THE POLICE INVESTIGATION
SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER IN THE USA - A PARTIAL LIST

For more information on child abuse click here.

Registration of Sex Offenders otherwise known as Megan's Law

Megan's Law in All 50 States
http://www.klaaskids.org/pg-legmeg.htm
"On May 17, 1996, President Clinton signed Megan's Law into federal law. As a result, local law enforcement agencies in all 50 US states must notify schools, day care centers, and parents about the presence of dangerous offenders in their area. By forming partnerships with legislators, law enforcement, the private sector, organizations and concerned citizens, the world that we leave to the children will be safer and more secure than the world we live in today."

Sex Offender Registration -- Michigan
http://www.jaye.org/MACPSOR.html

Registered Sex Offenders -- Kansas
http://www.ink.org/public/kbi/kbisexpage.html

SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY -- STATE OF INDIANA
http://www.state.in.us//cji/html/sexoffender.html
In 1994, Indiana adopted Senate Bill 24, which requires offenders convicted of certain child sexual assault offenses to register with all local law enforcement authorities in the communities where they live for ten years following their release from custody, probation or parole. The new law is known as Zachary's Law, in honor of Zachary Snider, a child victim. The law also directs the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute to compile a statewide registry containing information regarding certain convicted child sexual assault offenders. Information in the statewide registry is available beginning in January 1995 and is updated at least every six months.

ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
Sex Offender Registration Central Registry
"The Department of Public Safety maintains a central registry of sex offenders required to register ... and to make the following information about those offenders available to the public: name, address, photograph, place of employment, date of birth, crime for which convicted, date of conviction, place and court of conviction, and length of sentence. "

Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry Search
http://sex-offender.vsp.state.va.us/Images/Search.htm
"There are two categories of sex offenders in the Commonwealth of Virginia:
1) "VIOLENT SEX OFFENDER"
2) "SEX OFFENDER"
As provided by law, registrations available through the Internet are for individuals convicted of a VIOLENT sex offense(s) ONLY. ...The data contained in sex offender registrations may be primarily based upon information furnished by a convicted sex offender and not substantiated by source criminal record documents such as: criminal arrest fingerprint-based charge(s), court disposition(s) or a sentencing commitment court order(s) to the Department of Corrections. Accordingly, the Virginia Department of State Police cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in the registrations. Additionally, offenders may have changed their address of residence and failed to notify the state or local police department within ten (10) days so their sex offender registration may not be in a current status as statutorily mandated."

Sex Offender Community Notification
by Peter Finn
Published February 1997
"...(A) series of highly publicized violent sex offenses committed on unsuspecting victims by released sex offenders has heightened the public's determination to take action to prevent these individuals from committing new crimes. In response to this heightened public awareness, by August 1995, 43 States had enacted statutes that require offenders to register with a central registry agency or with the law enforcement agency in the community in which they will be living.[9] Sixteen States passed their laws in 1994 alone.[10] (See "Principal Features of Sex Offender Registration Laws.") Through a provision that would withhold funding from States that do not implement sex offender registration programs, the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act has hastened the enactment of registration statutes and may result in their passage in every State.[11] Registration legislation is intended to deter offenders from committing new offenses and create a registry to assist law enforcement investigations.[12] A 15-year follow-up study of California's registration statute found that police investigators report ed that the State's registration system was effective in helping them to apprehend suspected offenders.[13] As of early 1996, at least 32 States had taken the additional step of enacting notification statutes that either make information about sex offenders available on request to individuals and organizations or that authorize or require probation and parole departments, law enforcement agencies, or prosecutor offices to disseminate information about released offenders to the community at large.[14] Community notification reflects the perception that registration alone is inadequate to protect the public against released sex offenders and that notification provides the public with a better means of protecting itself. Notification proponents believe that, by informing the public about the presence of a sex offender in the community, neighbors will be able to take action to protect themselves from sex offenders by keeping themselves -- and their children -- out of harm's way. As a result, notification, according to one commentator, "could prevent some tragedies from happening again."[15] Notification is also thought to improve public safety because the public will be able to identify and report risky behaviors by sex offenders (e.g., conversing with children, buying sex-oriented magazines) that might escalate into criminal behavior if ignored. This Research in Action summarizes what is known about a sample of notification statutes and implementation procedures and presents the views of selected practitioners and experts regarding effective legislative provisions and notification approaches. This limited review of statutes, procedures, and informed opinion may assist legislators, prosecutor offices, probation and parole agencies, and law enforcement agencies interested in designing, operating, or improving a notification system. The information in this report is based on a literature search and telephone interviews with 13 practitioners (probation officers, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors) in eight States and two experts (individuals familiar with notification statutes  and procedures in several States).

