Sexual offender registration laws Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sexual offender registration laws - Term Paper Example The paper tells that the origins of Megan's Law can be traced from parents/guardians right to know if a dangerous sexual predator moves into their neighborhood and to protect communities from sexual offenders. Megan was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a dangerous sexual offender living in their neighborhood. Her parents circulated a petition demanding immediate legislative action. The petition amassed over 400,000 signatures, and the law was passed in 89 days. In accordance with Megan's Law, federally known as The Jacob Wetterling Act in 1994, amended in 1998 with Section 115 of the General Provisions of Title I of the Departments of Commerce, Justice and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (CJSA) provide that states are required to register sex offenders and perform community notification. However, each state differs in terms of how it administers the information/methods of registrations. Lavenson notes that bill stipulates sex offenders to be prohibited f rom living within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center, church, and anywhere where children are known to congregate, including parks, playgrounds, and bus stops and therefore, is not a practical solution. Under Georgia law, sec 5, revised paragraph 10, of sexual offenders; classification; change and enact provisions, sex crimes include: child sexual abuse, child molestation, aggravated child molestation, to entice children for indecent reasons, to sexually exploit children, transports a child to a location in order to molest the child., Sexual exploitation of a child downloading pornographic material of persons under the age of 18, child pornography, sexual battery, aggravated sodomy, rape and even kidnapping of a minor.(5) http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20092010/106632.pdf Regulations regarding sexual offender registration The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is responsible for registration of sexual offenders in accordance with O.C.G.A.  §Ã‚  42-1-12. Sec 20(a) prov ides that a sexual offender is an individual  who has been convicted of a criminal offense against a minor or any dangerous sexual offense under the laws of another state or territory, under the laws of the United States, Uniform Code of Military Justice, or in a tribal court of a criminal offense against a minor or a dangerous sexual offense. The term sexual offender is a broad term, with sexual predator being used to describe a more severe physical or repeat sexual offense (Travis, Jeremy). Sexually dangerous predator is defined in sec 21(a) as a person who was designated as a sexually dangerous predator between July 1, 1996, and June 30, 2006; or a person who is determined by the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board to be at risk of perpetrating any future dangerous sexual