Richmond Sex Offender Registry FAQs
Being convicted of a sex offense can be an overwhelming experience. There is a lot you may not know about the registry and questions you may want to ask. If you want to know more about the sex offender registry, read the Richmond sex offender registry FAQs below.
What is the Richmond Sex Offender Registry?
On of the first Richmond sex offender registry FAQs that gets asked is, what is a sex offender registry? The Richmond registry is a technical level, there is no such thing as the local sex offender registry so much as there is a state-wide registry that is held onto by the Virginia State Police and, essentially, it is a database that is designed for people who violate certain crimes, like murders and things of that nature. That database is designed to have those people registered to keep account of them and what they are doing, where they are living and to help make those people known to other persons in Virginia who would like to look that information up. Essentially, it is a database designed and kept by the Virginia State Police for individuals who are convicted of certain sexual acts and very serious offenses who register in Virginia that the Virginia State Police keeps tabs on.
What Are the Differences Between the National and Local Registry?
The biggest difference between the national and local/state registry is that one is federally-based and they would have to break a federal offense to be on that registry and one is state-based and they can be placed on the state-based registry with things that may not necessarily put them on a federal registry. The second biggest difference is that the federal registry is going to essentially pull, not only from the federal code itself but also each individual state registry disseminates that information across its federal databases.
Essentially, with the Virginia state registry, it is only for the state of Virginia. It will keep count of those people in Virginia so they have to look for folks in Virginia and all the people in Virginia are going to have to register. The people who don’t live in Virginia don’t have to register in Virginia. On the federal registry, it is going to take the Virginia registry, North Carolina registry, South Carolina, et cetera, and have all of that information compiled for anyone who would want to look it up outside of their individual state.
Why Would Someone Have to Register As a Sex Offender?
One of the Richmond sex offender registry FAQs that attorneys often hear is, what would someone have to do to get on the registry. There are a lot of different things that they would have to register for. After July 1st, 1994, if an individual is convicted of any of the following things, they are going to have to register with the Virginia sex offender registry:
Criminal Homicide of a Child
While criminal homicide of a child is not a sex offense, and might not necessarily result in registration on the sex registry, it does require registering for the Virginia State Police registry. When people look someone up or look up the registry, it will show what offenses the person has been convicted of which required them to register, and the bulk of those offenses are sexual in nature, but they that are not all sexual in nature. Once someone is convicted of criminal homicide of a child, they have to register.
Rape and Sodomy
A sexually violent offense that includes things such as rape and sodomy. The difference between rape and sodomy is vaginal penetration. At a very technical level, a man cannot be raped under the Virginia Code but a man can be sodomized and the penalties are the same for rape and sodomy. Rape and sodomy are both sexual violent offenses.
Breaking and Entering
If someone breaks and enters into a house with the intent to commit rape, that is going to be a sexual offense. While someone may not have completed the rape, they may not have even have touched body, if the Commonwealth can prove that the nature of the breaking and entering was to try to rape someone, then, the person is going to be put on the sex offender registry.
Offenses Involving Minors
Having carnal knowledge of prostituting minors which includes pimping or sexual trafficking of minors, abducting a minor, which might mean there is no sexual intent or no issues at all as far as sex with a child is involved in the actual crime but if someone abducts a minor, then they have to register.
One of the low-level crimes would be penetration of the mouth of a child with lascivious intent and that can be anything from trying to kiss a 13-year-old with an open mouth and tongue. That will put the person on the sex offender registration. It is not a felony but someone would still have to register. It runs the gamut from a bunch of things that can put someone on the registry. If an individual wants to know more about how offenses involving minors can land them on the registry or has any other Richmond sex offender registry FAQs that they need answered they should consult a knowledgeable sex crimes attorney that could help.
