Changes made in sex offender law

    The Iowa law requiring sex offenders to register with the sheriff?s department in the counties where they reside has been improved by changes that go into effect on July 1, according to Barb Edmondson, Washington County Attorney.

    ?The purpose of the new bill was to fix some of the flaws in the previous bill and to be more effective in protecting children,? Edmondson said.

    The new law shifts the focus from where the registered sex offender resides to where the sex offender spends time. Edmondson said that previously, a person could hang out in areas where children spend time but the new law prohibits that unless the registered sex offender  has written permission from the person in charge of  that area.

    Exclusion zones include schools, child care facilities, public libraries, playgrounds, sports complexes, pools and beaches. A sex offender will not be allowed to be employed at or volunteer at fairs, carnivals, game arcades, schools, libraries, pools or beaches.

    The law establishes three tiers of offenders, with level one being regarded as the least serious and level three being the most likely to reoffend, particularly for crimes involving children.

    ?This is an acknowledgment that not everybody on the sex offender list is a predator or at high risk to reoffend,? Edmondson said.

    Those in the top two tiers must renew registration more frequently than in the past. Those in tier one will continue to register annually, while those in tier two must register every six months and those in tier three must register every three months. Anyone on the registry who changes address must change registration immediately.

    Edmondson said that the new registration contains more information on each person registered, including vehicle information and employment information.

    ?Anyone who is on the sex offender list needs to review the provisions of the law and seek legal counsel to ensure they are in compliance,? she said, ?It is their responsibility to comply and there are many new provisions.?

    Another new provision is the requirement that the registered sex offender notify the sheriff?s department of a place of residence even if it is temporary, such as at a motel or at a friend?s house.

    There is a trade-off with the new law in that it relaxed the ?2,000 foot rule? for those not in tier 3. The  rule  prohibits a sex offender from residing within 2,000 feet of a school or child care center.

For the full story, see the June 26 edition of The Washington Evening Journal