Laws Concerning Georgia Sex Offender Requirements

A “sex offender” is usually an individual who has been charged with and convicted of sexual crimes like rape, molestation, harassment, producing and distributing pornographic materials, and child sexual abuse. The term has varied connotations across the many states of U.S., and may include people convicted of streaking, mooning, and failing to prevent one’s teenage children from participating in consensual sexual activities.

Sex offenders are classified and categorized into three levels that denote the possibility of them repeating their offense. Generally, a Level 1 sex offender is considered at low risk of repeating the crime, a Level 2 offender at moderate risk, and a Level 3 offender is at high risk of repeating the sex offense.

Georgia Sex Offender Laws

The signing of the Megan’s Law in May 1996 made it mandatory for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to follow these rules: all sex offenders in the state must register with the police and the state government must make accessible all public and private information about registered sex offenders. 

As per the guidelines laid down by the Megan’s Law, the state of Georgia requires all state sex offenders to register with the local police. People who have been sentenced under Georgia’s first offender act also have to register till they have completed their sentence.

A non-resident sex offender who has moved into Georgia is required to register as a Georgia sex offender in his new state of residence. This is a requirement of federal, military, tribal, and the local laws of the state and applies irrespective of the date and location of the crime. By the same dictates, a non-resident sexual offender who moves into Georgia to take up work, enroll in a school either as a full-time or a part-time student, or for any other reason and intends to stay for a consecutive period of 14 days or an aggregate period of 30 days, must register with the Georgia police as a sex offender.

A Georgia sex offender has to register with the sheriff’s office in the county of his/her residence within 72 hours of being released from prison, placed on parole, entering the state of Georgia, or being released for supervision. Georgia sex offender rules also require that a sex offender update or verify the information on him/her with the county sheriff’s office and report within 72 hours before his/her date of birth every year to be photographed and fingerprinted.

Not complying with the above Georgia sex offender rules is considered a felony and is penalize likewise. However, a Georgia sex offender may not be required to register with police any more if the court feels that s/he does not pose any considerable threat of committing a sexual offense in the future.

Georgia Sex Offender Information

As per the Georgia sex offender registry records on April 2009, there are 12,900 registered offenders in the state. According to the guidelines of Megan’s Law, the public must be informed when a registered sex offender is released from the jail or a correctional facility or is on probation.

On July 2006, President Bush signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. According to this Act the U.S. Department of Justice must create a public Internet database, freely accessible to all, which would contain information on the sex offenders in all the 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the District of Columbia. The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, at http://www.nsopw.gov/Core/Conditions.aspx, is a central repository of information on sex offenders. You can search information about a person using these parameters: the first and the last names of the suspect or the convicted person, the name of the state or the territory where the offense was committed, the city or the town, and the zip code.

This database contains only that information that has been made available by the individual jurisdictions. While searching for Georgia sex offender information in this database, keep in mind that you need to verify the information with the jurisdiction from which it originated. This information has been provided solely as a public safety measure and should not be used to intimidate, harass offenders, or damage their property and belongings.

This database also allows a state-wise information check. You can carry out a Georgia sex offender search by clicking on the name of the state at http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/registry.htm, clicking “I Agree” to the terms and conditions of use, filling out the Search form with the requisite data, and selecting Search. Results are returned within a short time from the database maintained by the state of Georgia.

The process of looking up information about a Georgia sex offender has been made easier throughout the years so that the public has access them readily. With this information in hand, you can be on your guard and also ensure the safety of your children against the perverse intentions of Georgia sex offenders.