Being convicted of a sexual offense in Missouri can result in penalties beyond jail time, including the requirement to register as a sex offender. The kinds of convictions for which a person must register include kidnapping, sexual assault, promoting prostitution, sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.
Generally, individuals required to register as sex offenders must do so for life, unless the conviction is overturned or a court approves removal from the registry. In Missouri, a person convicted of a sex crime must register within three days of being convicted or released from prison. If the person is sentenced to probation, then the three-day rule still applies.
An individual convicted of a sex crime in another state also has three days to register with authorities after moving into Missouri. Even if a convicted sex offender lives, works or goes to school in Missouri part-time, then that person must still register. “Part-time” is defined by state law as seven days within a period of 12 months.
Missouri law also requires DNA samples and other identifying information from individuals convicted of sex offenses. The Missouri State Highway Patrol provides full lists of the required identifying information and the types of offenses that require sex offender registration.
While few kinds of crimes evoke stronger emotions than sex offenses, these cases often result from complicated circumstances, and arriving at the facts of the matter may require extensive investigation from a criminal defense attorney. The prosecution will have its side of the story, and every person accused of a sex crime has the right to tell their side, as well.
