Information on Ohio's Sexual Offender Law
What exactly is a sexual offender?
Anyone convicted of the following offenses must register as a sex offender in Ohio:
Rape, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition - regardless of the age of the victim;
Kidnapping, abduction, unlawful restraint, criminal child enticement, corruption of a minor, compelling prostitution, endangering children - when victim is under the age of 18.
Pandering obscenity of a minor, pandering sexually orientated material of a minor, illegal use of minor in nudity-orientated material or performing sex acts.
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Aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, kidnapping, involuntary manslaughter - When the purpose of the crime is to gratify sexual needs of the perpetrator.
Any sexually violent offense
Former or comparable statutes
Attempt; Complicity, Conspiracy of any of the above offenses.
What does Ohio law require a sexual offender to do?
Sexual offenders may not reside within 1000 feet of any school premises. Among other things, Sexual offenders must register their residence information with the county sheriff within five days of arrival if staying for more than five days at the residence.
I recently recognized a sexual offender at the Dublin Irish Festival and called the police. Was that the right way to handle the situation?
Sexual offenders are still permitted to be in public places. There is nothing against the law about a sexual offender attending a public event. Sexual offenders are prohibited from living within 1000 feet of any school premises.
The other day, I saw a sexual offender walking in our public park in Upper Arlington. Isn't that against the law?
No, not at all. Sexual offenders are permitted to walk in public parks just like individuals convicted of murder, theft, battery, and other crimes.
Are sexual offender laws really effective?
Sexual offender laws are probably not very effective at all. If anything, lawmakers have enacted to them to appease their consituents. Nothing prohibits a sexual offender from driving to a school and sitting outside the school all day and all night for that matter. I imagine a sexual offender could even use the school's facilities and attend public events at the school. The prohibition on sexual offenders living within 1000 feet of a school completely ignores the advent of the automobile which, since its introduction, has always been able to traverse 1000 or more feet with ease.
Will Ohio's new law on sexual offenders stick around?
No. A Cuyahoga Country Judge has already that the new requirements are unlawful because they increase punishment without a court hearing and are retroactively applied to sex offenders whose crimes were committed before the law passed in 2007. The judge described the law's intention as "to punish and ostracize this unpopular group," rather than enhance public safety. The law "goes beyond mere 'official archives of criminal records' into a system that effectively ostracizes offenders and subjects the offenders to harassment and ridicule as well as potential abuse," Judge Suster wrote.
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