Crimes and the sex offender registry

The Arizona criminal code covers many incidents that fall under the category of sex crimes. The criminal codes in other states share similarities and differences with Arizona’s. Before 1994, not every state mandated that sex offenders go on a registry. Nor were there uniform community notification. Thanks to federal legislation, uniform requirements do exist.

Today, a tiered system exists to provide uniformity. Anyone unfamiliar with how the sex offender registration tiered system works should check Arizona’s statutes. There are three tiers, and each tier presents an increased severity of crimes.

False imprisonment of a minor is a tier one offense while sexual contact of a minor under the age of 13 is a tier 3 offense. Regardless of the tier, all crimes are serious ones. Convictions of crimes listed in the three tiers result in someone registering as a sex offender.

The length of time a person remains on the sex registry list varies. Many convictions lead to a lifetime listing. Some crimes may only carry the five-year minimum. For those convicted of such crimes, speaking with an experienced criminal defense attorney might be the only way to determine the correct timeframe for an individual defendant’s conviction.

Someone whose background includes convictions for sex crimes must realize he/she loses an element of privacy. As part of the registry requirements, information about the individual’s name and address appear in public databases. A misconception here is the only people able to review database listings are those who purposefully go looking for it. That is not necessarily correct. People subscribing to identity theft monitoring services may receive updates about sex offenders in their neighborhoods.

People on local and national databases may find it helpful to discuss their rights with an attorney. An attorney can counsel a client on his/her rights while also handling appeals.