

Along with the full-time attention of two detectives, all of the department's deputies on road patrol have been asked to help monitor sexual offenders.

Efforts Elsewhere

The steps Citrus County adopted in May mirror efforts of other jurisdictions to track offenders and notify residents.

Tampa police in 1997 launched a program to track sexual offenders that includes culling a monthly list received from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for those considered the most dangerous. An officer checks on those offenders monthly, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. The Tampa Police Department uses an automated telephone system similar to the one in Citrus to notify residents when a predator or dangerous offender moves into a neighborhood.

Officers hand out fliers at community neighborhood watch meetings and distribute them to nearby schools, churches and day care centers.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office established a sexual offender tracking unit five years ago. When an offender moves into a neighborhood, fliers are distributed door-to- door, and automated telephone calls notify residents.

The increased scrutiny does more than keep closer tabs on offenders, said Citrus sheriff's Capt. Jim Cernich, head of the Criminal Investigations Division. ``They know they're being watched,'' he said. ``They know they are on a short leash.''

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (352) 544-5214.