Relatively Minor Offenses Can Leave You A Registered Sex Offender
The sex offender registry was designed as a tool to keep people safe from convicted rapists and pedophiles that might otherwise be lurking in the neighborhood. However, because the laws are so strict and there's no room for circumstances, people who have committed relatively minor offenses are ending up listed on the registry for life as sex offenders. Here's what you should know.
Sex On The Beach Is A Big No-No
Spring and summer usually bring out everyone's amorous side, but if you let yourself get carried away on the beach you can end up fined, incarcerated, and a registered sex offender. A recent case in Florida could end up putting at least one of the two people involved in jail for the next 15 years, and both will be required to register as sex offenders no matter where they live for the rest of their lives. That's a fairly harsh penalty for a romp in the sand!
Keep Your Clothes On For The Camera
More and more juveniles are ending up listed as felony sex offenders because they took their clothes off and sent nude (or even partially nude) photos of themselves to boyfriends or girlfriends through their cell phone. It's a practice known as "sexting," and as many as 1 in 6 kids between 12 and 17 admit to receiving nude photos from someone they know.
What these kids - and often their parents - don't realize is that they can be charged with manufacturing or distributing child pornography just for taking and sending explicit photos of themselves. A childhood mistake like that can continue to haunt them well into their adult years.
Hold It Until You Find A Bathroom
Peeing in public can also land you in serious trouble in a lot of communities (which is usually bad news for revelers every Fourth of July) but in 13 states it can also put you on the sex offender registry.
While most people don't think of urinating as a sexual act, some sex offender laws are triggered by any public exposure of a person's genitals - even if neither you nor viewers took any sexual gratification from it. In some cases, the law is only triggered if there are children around.
The Long Term Consequences Are Fierce
Aside from the public humiliation of having to explain your crime - in detail - to every potential landlord or employer and hoping that they'll both believe you and overlook it, there are even harsher consequences of being labelled a sexual offender.
You may have to publicize your status to all of your neighbors. You won't be allowed to live in certain areas, such as near schools or public parks. You won't be able to work in certain occupations or be licensed as a teacher, doctor, or any other profession that puts you in contact with people who might be vulnerable to sexual abuse. You will also have to notify the police every time you move.
If you have made a mistake, and there is any shot that you could end up as a registered sex offender because of it, contact a defense attorney promptly to discuss your case. To find out more, contact