Tennessee residents who have wondered what may happen if they are accused of a sex crime have good reason to be concerned. A criminal charge can have a long-lasting effect on a person’s life. If convicted, a defendant may find it difficult to get a job or a place to live as the conviction will appear on any background check that is performed. In addition, the social stigma associated with criminal histories may impede positive social relationships and connectedness.
People who are convicted of sex-related crimes may be required to register as sex offenders. The registry first began 21 years ago in 1995. At that time, many offenses involved hardcopy child pornography. The advent of the internet may well have facilitated some changes in how many of these types of crimes are alleged. Since its inception, the number of people in sex offender registry program has grown to include over three times what it once had.
Once a person is forced to register as a sex offender, they may be required to do so for life if the conviction was for a crime deemed to be violent. Other defendants may eventually be able to get off the sex offender registry. While registered as a sex offender, defendants continually face the prospect that people could locate them there. That is what happened to one man who was a softball umpire.
People who are accused of sex crimes may wish to seek legal advice on how to deal with such charges. Proper guidance may be helpful in knowing how to proceed in the face of criminal offenses.
Source: WBRC.com, “Tennessee sex offender registry triples in size over 20 years,” April 22, 2016
