Sex offenders living under Miami bridge

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MIAMI, June 3 (UPI) -- The head of Florida's American Civil Liberties Union says she is "worried sick" about a group of 70 sex offenders forced to live under a state bridge in Miami.

Jeanne Baker says she blames both state and local officials for not finding a solution to what is a growing problem, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday.

The collection of men and one woman have been living under the Julia Tuttle Causeway for two years because a patchwork of local laws makes it illegal for them to reside within 2,500 feet of where children might congregate.

Miami City Manager Pete Hernandez has asked Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to immediately relocate the group on grounds they are too close to an island that the city considers a public park.

But the Florida Department of Corrections says only 41 of the 70 are under the state's jurisdiction and the island is not considered a park because it lacks a playground.

"It's a growing problem," says Baker. "We're worried sick."