Most people in California know that if they are convicted of a sex crime, they may be required to register as a sex offender. The state’s sex offender registry has been around for a long time but has undergone many changes over the years with more changes already planned and scheduled and others proposed.
One of the changes to the law that has been in place for a while is Megan’s Law, which requires public notification about some registered sex offenders by the California Department of Justice or local law enforcement agencies. Megan’s Law does not mandate notification about all offenders at this time.
Beginning January 1, 2022, some information about select offenders will be made available online via the Megan’s Law website. This planned change is one of the many provisions of the recently passed Senate Bill 384. Other elements of this bill include the ability for some people required to register as sex offenders to request removal from the registry. This may commence as of July 1, 2021. To be eligible for this, a person must be listed as a Tier 1 or Tier 2 offender. Registrants will be assigned tiers by January 1, 2021.
In 2013, California made it a crime to share an intimate photo of someone without their knowledge or approval. Now, the Sacramento Bee reports that a newly proposed bill seeks to increase the penalties for this. If passed, these actions would be charged as felonies and require defendants to register as sex offenders. It may even increase incarceration time to 12 or more months.
