Growing pressure from Capitol Hill to get sex offender moved

PITTSBURGH — Target 11 is learning about more pressure from Capitol Hill to get a man convicted in the kidnapping and rape of a 13-year-old girl moved out of Pittsburgh.

Registered sex offender Scott Tyree remains at a halfway house in Pittsburgh, less than 4 miles from the home of his victim's family.

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Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey, along with Rep. Mike Doyle, sent a letter this week to the director of prisons, saying they are deeply concerned and urging him to "transfer Tyree to a facility outside of the Western District of Pennsylvania." Target 11 has also learned probation officials want more restrictions when he's released from the halfway house in a month.

Target 11 broke the story that Tyree, who served nearly 20 years in prison after kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old Crafton Heights girl he met online, had been released near the victim's family home. Tyree is from Virginia and has no known ties to the Pittsburgh area.

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The victim, Alicia Kozakiewicz, has been an outspoken advocate for victims. She had no idea he was in Pittsburgh until we told her. Her mother told us the family was never notified.

"We are the victims, we aren't the perpetrator, and we are being victimized yet again," Mary Kozakiewicz told Target 11's Rick Earle.

Target 11 also learned that Tyree will appear at a federal court hearing later this month after probation officials suggested modifying the terms of his release. They want him confined to his home from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and on GPS monitoring for the first six months of his release.

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They want a provision that he must stay at least 500 feet away from places where children gather.  According to court documents obtained by Target 11, the probation office says Tyree doesn't have a viable home plan and that the location monitoring would mitigate risks to the community.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz from Florida also sent a letter of concern to the Bureau of Prisons. They responded simply by outlining their policies. Tyree is set to be released April 6 in Pittsburgh.

Target 11 will be at the federal court hearing later this month and will provide updates for you in this ongoing case.

Cox Media Group