Information Contained in Sex Offender Records

Sex offender records can be very important if you are a parent and want to protect your children’s interest, or need to hire a new employee to care for children, the elderly or disabled. Records are often available online or through your local law enforcement agency, and a wealth of information is contained in them. Your local sex offender registry may also offer the option to receive alerts when newly registered sex offenders move to your geographical area or when a registered offender violates their registry requirements, as well as conduct a simple search for sex offenders or locate offenders currently residing in your area.

Where to Find Sex Offender Records

Each state and locality is different, but most offer an online sex offender registry or offender list resource. These are often based on statewide information gathered from county and other local government agencies. The sheriff’s office, Department of Corrections and local courts maintain records regarding charges, convictions and incarcerations concerning sex offenses.

Levels of Sex Offenses

Sex offenses are often labeled as level 1, 2, 3 or 4. Information is maintained on at least level 2 through 4 offenders, as these are considered the most serious. Some states increase the level of offense for repeat offenses, but others define the levels with increasingly threatening actions. For example, a level 1 offense may include public indecency, but a level three may include rape or aggravated sexual assault.

Reporting Sex Offenses

Sex crimes are handled by both local government and federal agencies. The FBI maintains a federal sex offender database, and is frequently involved in investigating crimes which cross state lines. The county sheriff and state police handle local cases, as well as tracking sex offenders which move to the area from other states and locales. Many states share concurrent registrations requirements, which means that when a sex offender is moving to another area the law enforcement is notified by both the offender as well as the law enforcement officials from the offender’s original location. This is where a national registry comes in handy, as simply requesting to be notified of new offenders moving to your area will help you track any questionable individuals.

Details Included in the Records

Detailed information contained in sex offender records provides the address of the offender, his or her first and last name, level of his or her offense, charges and prior convictions, as well as any restrictions such as current probation requirements. These may include not being able to be present within 500 feet of a school, for example.

Other information included in the records may be any jail time the offender served, where the time was served, as well as any notable occurrences while incarcerated. Mugshots are also often included, as well as a physical description of the offender. Many online sex offender records and registries include a map function which will allow you to simply search by geographical area and see a highlighted drawing showing you where the local offenders are currently residing.

Keep in mind that though these online and offline sex offender records can help in employment decisions and efforts to protect your family, their accuracy depends upon the information provided by the offenders themselves. Physical descriptions may be inaccurate, and some offenders fail to report recent changes in their information as they should. However, searching these records will allow you to be better informed about your locale and any imminent danger of being in contact with a convicted sex offender.