A criminal conviction related to a sex crime carries with it many penalties. Individuals charged with and convicted of sex crimes such as rape, sexual assault or statutory rape often face time behind bars, years of probation and mandatory inclusion on a sex offender registry.
An individual who is forced to register as a sex offender has many restrictions on where he or she is allowed to travel, live and work. Additionally, inclusion in a sex offender registry may result in an individual being openly discriminated against when attempting to apply for employment or housing. In most states, individuals convicted of sex crimes are required to register as a sex offender for life.
Roughly 25 years ago, a 19-year-old man was arrested for having consensual sex with his 17-year-old girlfriend. In the state in which the man lived, the mere two-year difference in age equated to statutory rape and the man subsequently faced criminal charges. Today, the man is still dealing with the negative repercussions of the sex crime conviction.
At the time of his conviction, the man was ordered to register as a sex offender for his entire life. Under the terms governing sex offender registration, the man was required to provide annual updates related to his address and other personal identification information. For the years, 1991 through 2012, however, the man failed to abide by the sex offender register laws.
In 2012, state prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against the man. In response, the man has claimed that, given the nature of the sex crime, the lifetime inclusion clause violates his constitutional rights. The matter has yet to be decided by the presiding court.
North Carolina residents who are facing criminal charges related to sex crimes would be wise to take such charges seriously. A conviction of a sex crime can adversely impact an individual’s personal and professional life in a number of ways.
Source: Courthouse News Service, “He’s Not a Sex Offender, Married Man Says,” William Dotinga, Dec. 23, 2013
