Below, an Arlington sex crimes lawyer discusses the sex offender registry including what it is, and what consequences being on the sex offender registry typically bring. If you are facing charges of a sexual nature, schedule a consultation today to discuss your case with an experienced attorney.
The sex offender registry is a registry that’s run by the Virginia State Police. People convicted of certain offenses must register as a sex offender on the registry or else face new charges for failing to do so. Once on the list, there are requirements to update personal information and re-register every so often and if those requirements are not met, new charges will be filed.
The list itself contains all people who have committed certain sexual offenses that upon conviction require registering as a sex offender. The list is accessible to the general public and can be found online. Oftentimes, there’s a picture in addition to the name and address.
There are certain offenses listed in the Code of Virginia that require people to register sex offenders. A sexually violent offense always requires registering. A sexually violent offense includes abduction for an immoral purpose, rape, carnal knowledge of the minor (victim age 13 to 14 with the perpetrator more than five years older than the victim), forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, aggravated sexual battery, sexual conduct with a victim under 13, sexual battery where the perpetrator is 18 years of age or older and the victim is under the age of 6, attempted rape, forcible sodomy, object sexual penetration, aggravated sexual battery, taking indecent liberties with minors.
There are others; production, distribution, and possession of child pornography and taking indecent liberties with the minor by a person with custodial or supervisor relationship will also require registry. One conviction for any of these offenses and the perpetrator register as a sex offender.
There are other offenses that require registry after being convicted previously of the same offense such as carnal knowledge of a minor, marital sex assault, entering a dwelling house with intent to rape.
The period of registry is determined by the type of offense for which a person is convicted. The more serious the offense, the longer that a person will remain on the registry. There is a whole procedure on how and how long a person must be on the registry, and how they can apply to get off of it early. It’s a very intricate area of the law, but you can expect that if you’ve committed one of these serious offenses that you are going to be on the sexual offender registry for an extended period of time.
Well, being on the sex offender registry is obviously awfully detrimental to anyone’s life. Your picture is out in the public as a sexual offender. Your neighbors will know, your friends can find it, and future employers may have access as well. Being placed on the list is embarrassing and can really destroy someone’s life.
Additionally, failure to keep your information up to date or to re-register can be charged as new crimes, so that burden is also great.
The long-term implications of being on the sexual offender registry are numerous. It is embarrassing, it can future job prospects, it can affect your status in the community, your family may not stand behind you.
If you do not register in time or fail to keep your information up to date, you can be recharged with a felony for failing to register as a sex offender which can lead to more jail time and possibly can result in the imposition of any suspended time you have on the underlying charge.