While many states may have sex offender registries, the U.S. government also has a national registry that searches all of the states’ registries and can be used to find anyone who has been added to that list. The website, the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, is completely accessible by anyone in the public and allows users to search by name or location.
As someone who is accused of a sex crime, it is important to understand the impact that being on this list would have on your life. If you are convicted of a crime and added to the list, then the government may:
- Monitor where you live
- Check where you’re socializing
- Restrict where you can live or how close you can be to certain areas, like parks or playgrounds
Any kind of violation could result in further penalties, too. For example, if you move and accidentally select a home that is too close to a school, you could quickly find yourself in trouble with the law.
Can you get off the sex offender registry once you’re on it?
Rarely, someone who has a conviction overturned may be able to get off the list, but in the majority of cases, it’s impossible to have your status changed or removed once it’s there. That’s why it’s very important to fight any sex crime charges that have been filed against you. The sooner you build a defense, the sooner you’ll be in a better position to fight the charges and to minimize the impact to your life. Our website has more information on the next steps to take.