Tampa Sex Offender Registration

Do I Need to Register as a Sex Offender?

Without knowing the facts of your case, we cannot definitively say if you will be required to register as a sex offender. In Florida, criminal defendants have to register as sex offenders if they have been “convicted of a qualifying sexual offense in Florida or another jurisdiction,” according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. 

While this is not the complete list of registerable sex offenses, you will notice that many of these crimes involve young victims:

• Kidnapping a minor
• False imprisonment of a minor
• Luring or enticing a minor
• Human trafficking
• Unlawful sexual activity with a minor
• Trying to get a minor to engage in prostitution
• Selling or buying a minor for prostitution
• Selling or buying a minor for sex trafficking
• Child pornography-related offenses
• Sexual performance by a child under Sec. 827.071
• Sexual battery under Sec. 794.011 (not including subsection 10)
• Prohibited sexual misconduct under Sec. 393.135(2)
• Prohibited sexual misconduct under Sec. 394.4593(2)

Consequences of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

As a registered sexual offender in Florida, you are required to comply with the state’s registration requirements; if you don’t, you could be arrested. If you fail to re-register, or if you fail to update your driver’s license number within 48 hours of moving, or if you fail to comply with any other requirements, you could be charged with a felony.

Sexual Predator Registration Requirements

Under Section 775.21 of the Florida Statutes, a sexual predator is someone who has been found guilty of a sexually violent offense. To be considered a sexual predator, a person must also have a written court order that designates them as such. An individual can also be designated as a sexual predator under the Florida Jimmy Ryce Sexually Violent Predator Act, and if they have a written order from the court designated them as a sexual predator.

If the court determines that you are a “sexual predator” or a “juvenile sexual predator,” you will be required to report in person to your local Sheriff’s Office and register not once, but four times a year, beginning with the month of your birthday and every three months after that.  For example, if your month of birth is in January, and the court requires that you register FOUR times a year, you will have to register in: January, April, July, and October. On the other hand, if you have been named as a “sexual offender,” you are required to report to the Sheriff’s Office TWO to FOUR times a year, depending on the offense.

If the court designates someone as a sexual predator or a sexual offender, they must register as such for the rest of their life.

What Personal Information Must I Provide?

If you have been designated as a sexual offender or predator, you will be required to provide a significant amount of personal information about yourself, such as:

• Your name 
• Date of birth
• Photograph of yourself
• Your occupation and where you work
• Your residential address

All of your information, including your photo, address, and arrest data, will be public and available for anyone to read, including employers and civilians, who can access this data on the public registry website, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.