Texas sex offender registry laws exist with the intention of protecting the public from people who have committed certain sex crimes.
In Texas, both adults and juveniles must register. Even minors aren’t let off easy – most cases require registration for a decade after leaving prison or ending community supervision.
The official start of the Texas sex offender list was back in 1991, and it’s important to note that legislators update the law during every legislative session.
What do the current laws require? Keep reading to find out.
Crimes Included Under Texas Sex Offender Registry Laws
Texas requires a person who has a “reportable conviction or adjudication” to register themselves on a sex offender registry. Registration is mandatory, and it’s a condition of release or parole.
What crimes fall under this umbrella?
- Continuous sexual abuse of a young child or children
- Bestiality
- Indecency with a child
- Sexual assault
- Aggravated sexual assault
- Prohibited sexual conduct
- Compelling prostitution
- Sexual performance by a child
- Possession or promotion of child pornography
- Prostitution
- Online solicitation of a minor
- Aggravated kidnapping (if kidnapping include sexual violation or abuse)
- Burglary (if the violation included sexual assault or another crime listed above)
- Unlawful restraint (if the victim was under 17)
- Kidnapping (if the victim was under 17)
- Trafficking of persons
- Attempt conspiracy or solicitation to commit one of the above offenses
- Out-of-state violations in the spirit of the crimes listed above
In essence, almost all sex-related crimes may require registration as a requirement for parole.
What If My Conviction Occurred in the Past?
Between 1991 and 1997, only newly committed crimes meant putting yourself on the registry. From September 1, 1997, onward, the Texas legislature made registration mandatory for retroactive “reportable convictions or adjudications” for any qualifying crime tried after September 1, 1970, committed in the state of Texas.
In 2005, the law changed again. Today, any person whose “reportable conviction or adjudication” took place after September 1, 1970, in any state must register if they now live in Texas.
Who Keeps Tabs on Sex Offenders?
If you must register as a sex offender, the Texas Department of Public Safety keeps your data in a statewide registration database. It includes all the relevant information about you and any crimes convicted of.
People on the registry must notify the policy or county when they move. Every time you relocate, you’ll let the relevant policy authorities know. Even if you move to a rural area, you must alert the county authorities.
Do the Police Share the Information?
The Texas Department of Public Safety’s database is open to the public, and the bulk of the information held here is freely searchable by anyone with a computer.
Local police have the authority to share information from their sex offender registries if they choose. Regardless, state law makes data in these registries available to the public, so it’s possible for the public to request information on their own.
In some cities and counties, the local authority simplified the process by creating a designated sex offender website. The website will be available through the county or city site or as a standalone site.
Texas law also allows local authorities to go beyond creating public databases. Local law enforcement is legally entitled to publish some offender data in the local newspaper or circular serving the community where the offender resides. For example, it is possible to issue a notice in the paper when someone who must register moves to town.
If someone who is deemed high risk, committed, or violent arrives in the community, the state notifies the area. Every residence and business receives a postcard offering the appropriate information.
What Is the Process for Joining the Sex Offender Registry?
When you register with the police in a new town or county, you provide a detailed list of information:
- Your name, birthdate, race, height, weight, social security number, driver’s license number, shoe size, alias, phone numbers, address
- A recent color photo
- A complete list of offenses
- List of licenses, permits, and certificates held
- Employment or educational details
- Vehicle registration number (only for certain crimes)
- Other information mandated by the local department
Unfortunately, registration isn’t a one-time event. All registered sex offenders must report periodically to confirm that the details provided are still accurate. You must report any changes when they happen – not at your next check-in
How Long Do I Remain on the Sex Offender List?
The state ties registration to the nature of the crime.
Lifetime registration is common for adults. Texas sex offender laws mandate registration for life in cases of:
- Sexual assault
- Aggravated sexual assault
- Continuous sexual abuse of a young child or children
- Indecency with a child by contact
- Indecency with a child by exposure
- Sexual performance by a child
- Aggravated kidnapping (with the intent of sexual abuse)
- Burglary (with intent to abuse young children)
- Trafficking of persons
- Prohibited sexual conduct
- Possession or promotion of child pornography
- Compelling prostitution of a minor
- Continuous trafficking of persons
- Obscenity
Not all adult offenders must register for life. In some cases, the court mandates registration for ten years before discharging the individual from the list.
Juveniles convicted of sex crimes will only register for ten years after leaving a penal institution or completing community supervision. If you’re under 17, you may also attempt to seek an exemption to stay off the list or keep the data on the list non-public.
It is very rare for an adult to win an exemption.
What to Do Next
If you received a conviction for a sex crime, it is highly likely that registration will be a condition of your parole.
Although there are groups out there fighting the severity of the laws underlying the sex offender list, you’ll still need the help of an attorney.
Are you impacted by Texas sex offender registry laws? It’s important to remember that even if you’re innocent, Texas takes sex crimes seriously. Sex offender registry laws could mean a conviction follows you for the rest of your life.
To learn more about creating a legal defense, contact a sex crimes lawyer for a free consultation:
Due to his experience as a former Associate District Attorney for the State of Texas, early in his career Sex Crimes Attorney Mario Madrid gained a perspective that few other criminal lawyers possess. His intimate knowledge of prosecution strategy has endowed him with an uncanny knack for finding weaknesses in the prosecution’s case and exploiting them skillfully. From 2008 to 2014 he supplemented his experience as a prosecutor with service as a Judge for the City of Houston, where he gained a bird’s eye view of how a judges looks at evidence and how a court is likely to rule on various motions. Combined with his experience as a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Madrid has the ability to “put it all together” to prepare the best possible defense for his clients.
Request a Free Consultation from Sex Crimes Attorney Mario Madrid:
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