Being convicted of a sex crime can have severe, life-long consequences for offenders, including having to submit regular in-person sex offender registration. Convicted offenders will be required to register their home, school, and/or work addresses as well as changes in addresses with their local sheriff’s office. An offender will also be asked to submit their:
- Criminal history
- Photo/fingerprints
- Vehicle information
- Identifying characteristics
Once submitted, the sheriff’s department uploads the information, and an offender’s registration information will be available to the public to look up using the state database. However, it is typically a reverse lookup search, which means that the searcher will have to input a phone number or email to verify whether that information is associated with an offender.
Based on the offender’s tier classification, which we discuss in further detail, the offender will also have to periodically verify their addresses.
- Tier III offenders will have to submit verification every 90 days after their first registration date.
- Tier II offenders will have to verify their registration information every 180 days after their first registration date.
- Tier I offenders will have to submit verification once every year after their initial registration date.
It is important that we note that federal sex crimes are subject to different laws and registration requirements than state offenders. In this article, we are discussing the requirements concerning state offenses.
Ohio Sex Offender Tier Classifications
In Ohio, offenders who are required to register are categorized into three tiers. There are also two types of offenders who have to comply with Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORN) laws:
- Sex offenders, who are those who have pleaded guilty to, been convicted of, or adjudicated delinquent by reason of committing an offense that is either sexual or sexually motivated.
- Child-victim offenders, who are those that have pleaded guilty to, been convicted of, or adjudicated delinquent by reason of committing a child-victim-oriented offense, which are offenses committed against minors with no sexual motivation.
Tier III offenders include those who have been convicted of or who pled guilty to a sex crime that is punishable by more than a year of imprisonment or commits a sexual offense while classified as a Tier II or Tier I offender. Juvenile adjudicated delinquents are often classified as Tier III offenders after a juvenile court hearing.
Tier III offenses include:
- Voluntary manslaughter with a sexual motivation
- Unlawful death or termination of pregnancy as a result of a felony with sexual motivation
- Sexual battery
- Rape
- Murder with sexual motivation
- Kidnapping of a minor to engage in a sexual act
- Kidnapping of a child (excluding cases where the parent kidnapped the child)
- Gross sexual imposition (against a victim under the age of 12)
- Felonious assault with sexual motivation
- Aggravated murder with sexual motivation
- An attempt or conspiracy to commit any of these offenses
Tier II sex offenders are those who have been convicted of or plead guilty to offenses that are not Tier III offenses but are punishable by imprisonment for over a year. Tier II offenses include:
- Abduction with sexual motivation
- Child endangering
- Compelling prostitution
- Gross sexual imposition (against a victim under the age of 13)
- Illegal use of a minor in nude materials or performance
- Kidnapping an adult (a person aged 18 or older) to engage in a sexual act with the victim with their consent
- Kidnapping with sexual motivation
- Pandering obscenity involving a minor
- Pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor
- Soliciting another person to engage in a sexual act for hire if the person is under 16 years old or has a developmental disability
- Trafficking in person
- Any offense committed after the offender is classified as a Tier I offender
- Any attempt or conspiracy to commit any of these offenses
Tier I offenders are those who have pleaded guilty to or been convicted of a sex crime that is not a Tier III or Tier II offense. Tier I offense include:
- Child enticement with sexual motivation
- Gross sexual imposition
- Illegal possession or use of a minor in nude material or performance
- Importuning
- Menacing by stalking with sexual motivation
- Pandering obscenity
- Promoting prostitution
- Sexual imposition
- Unlawful restraint with sexual motivation
- Unlawful sexual content with a minor
- Voyeurism
- Any attempt or conspiracy to commit any of these offenses
Tier I child-victim-oriented offenses include:
- Abduction (with no sexual motivation)
- Child enticement (with no sexual motivation)
- Kidnapping (with no sexual motivation)
- Unlawful restraint (with no sexual motivation)
- Any attempt or conspiracy to commit any of these offenses
How Long Are You Required to Register as a Sex Offender?
How long you must register depends on your tier classification. While Tier III offenders are subject to registration for life, Tier II registration is only for 25 years (unless the offender is a juvenile and only has to register for 20 years). Tier I registration lasts for 15 years (unless the offense is a juvenile and only has to register for 10 years).
It is important to note that offenders can face serious consequences for failing to register. Specifically, you can be charged with a fifth-degree felony if the offense (that requires registration) is a felony or a first-degree misdemeanor.
Community Notification Requirements for Ohio Sex Offenders
Tier III offenders as well as those considered sexual predators will also be subject to community notification requirements, such as:
- Neighborhood notification, which alerts residential neighbors or a building manager and unit residents on the same hall (in multi-unit buildings) when an offender registers and lives within 1,000 feet of them.
- Community notifications, which alert other parties near an offender like schools, daycares, colleges, or public children’s services agencies.
If you or a loved one are under investigation or have been arrested for a sex crime, contact the attorneys at Bridges, Jillisky, Weller & Gullifer, LLC for help. With decades of combined experience and an excellent track record, our team is equipped to help you defend your rights and information. To schedule a free case review, contact our firm via phone (937) 403-9033 or online today.