Hampton Roads Sex Offender Registry
The Sex Offender Registry is a listing of people who have committed sex offenses or crimes against minors. It was created about 20 years ago, and more and more states have adopted this practice. If a person has committed this offense the public can know about it and make whatever necessary arrangements they believe they should.
National registries, of course, are nationwide and usually involve federal offenses, unlike the local registry. The Virginia Registry involves people who committed crimes in Virginia or committed crimes in other states but now live in Virginia. The Hampton Roads sex offender registry does the same thing, but on a local scale. If you have been charged with a sex offense and want to know more about the registry and how registering could impact you, speak with an experienced sex crimes lawyer today.
Why Would Someone Have to Register?
A person has to register as a sex offender if they have been convicted of a sexually violent offense.The Virginia code lays out what crimes require registration. When a person is convicted of one of those crimes, the police will require them to register on the Sex Offender Registry.
Generally speaking, this would include:
- Rape
- Sodomy
- Carnal knowledge of a minor
- Aggravated sexual battery
- Sex trafficking
- Child pornography with subsections of the child pornography statutes
- Certain types of breaking and entering with the intent to commit a violent felony
- Attempted rape
- Abduction with intent to defile
Duration of Time a Name Needs to Be on the Registry
Most of the listings on the Registry are for life. For offenses committed as a minor, there are ways to get off the Registry and also certain crimes will allow them to remove their name from the list after 15 years. To remove a person’s name requires approval from the court.
Public Nature of the Registry
The Hampton Roads sex offender registry is public. There is a Virginia statewide Registry that can be searched on the Department of Correction’s website. It can be searched by name or by code. Everyone who is living in certain zip codes who has been convicted of a sex offense will be listed.
Many people wonder if their employers will find out, but it is not something they need to know. Many employers may ask if a person has been convicted of a felony and they have to disclose that. However, it is something that they will find out about with little research on their own.
Impact of Registration on Housing
One-time registration can impact where a person lives because some housing areas may not allow somebody who is on the Registry to move in, especially if there are children in that area. They are told that they are not welcome. Once a person’s name is on the Registry and they move, they are required to notify either their probation officer or the Virginia State Police of their new address so that the database can be updated.
Removal From the Registry
There are steps that an individual can take to be removed from the Hampton Roads sex offender registry after a period of time. For example, after 15 years (it could be longer, depending on the charge), a person can petition the circuit court where they live and the circuit court where the case took place, for removal of their name from the Registry. The person has to show that they served their sentence, completed all treatment and required counseling, paid restitution, that since this incident they have a clean criminal history, and that they no longer pose a risk to public safety. If an individual wants to know more about the removal process they should speak with an experienced sex crimes lawyer who could answer their questions.
