About 200 people gathered in a Burnsville church Monday night to learn more about a Level III sex offender -- the city's first -- who is moving in today.

Once the meeting was opened up for questions, the first was whether people would know what type of vehicle that Kelley Francis Lorenzo, 26 , will be driving. The answer was no, that residents were allowed to know where he would be living but not what car he would be driving.

Another man who expressed concern about the safety of children walking to and from nearby schools wanted to know if Lorenzo would be working during the day, particularly during the hours that children would be walking home after school. The answer was yes, that he had a job. But details about where or what hours were not released.

Lorenzo, who is moving into the 12800 block of Nicollet Avenue S., has a history of indecent exposure and sexual contact with juvenile females ages 7 to 17, according to the Police Department. The prior offenses took place in Eagan, Burnsville, Apple Valley and St. Paul.

In 2005, he abducted a 16-year-old girl at the Cedarvale Mall in Eagan, took her to the basement and masturbated in front of her, according to authorities.

Burnsville Police Chief Bob Hawkins opened the meeting by telling people that he hoped they would leave the meeting feeling "more settled" than they did when they arrived.

He also pointed to about a dozen Burnsville police officers at the meeting and said that Lorenzo's new neighborhood is part of their beat and that they know what kind of car he will be driving. Lorenzo also will be subject to random checks to make sure that he is not drinking or doing drugs, and that he is sticking to approved movements in the community.

People waited in line to ask questions at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. One woman, who has three children, said she lives near the condo complex Lorenzo is moving into and wanted to know if he was allowed to walk around outside. The answer: He would have to have a destination and could not just wander around.

Another woman said children often play in the nearby Heart of the City fountain in the summer. What, she wanted to know, should people do if he was watching young girls play there. She was told to call police if she noticed anything unusual or suspicious.

Residents were told that Lorenzo is to avoid contact with children and that they should call police if they see him with children.

Residents were reminded that sex offenders have always lived in our midst, and always will. In this case, they said, information is being released because Lorenzo's Level III status -- considered the most dangerous -- triggers the Community Notification Process. While Lorenzo is the first Level III offender to move into the city, residents were told that there are 71 registered predatory offenders in Burnsville and 475 in Dakota County.

Additional information about Lorenzo is available on the city's website at www.burnsville.org or at www.doc.state.mn.us.

STAFF REPORTS