Since the enactment of Megan’s Law in 1996, law enforcement agencies have informed the public about sex offender registrants who pose a risk to the public. According to the California Department of Justice, the Golden State has more registered sex offenders than any other state. This is due to both the large population of California and the aggressive efforts of local law enforcement officers and prosecutors to in suspected sex crimes cases.
Depending on the type of crime that an individual is convicted of, he or she may be forced to register as a sexual predator or sexual offender.
- Violent sexual predator: This classification is reserved for individuals who committed murder during the commission of rape, kidnapping with the intent to commit rape, rape when accomplished through force or fear, certain acts of oral copulation, lewd acts with a minor, aggravated sexual assault of a child, rape involving an incapacitated victim, certain acts of sodomy, or assault to commit rape.
- Registered offender convicted of less serious sex offenses: This group includes individuals who have been convicted of felony sexual battery with a victim who was unlawfully restrained or misdemeanor sex offenses with minors.
- Registered offenders who are excluded from public disclosure: Individuals may be able to avoid online registration if they were convicted of sexual battery by restraint, misdemeanor child molestation, or an offense that did not involve penetration or oral copulation. In order to achieve exclusion, the offender will have to successfully complete probation or be in the process of successfully completing probation.
As part of offender registration your criminal record is posted online. Offenders in California are required to update their registration information within five days of moving or risk facing jail time. Registered sex offenders are also required to update their information annually within five working days of their birthday. Transients are required to update their whereabouts every 30 days and sexually violent predators must check in every 90 days.
At the Law Offices of David A. Stein, we understand how devastating a conviction for a sex crime can be. We help our clients fight sex crime charges and avoid registration as a sex offender. To discuss your case at absolutely no cost with an experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney, please call 949-445-0040 today.