There can be serious social and legal consequences when someone is accused of a sex crime. Even allegations of sex crimes can lead to damage to peoples’ reputations which can cause problems with peoples families, friends and employers. When people are convicted of a sex crime, they will often face serious penalties including long prison sentences.
In addition to prison time, people may also be required to register on the Illinois sex offender registry. Once listed on the registry, people may face restrictions about where they can live, work and socialize. People who are on the registry are forced to share their criminal record and address with the public which can bring further damage to people’s reputations long after a supposed crime has been committed. Registry may be required for a set number of years or may be permanent.
Being on the sex offender registry can also lead to additional criminal charges in the future. If people do not carefully and precisely follow the guidelines of the registry, police may follow up with additional criminal charges.
This has been the case recently for five Illinois residents. Each of these people was charged with additional crimes after failing to meet the requirements of the sex offender registry. These charges came after police conducted an investigation and visited registered sex offenders to confirm their living arrangements.
In these cases, the charges range from failure to report, to failure to report a change of address and failing to renew a sex offender registration. Each of the people was arrested and is being held on bail. Bail ranged from $10,000 to $100,000.
In order to avoid the sex offender registry and the possibility of additional criminal charges, people should aggressively fight any allegations of sex crimes. By defending against the charges from the beginning of an investigation, people give themselves the best chance for a positive outcome.
Source: Belleville News-Democrat, “5 St. Clair County sex offenders fail to register,” Carolyn P. Smith, July 5, 2013
