MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - Residents now have an upgraded tool to find registered sex offenders in their area. The governor unveiled a more comprehensive online sex offender registry Monday. The legislative-passed changes include more descriptive information about the offenders and the offenses.
The registry now includes offenders' names and any aliases, dates of birth, home and work addresses and vehicle information. Physical characteristics like height, weight, and eye color as well as special identifiers, like tattoos and scars, are also included on the Web site. Offenders not in compliance with registration requirements are identified by a red exclamation point. "We are not going to tolerate people not being compliant," said Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee Summit. "We are going to bring them to justice and although they are out, and may have paid the price for whatever their original offense is, they have an on-going obligation to the public to remain compliant with our sex offender registry laws." The updates to the registry were implemented due to a law passed by the General Assembly earlier this year and signed by Gov. Blunt in June. The law created stricter sentencing requirements for certain offenders and established consent is not a defense for any sex offense involving a child under 12. The law also required the Missouri Highway Patrol to operate a toll-free telephone number for residents without Internet access to call to obtain information regarding registered sex offenders. The number, answered by employees of the state highway patrol, was also unveiled Monday at the press conference. The updated registry also includes a map function that allows users to find sexual offenders living or working within 1,000 feet to 15 miles of any address. "That will be a significant improvement," Blunt said. "I've actually used the registry myself as a parent, and it does take a little bit of thought when you look at all those addresses to figure out how close some of those sexual offenders might be to your home." But not all registered sexual offenders will have to provide the new information. In June the state Supreme Court ruled sexual offenders convicted before the list was created in 1995 are not required to register. The Boone County sheriff's office also keeps an online sex offender registry. Major Tom Reddin of the Boone County Sheriff's office, said the Internet site is very popular. More than 20,700 visitors have been to the site since the beginning of the year. The Website includes the name, address, offense type, victim type, map and photo of registered sexual offenders living in the county. "It's a pretty accurate and comprehensive list I think by any standards in the state," Reddin said. The information on the Web site stays up to date. "Anytime the information is amended, changed, taken out or added to our system it is a live update to the website," Reddin said. "So if somebody moved out of our jurisdiction and they notified us of their move out of our jurisdiction as soon as we enter that information into our system their name is taken off the Web site registry". To access the state's Sex Offender Registry site go to: www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/CRID/SOR/SORPage.html. Toll free number 1-888-SOR-MSHP (1-888-767-6747) M-F 7 A.M- 7 P.M. For the Boone County Sheriff Department's Registered Offender's List visit: http://www.showmeboone.com/SHERIFF/.