Sex Offender Gets Prison Time for Not Registering
Friday Mar 9th, on Sex Crimes | Share
A Schenectady sex crime defense attorney can provide you with help if you have been accused of a sex crime. Fighting accusations is vital because of the serious penalties that are imposed for sexually-based offenses. In addition to a lengthy jail sentence, for example, you could be placed on the sex offender registry which comes with many requirements including a mandate that you actually register as a sex offender.
If you are required to register as a sex offender and you fail to do so, you could face additional penalties. Just recently, for example, the Republican Herald reported on a sex offender who was jailed for not complying with registration requirements.
Sex Offender Jailed for Not Following Registration Requirements
According to the Republican Herald, a 24-year-old man has now been sentenced to serve additional time in prison for not complying with Megan's Law and submitting to registration as a sex offender. The 24-year old pled guilty to failing to provide accurate information when registering as an offender.
The 24-year-old had committed the original sex crime in New York, and the requirements imposed upon him under Megan's Law mandated that he provide his full name, his address, his Social Security number, any phone numbers he was using, his employment information, and a photograph. The law was clear that he would face additional penalties for not complying with these provisions of Megan's Law.
The alleged failure occurred between July 28, 2015 and February 26, 2016. Because the young man did not provide accurate information, he was prosecuted for his failure to follow the registration requirements. He entered a plea deal for the offense of failing to register and he was sentenced to serve between six months and 23 months in prison. He was also required to pay $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and to pay court costs associated with the prosecution.
The young man asked the judge to allow him to serve his sentence in a prison close to his home, but this request was rejected because the judge indicated that the young man should serve his time in the place where he committed the offense by refusing to register when he was living locally. “This is where you committed the offense, so this is where you serve the time,” the judge said, according to the Republican Herald.
This lengthy additional prison sentence demonstrates just how severe the consequences can be when a defendant is required to register as a sex offender and does not fulfill all of the myriad rules and requirements. Registering is a burdensome obligation that will follow you for life after you are convicted, so you should aggressively fight charges that will result in mandatory registration as a sex offender. A Schenectady sex crime defense attorney can help.
An attorney can also represent you if you are accused of failing to comply with your registration obligations. You should contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible if you have been accused of failing to register as a sex offender when required to do so.