Sex Offender Information
1. What is a Sex Offender?
A sex offender is any person who resides or works in the Commonwealth and
who has been convicted of a sex offense, or who has been adjudicated as a
youthful offender or as a delinquent juvenile by reason of a sex offense,
or a person released from incarceration or parole or probation supervision
or custody with the department of youth services for such conviction or
adjudication, or a person who has been adjudicated a sexually dangerous
person or a person released from civil commitment on or after August 1,
1981.
For a list of crimes that require registration please visit
www.state.ma.us/sorb/ and click on the Who Has to Register page.
Sex offenders will be classified according to the degree of dangerousness
they pose to the public and their likelihood for re-offense. An offender's
classification will be:
· Level 1 or "low risk" offender,
· Level 2 or "moderate risk" offender,
· Level 3 or "high risk" offender.
2. What is a Level 1 Sex Offender?
Level 1 Sex Offender - The designation given to a sex offender when it has
been determined that the risk of re-offense is low and the degree of
dangerousness posed to the public is not such that a public safety
interest is served by public access to information pertaining to the
offender.
Information on Level 1 offenders will not be available to the public.
Neither the police nor the Board have the authority to disseminate
information to the general public identifying a Level 1 sex offender.
3. What is a Level 2 Sex Offender?
Level 2 Sex Offender - The designation given to a sex offender when it has
been determined that the individual's risk of reoffense is moderate and
the degree of dangerousness posed to the public is such that a public
safety interest is served by public access to sex offender registry
information.
The public shall have access to the information regarding a Level 2 sex
offender through the Wenham Police Department and through the Sex Offender
Registry Board.
4. What is a Level 3 Sex Offender?
Level 3 Sex Offender - The designation given to a sex offender when it has
been determined that the individual's risk of re-offense is high and the
degree of dangerousness posed to the public is such that a substantial
public safety interest is served by active public dissemination (community
notification) of sex offender registry information.
5. Can a member of the public find out about sex offenders on the registry?
Yes, any person seeking sex offender information can make a request
through the Wenham Police Department or the Sex Offender Registration
Board. For more informat ion of how to obtain sex offender information,
please visit
http://www.state.ma.us/sorb/ and click on the link I nformation.
6. What will a registered offender have to do if he/she moves to a different
address within Massachusetts?
All sex offenders must registry by notifying the Board of his/her current
and new address by mail at least 10 days prior to moving to a different
city or town in the Commonwealth; or moving within the same city or town
in the Commonwealth.
7. What will an offender have to do if he/she moves into Massachusetts?
All sex offenders must register with the Board by mail within 2 days of
moving into the Commonwealth from another jurisdiction.
8. What will an offender have to do if he/she lives outside of
Massachusetts but works within the Commonwealth?
Sex offenders residing out of state but employed in the Commonwealth must
r egister with the Board by mail within 2 days of beginning employment.
9. What will an offender have to do if he/she changes his/her work address
or place of em p loyment within Massachusetts?
Sex offender must register by notifying the Board of the current and new
work address by mail at least 10 days prior to changing employment.
10. What will an offender have to do if he/she moves out of Massachusetts?
A sex offender is required to notify the Board of his/her new address by
mail at least 10 days prior to moving out of the Commonwealth.
11. What can happen to an offender if he/she fails to comply with the Sex
Offender Registration and Community Notification Act?
Sex offenders may be prosecuted for violating the law if they knowingly
fail to register, fail to verify registration information, fail to provide
notice of change of address or place of employment, or provide false
information.
