New Changes to California Criminal Laws Regarding Registration as a Sex Offender

For the last 18 years, the sections in the California Penal Code that deal with sex offenders have added more and more registration requirements. Law that used to be a single paragraph in one section of the Penal Code now exists in multiple penal code sections (California Penal Code Sections 290-294). In total, these penal code sections span about 10 pages, single-spaced, 8 pt type!

 For example, in 2013, California Penal Code 290.015 now requires registered sex offenders to provide the California Department of Justice all “internet identifiers” within 24 hours of a change, such as E-mail addresses, ISP addresses and user names. This is in addition to the usual requirements of notifying the State when the person moves, changes jobs, registers a new vehicle, etc.

Does this mean that the registered sex offender must also provide the state Department of Justice with his or her password? This law also requires a registered sex offender to disclose employment information. If that is the ultimate result, it could result in problems with employers who do not want their proprietary e-mail information disclosed.

While that may sound good to most people, one must remember that in California, many people are cast into the Megan’s Law net. For example, a person may be considered a sex offender in California if he or she sent “harmful matter” (such as “sexting” as defined by California Penal Code section 288.2) to a minor when the offender was barely over 18 himself!

It may simply be that the state of California does not want registered sex offenders using the internet at all!

If you or someone you know have been accused of a crime, arrested, or contacted by police, contact San Jose criminal defense attorney Maureen Baldwin at (408) 279-4450 to learn your options today!