Sex offenders in the state of Pennsylvania are required to register their personal information to the state in order to remain compliant with Megan’s Law. The sex offender registry in PA is populated by the data that the offenders provide. Information such as names, aliases, addresses, workplaces, offenses, and a recent photograph of the face is available as public information and can easily be accessed by the citizens of the community.
PA Sex Offender Classifications
Sex offenders in PA are classified into three groups that are based on the probability of them being a danger to society and the people around them. The degree of their sexual offenses determines the risk factor and how they will be handled. There are tier one sexual offenses, their two sexual offenses, and tier three sexual offenses. The time that will be required for a sex offender to stay registered will depend on the tier of the sex offense that they were convicted for.
For tier one sex offenders the requirement for the length of registration is fifteen years, and the offender needs to update their information once a year. For tier two sex offenders the required length of registration is 25 years, and the offender is required to update their information every six months. For tier three sex offenders, they will remain registered for their entire lifetime and are required to update their information every three months.
The PA Sex Offender Registry
The Pennsylvania sex offender registry is also known as the PA Megan’s Law website. It is located on the Pennsylvania state website. In order to access the registry, you must first agree to the terms of the site, which are you are not allowed to threaten, intimidate, or harass the registrant or their family. The information that the registry provides is only for the purpose of knowledge. The PA sex offender registry is in place so that the citizens of the state can have access to information that will allow them to know whether or not they are associating with known sex offenders.
When you visit the Pennsylvania State Police website, after you accept the terms of the visitation, you will find the offender search button at the top left of the page. From there you can conduct searches based on name, zip code, city, county, or area.
Why Sex Offender Registries Exist
In 1996 a seven-year-old girl by the name of Megan Kanka went out to play on a nice day, but never returned home. Instead, she was brutally kidnapped, sexually assaulted, then murdered by a man that lived across the street from her. The man that committed the crime had just been released from prison for sexually assaulting other children. Megan’s parents had no idea that the person that moved into the home across the street was a convicted child molester, and was a terrible danger to society. Megan’s Law came into effect not long after her death. The law made it so that the general public has a right to know when sex offenders live near them and their loved ones. Sex offender registries provide the kind of information that saves lives.
***Registered Offenders List is a free online resource that strives to offer helpful content and resources to its visitors regarding registered sex offenders that live near you.
