Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
Illinois is extremely hard on those convicted of sex crimes. In many cases, the law requires those convicted of sex crimes to register on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry, which is a public database. For any number of reasons, people fail to register or renew their registration, sometimes through no fault of their own. So, what happens if you do not register?
Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in Illinois
Failing to register as a sex offender in Illinois, or failing to renew your registration, means you can be charged with a Class 3 felony. If it is the second or subsequent time that you failed to register as a sex offender, or failed to renew your registration as a sex offender, then you can be charged with a Class 2 felony. This means that you will be required to spend a minimum of seven days in jail and pay a minimum fine of $500, although a Class 2 felony could carry a sentence of three to seven years.
The Sex Offender Registration Act takes it one step further. If you know or have reason to believe that somebody else has not registered as a sex offender, and do anything to help that person “lay low,” you can be charged with a Class 3 felony.
Failure to Register on the Federal Sex Offender Registry
There are many sex crimes that require registration of the National Sex Offender Registry if you are convicted. If you fail to register on the National Sex Offender Registry, you are in direct violation of the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and you can be prosecuted for committing a federal offense. Under 18 U.S.C. §2250, you can face a federal jail sentence of ten years for failing to register or update a registration as required.
Who is Required to Register as a Sex Offender?
Generally speaking, if you are required to register as a sex offender, you will be informed at sentencing. In most cases, anyone who is convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault, or predatory criminal sexual assault will be required to register after sentencing or at the conclusion of any prison term.
Other crimes that will land you on the registry include indecent solicitation of a child, sexual exploitation of a child, soliciting or patronizing a prostitute who is a juvenile, or keeping a place of juvenile prostitution, child pornography, and aggravated pornography. This is not an exhaustive list, but a good rule of thumb is that if you are charged with a sex crime and the alleged victim is under 18, or if you are convicted of a violent sex crime against a victim of any age, then if you are convicted, it is likely you will be required to register as a sex offender.
The Law Offices of David Freidberg Can Help You
Every case is different, and if you are facing charges for failure to register on the sex offender registry and you are in or around the Chicago or DuPage area, it is important to contact an experienced sex offender registry criminal defense attorney. Contact us today at 312-560-7100 or email us, and let us help you with your sex offender registry case.
