A man in a nearby state admitted in court that he failed to register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register from May to September of last year. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, according to the newspaper that reported the incident.
It’s apparent from the above example that failing to register as a sex offender is a serious offense.
A sex offender registry is a database about convicted sex offenders that is maintained by law enforcement to monitor and track sex offenders in the community. However, the public also has access to the registry through sex offender websites.
Each state has its own registry. Maryland put its sex offender registry in place in 2011.
Maryland residents who have been convicted of rape and other sex crimes must register with the law enforcement agency in the city or town in which they live immediately after being released into the community. Registration must be done on a periodic basis. For example, those with convictions for a Tier III sex offense such as rape must re-register every three months. Baltimore sex offenders with convictions for a Tier II offense such as distributing or manufacturing child pornography or the sexual solicitation of a minor must register every six months. Those found guilty of possessing child pornography must register every six months.
Registration means that certain information about the Baltimore sex offender must be provided to the Maryland sex offender registry such as the offender’s name, address, date of birth, social security number, workplace or educational institution, photograph, vehicle information, offense information, fingerprints, DNA sample and more.
When Baltimore sex offenders move to a new address, they must re-register.
Depending on the crime and the person’s criminal record, the names and other information of Maryland sex offenders stays on the registry for 15 or 25 years or even for the length of their life,
Some of this information is available to the public and the names of all registered sex offenders are included in a federal sex offender database.
Failure to Register
Failure to register is generally considered to be a criminal offense on its own. In Maryland, Baltimore City and the surrounding Baltimore counties, knowingly failing to register or to provide required information or knowingly providing false information is a misdemeanor punishable by up to three years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines for a first violation. Second, third and subsequent violations are felonies punishable by up to five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.
Removal from the Sex Offender Registry
If the Baltimore sex crimes conviction is overturned on appeal, subject to a pardon, or expunged, then the defendant’s information can be removed from the Maryland sex offender registry.
If you are charged with a sex crime in Maryland, you should talk to a Baltimore criminal defense attorney. A Baltimore sex crimes lawyer can get the charges reduced or work out a plea bargain, among other defense options. The attorneys at The Law Offices of Thomas J. Maronick have experience handling these cases. You can contact Thomas Maronick on his cellphone at 410-881-4022, the law office at 410-881-4022 or via our website for a free consultation.
