When you are convicted of a sex crime in Virginia, not only must you serve a lengthy prison sentence, but you are also required to register as a sex offender. Unfortunately, being a registered sex offender can negatively affect employment, housing, and other life opportunities.
So how long does a convicted sex offender have to register? The answer depends on the crime.
Virginia uses a two-tier approach: violent and nonviolent offenses. The violent tier refers to those who are convicted of a “sexually violent offense” or murder if the murder victim was under 15 years of age or was under 18 and the murder was related to a sexual offense. The nonviolent tier refers to those convicted of any registerable sex crime that is considered not a sexually violent crime or manslaughter, if the death occurred due to contributing to the delinquency of a child, or the abuse and neglect of a child.
Individuals convicted of a sexually violent offense or a murder that requires registration must be on Virginia’s sex offender registry for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, there is no possible way a person can ever be relieved from the registry requirements.
By contrast, those who are convicted of any other sex crime, or manslaughter with a registration requirement, can petition to be removed from the registry after 15 years. However, if the person has been convicted of two registrable crimes, he/she must register for the rest of their life.
If you have been charged with a sex crime in Virginia Beach, our experienced legal team at The Law Offices of Daniel J. Miller are committed to helping you obtain the most favorable results possible. We understand the seriousness of a conviction and Virginia sex offender registration, so we will do our best to help you avoid these penalties.
Contact us and schedule a free consultation for more information today.