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Georgia Sex Offenders Laws
What is abuse in Georgia?
Sexual Abuse:
*Sexual abuse is a form of child maltreatment in which contacts or interactions (such as fondling, sodomy, penetration) occur between a child under 18 and the parent or caretaker, during which the child is being used for the sexual stimulation of that adult or another person.
*Sexual abuse may also be committed by a person under the age of 18 when that person is either significantly older than the victim or when the abuser is in a position of power or control over another child. When someone outside the child's family abuses a child. Georgia Child Protective Services must evaluate whether the parents permitted this to happen or neglected to supervise the child adequately.
Physical Abuse:
*Physical Abuse is injury to a child under the age of 18 by other than accidental means by a parent or caretaker which results in bruises, welts, fractures, burns, cuts, internal injuries, etc... Physical injury is defined as bodily harm or hurt.
Georgia Department of Human Services
Megan's Law is named after a 7-year-old Hamilton Township, New Jersey girl named Megan Nicole Kanka . On July 29, 1994, she was lured into her neighbor's home with the promise of seeing a puppy. Instead, Megan was brutally raped and murdered by a two-time convicted sex offender who had been convicted in 1981 of an attack on a 5-year-old child and an attempted sexual assault on a 7-year-old. (More details about this case here: Little Girl Lost .)
Eighty-nine days after Megan Kanka's disappearance, New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed the first state-level version of what we know as Megan's Law.
The passage of Megan's Law in New Jersey eventually led to the May 1996 passage of a federal law which is also known as Megan's Law.
New Jersey's Megan's Law has specific mandates for active community notification which ensures that the community will be made aware of the presence of convicted sex offenders who may pose a risk to public safety.
Under New Jersey's law, if a convicted sex offender is determined to pose a moderate risk of re-offending then schools and community groups likely to encounter that offender will be notified.
If an offender is determined to pose a high risk of re-offending, then schools, community groups and members of the public, such as neighbors who are likely to encounter the offender, will be notified.
Parents nationwide have been under the false impression that they, too, would be notified of a resident sexual predator, because of the false assumption that New Jersey's state law is the same as each individual state's law.
The federal version of Megan's Law is drastically different than New Jersey's version of Megan's Law. The federal law requires all 50 states to release information to the public about known convicted sex offenders when it is necessary to protect their safety but do not mandate active notification.
If a state fails to comply with minimal release of information standards established by the federal government, then that state risks losing federal crime-fighting funding.
The federal mandate to release information to the public is often mistakenly referred to as community notification when, in actuality, the federal mandate requires just the release of information to the public--not active notification.
There is a significant difference between simply releasing information (making it available for the public to access on its own) and active community notification, when law enforcement officers go door to door to inform neighbors and schools.
The federal Megan's Law does not require all 50 states to enact active notification laws, whereas New Jersey's Megan's Law has specific requirements for active community notification. Not all 50 states allow this data to be viewed on the internet as well.
GEORGIA LAW
Georgia General Assembly Code
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Contact Person: |
Laura Tate: 404-244-2770 option 5, then # 1; e-mail laura.tate@gbi.state.ga.us
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| Offenders Required to Register: |
Every convicted sex offender who has been released from prison or placed on probation parole or supervised release after July 1, 1996. |
| Information Collected: |
Fingerprints, photograph, name, physical description and current address; place of employment, if any; the crime of which convicted and date of conviction; and the date released from prison or placed on parole, supervised release, or probation. The school information is required also. |
| Administrating Agency: |
Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Department of Corrections, State Board of Pardons and Paroles, Private Probation Agencies, and Sheriff. |
| Timeframe for Registration: |
Within 10 days of release from prison, or supervised release, or probation start date; 10 days of any change (i.e., employment, school, or address). |
| Applies to Out of State Offenders: |
Yes |
| Duration of Requirement: |
As of July 1, 1999, every year for 10 years; sexual predators or those convicted for more than one sexual offense or aggravated offense, for life. |
| Verification of Address: |
Yes |
| Penalties for Non-Compliance: |
First offense is a felony. |
| Access to Information: |
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation or any sheriff maintaining records required under this Code section shall release relevant information collected under this Code section that is necessary to protect the public concerning persons required to register under this Code section, except that the identity of a victim of an offense that requires registration under this Code section shall not be released. |
| Confidentiality Provision: |
You can not release any information about the victim. |
| Number Registered: |
12, 419 as of 05/12/06 (The registry is updated daily.) |
The local group "Kids Deserve Justice" was founded shortly after FOXNews Bill O'Reilly started a petition for Jessica's Law to change the Sex Offender Law's nationally. We joined together to change our own state's laws. We want to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who worked so hard to get signed petitions and those of our representatives that were focused on doing what was right for protecting Georgia's children. Uniting together made a difference. As of April 26th, 2006 Governor Sonny Perdue announced on WCTV that Georgia legislation gets tough on sex predators. The new law was passed in July 2006.
Gov. Sonny Perdue signed legislation Wednesday afternoon designed to better protect the state's children from sexual predators.
Crimes of rape, sodomy and kidnapping of a child under age 14 would be punishable by life prison terms with no chance for parole for 30 years.
The bill also requires lifetime GPS monitoring of convicted sex predators and requires registration for life for all convicted sex offenders. Full Text of Bill Georgia State Prison Inmate Query Information: You May Use Thomas County (and, or) First Letter of Last Name. EF # through Georgia Department of Corrections V.I.P. Victim Information and Notification Everyday
ATTENTION V.I.N.E. SERVICES as of 06/30/07 NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Crime Victim Compensation Program Application Form
A Guide Through Georgia's Criminal System
1995 GA Legislature passed "Crime Victim's Bill of Rights"
Georgia Victims Rights
PREPARING A VICTIM'S STATEMENT PRIOR TO SENTENCING
A brief summary of harm or trauma suffered by the victim (lasting 3-5 minutes).
A summary for economic loss suffered by the victim as a result of the crime.
Victim's reaction or objections to proposed sentence.
A concise statement of what outcome the victim would like & reason to support opinion.
Highlights about the victim (past accomplishments, hopes for the future, & what the crime has done to curtail these activities)
The overall effect the critical incident of the crime has had on the victim & family.
Remember: do not repeat facts already presented.
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