Notification legislation

At least 32 States have enacted notification legislation. In some States, including Louisiana, New Jersey, and Washington State, the impetus to enact legislation has come after a highly publicized sex crime by a released offender. In New Jersey and Washington State, general public concern after the incidents motivated legislators to act, while in Louisiana a victims' rights group was formed that lobbied the legislature for a bill. In Alaska and Tennessee, key legislators introduced a notification bill on their own initiative because they felt the problem needed attention and knew that other States were enacting legislation. Legislation was introduced into the Oregon legislature by a representative after he learned that a sex offender was about to be released into his own neighborhood. In Connecticut, two legislators and a victims group combined forces to get legislation passed."

California Registered Sex Offenders
http://www.sexoffenders.net/
California Registered Sex Offender Information.

 Kansas Sex Offender Registry On-Line
"A list of registered sex offenders living in Kansas is now available for viewing on the web The webite of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Information can be accessed by entering an individual's name,city, county or zip code. A list of offenders residing in the specified area will appear along with each offender's name, address, height, weight and photo."

Florida -- Registered Sexual Predators -- Listing and Information
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
"A Florida law, effective 7/1/96, requires the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to maintain an updated list of Registered Sexual Predators in this state after a court has made a written finding designating them as a Sexual Predator as that term is defined by Florida statute. Under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, the Public Records Law, any of the public records of the Department of Law Enforcement are available for review upon request, subject to statutorily-authorized editing of exempt or confidential information." "The following listings related to Sexual Predators are presently accessible as public records of the Department of Law Enforcement: 1. FDLE's Current Sexual Predators Registration List This database includes individuals who have been designated as Sexual Predators under the current Florida law (effective July 1, 1996). This list is updated regularly. 2. FDLE's list of Registered Sexual Predators under Prior Law This database includes individuals registered as Sexual Predators as of March, 1996, under the prior law. This list does not reflect current sexual predator registration information and is not updated. FDLE tries to assure that the information presented is accurate and current. Although FDLE updates this site on a regular basis, the information can change quickly. Information provided on this site may not reflect the current residence, status or other information regarding an individual. FDLE has also established a toll-free number (1-888-FL-PREDATOR) that allows the public to request information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week about Sexual Predators living in their communities and around the state."
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/

Megan's Law -- New York
"On July 25, 1995, Governor Pataki signed the bill that made New York's version of Megan's Law the law of the State. The community notification requirements are contained in Article 6-C of the Corrections Law of the State of New York, the Sex Offender Registration Act. Under the law, convicted sex offenders will be classified by level of risk. The information the local police can release to the public about the offender will depend upon the level of risk of the offender. For level one offenders, police are notified that the offender is in the community. For level two offenders, the police can provide general information about the offender to the public. For level three offenders, more detailed information, including the offender's address, can be released. The law also establishes a 900 number (1-900-288-3838) that members of the public can call to find out if someone is listed in the registry."

Sexual Offenses: Community Notification Provisions of Megan's Law Upheld --  See E.B. v. Verniero --- F.3d ----, 1997 WL 473107 (3rd Cir.(N.J.))

Charlene Smith ©

© Speak Out Terms of use