Convicted Denver sex offenders must register with a national database

Convicted sex offenders must register

Aside from jail time and penalties, one of the consequences of being convicted of a sex crime in Denver is that an offender will be added to a national Sex Offender Registration database.

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 created a national sex offender registration system.  It is called the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) and created a more comprehensive way to monitor and track sex offenders after they are released into a community.

Administered by the Department of Justice, registration information is added to a comprehensive database that includes important information about convicted sex offenders.  It is made available to local and federal authorities and to the public, listing the offender’s name, address and past offenses.  The national database pulls information from all 50 states, U.S. territories and federally recognized Indian tribes.

What to know about registering in Colorado

It is up to the convicted offender to first register with their local law enforcement agency.  This registration will then be transferred automatically to the national registry.  It is up to the offender to register and update required information to keep it current.  This includes information on where they live, work and attend school, among other things.  Not doing so is considered a federal and state crime and can bring severe penalties.

Colorado sex offenders may have the ability to petition the court to be removed from the sex offender registry.

Colorado law enforcement agencies have created a search engine that people can use to see if sex offenders are living in their communities.  The link to the site is https://www.sotar.us/apps/sotar/initPublicIndexRedirect.do