How to Conduct an Ohio Sex Offender Search

Incidents of rape, child molestation, and other sex offenses have been on the rise all throughout the United States of America. The signing of the Megan’s Law by President Clinton in 1996, now requires that all the states, including Ohio, maintain a sex registry of the offenders convicted of sex offenses.

This information is required to be made public, and it is a means of assisting the public to take necessary precautions against the predators, residing within the boundaries of Ohio.

Studies show that there were a total of 18,006 sex offenders registered with the state as of 4/6/2009.

Ohio Sex Offender Registry

All sex offenders found guilty by the Ohio are required to register themselves in the Ohio Sex Offender Registry. This statute is applicable to all convicts that were released after January 1, 1997, regardless of the time of their sentence.

The offenders are categorized into several tiers, depending on the severity of their crime. The state of Ohio has adopted the AWA legislation, which came into effect in January 2008. The fingerprints and DNA reports are collected from the individuals in addition to the details of their offense and physical description.

The State Bureau of Criminal Investigations as well as the sheriff departments of the individual counties are required to maintain the sex offender registry for the state. Every offender is required to register within 3 working days of their release from state-held facilities or of entering the state of Ohio, as applicable. Any change of address is also required to be notified to the local law enforcement agency within the same time span of 3 days.

Conducting a Sex Offender Search in Ohio

One of the most prominent resources for locating and tracking down a sex offender in Ohio is to access the ESORN, or Ohio's Electronic Sex Offender Registration and Notification system online at http://www.esorn.ag.state.oh.us/Secured/p1.aspx .

ESORN assists by keeping you informed by means of an automated message whenever a sex predator moves to your area, and it is useful to help you take the necessary measures in order to prevent any untoward occurrence. For example, it is helpful in checking out the background of a prospective daycare provider or a live in nanny, and it is now also possible by going through the various online links provided within the resource.

Conducting a Search for Most Wanted Sex Offenders

Although it is mandatory for every sex offender to register himself in the sex registry, according to the laws of the state, a few offenders might fail to register themselves, making you miss important information about these offenders. However, you can log in to the ‘Most Wanted’ (http://www.esorn.ag.state.oh.us/Secured/p22_2.aspx?s=MW) section of the resource in order to gain requisite information about all the unregistered sex offenders, while conducting an Ohio sex offender search. Most of the persons listed within this section are well known predators, having the record of committing multiple offenses against children.

A total of 10 results can be obtained from each page, and you have the additional facility of printing the results out as well. A search by name or county is possible, and each of them will return a list of offenders who are regarded as fugitives at present.

Searching for Registered Sex Offenders

Finding a registered sex offender, on the other hand, can be done by conducting a search at http://www.esorn.ag.state.oh.us/Secured/p21_2.aspx. The database of the Ohio enforcement system can be searched by either the first or the last name of the offender. The results will be effectively limited if you select the name of the county and the school district as well.

There is also an additional facility for viewing a map of sex offenders, residing within a mile of the area of your residence. For this, you will need to enter the name of the street and the city in order to check out the number of offenders in your vicinity.

It's important to note that persons who have been arrested as suspected sex offenders need not register themselves in the sex offender registry unless the arrest results in a conviction.

The duration of the requirement varies, according to the offense, with a tier-1 offender being registered annually for a period of 15 years, a tier-2 offender being registered every 180 days for 25 years, and a tier-3 offender being registered every 90 days for a total of 99 years.

Sex offenders register themselves on a yearly basis for a period of 10 years whereas the sex predators need to register themselves every 90 days for life.

Sex offenders charged with misdemeanors are charged with the same kind of offense if they fail to register themselves in the Ohio Sex Offender Registry. Likewise, a case of felony is registered if a sex offender, guilty of a felony, tries to escape registration.

Recently Released Sex Offenders

A list of recently released sex offenders can be viewed by accessing the resource at http://www.esorn.ag.state.oh.us/Secured/p22_2.aspx?s=RO. The list contains information on sex offenders, who have been released recently from state incarceration and have not registered themselves with any county sheriff as yet. Their last known address and the county of their residence can be checked out from the list.

Access to Sex Offender Information

A written notification of all tier-2 and tier-3 sex offenders, residing within the state of Ohio, is provided to the residents of the offender’s school district, local law enforcement agencies, and all residents, residing within a radius of 1000 feet of the criminal’s residential address.

The heads and administrative authorities of the local educational institutions are informed as well. The general public, residing in the state of Ohio can also view details of all registered sex offenders by accessing the official resource at http://www.ag.state.oh.us. 

The Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (or OHLEG) can also be contacted by calling their help desk at (866) 406-4534.
Information is also available via e-mail at ohlegsupport@ohioattorneygeneral.gov.

The Attorney General for Ohio can be personally contacted at 30 E. Broad St., 17th Floor, Columbus, OH, 43215 in case you need additional information about the sex offenders of Ohio.