I did not let this experience ruin my children's childhood. Like you say, I educated them without scaring them. I know how important these social things are for little girls in particular so we usually hosted them. For birthday's I'd get a couple adjoining hotel rooms and let them swim in the pool etc.

My biggest problem (and I know I've said it a million times) with the sexual offender list is that in this state it can be something as simple as peeing outside behind a bush or an 18 yr old dating a 17 year old to an actual sexual assualt.