Washington Sex Offender List Information

Megan's Law was signed in 1996 by President Clinton; the law requires every state in the US to protect its residents from sex predators. In the years before this law was passed, citizens' groups would sometime take it upon themselves to inform communities about the sex offenders living in their neighborhoods; the law has created a systematic and state-run process for identifying sex offenders and notifying citizens of their presence. The state of Washington had already passed the Washington State Community Protection Act of 1990, but has experienced considerable success with the passing of Megan's Law.

Megan’s Law makes it necessary for all states to maintain a list of known sex offenders residing within the state boundaries. The various law enforcement agencies of Washington are entrusted with making such information public. This helps in safeguarding vulnerable citizens, especially young children, from becoming victims of sex offenses. The Washington sex offender list can prove useful to parents and guardians wishing to protect their children.

Who is a Sex Offender?

All offenders convicted of sex crimes are required to register with the Washington sex offender list, regardless of their residential and employment status in the state of Washington. Kidnapping with the intent of sexual abuse is also treated as a sexual offense. Juvenile offenders and persons acquitted of sex offense charges on grounds of insanity are still required to register as sex offenders. The Washington sex offender registry includes underage offenders in its records.

Laws Regarding Sex Offender Registration

Those registering as sex offenders must provide detailed personal information, such as name, aliases, date and place of birth, details of the conviction, and the location of the crime. The offender's social security number and photograph are basic requirements of registration. Fingerprints are kept in the record as an indisputable means of proper identification.

Every offender convicted of sexual offenses by the judicial system of Washington is expected to register within 24 hours of their release from prison or a correctional facility. Any change in residential address of a sex offender must be reported to the local law enforcement authorities. The term of registration varies according to the severity of the crime. Class A offenders are the most serious, and must register for life; Class B and Class C offenders must register for 15 and 10 years, respectively.

Accessing Information on Sex Offenders

The state of Washington places the safety of the general public above the privacy of sex offenders, and thus reveals detailed information about the offenders on the registry. The public is also allowed access to information on offenders who have failed to register. Local police departments as well as the sheriff’s department located in each county are required to provide sex offender details to citizens on request. The Sex/Kidnapping Offender Registration Team can be contacted at 360-534-2000 for more information.