If my child is convicted of a sex offense, is there a registration requirement?

If your child lives, works, carries on a vocation, or goes to school in Washington State and has been found to have committed or has been convicted of any sex offense or kidnapping offense, they must register as a sex offender. This registration must also be reported to any school or college that they attend. If your child fails to register, they will face additional charges. A conviction could result in jail time and extend the time period that they are required to register.

Will my child have to register as a sex offender forever?

If a person is convicted of a Class A felony or has a prior sex offense conviction, the duty to register will continue indefinitely. A person convicted of certain Class B felonies will have a duty to register for 15 years, which could be extended if they have been convicted of a subsequent offense. A person convicted of certain Class C felonies will have a duty to register for 10 years, which could be extended if they have been convicted of an additional offense.

Can Good Behavior Reduce the Registration Requirement?

In WA State, a convicted juvenile sex offender may petition the court to remove the registration requirements if they meet the following requirements. For Class A or kidnapping offenses (committed at age 15 or older), a defendant may petition the court for relief of duty to register if at least 60 months have passed, the defendant has not had any subsequent convictions, and the offender has been sufficiently rehabilitated.

For all other offenses, a defendant may petition the court for relief of duty to register if at least 24 months have passed, the defendant has not had any subsequent convictions, and the offender has been sufficiently rehabilitated. It is important to have an attorney making arguments during these proceedings, as the relief from registration is entirely up to the discretion of the judge.

What factors will the judge take into account when deciding whether or not to remove the sex offender registration requirement?

In determining whether the juvenile has been sufficiently rehabilitated, the court will consider the nature of the offense, the number of victims, any subsequent criminal history, the offender’s compliance with supervision requirements, the length of time that has passed since the incident, opinions of probation and treatment providers, participation in sex offender treatment, participation in any other treatment, stability in housing and employment, the offender’s community and personal support system, risk assessments prepared by a qualified professional, any polygraph examinations, input from the victim, and any other factors that may be relevant.

What services does your law firm provide?

  1. We handle the entire juvenile criminal process, from the time a juvenile is accused of a sex crime to the resolution of the case.
  2. We help people who are trying to remove sex offender registration requirements that are the result of a juvenile sex crime conviction.
  3. We help people seal juvenile records.

We are a Seattle based law firm that represents juveniles in the Puget Sound, including the courts of Seattle, Bellevue, Everett, Tacoma, and Olympia, Washington. Contact our office today for a free consultation.