Do I Have to Register As a Sex Offender?

Not all sex crimes require the guilty individual to register as a sex offender. This means that even if you are convicted of a sex crime, you may still be able to protect your reputation, your career, and your future.

Many people are accused or convicted of a sex crime due to improper evidence, momentary mistakes, misinformed witnesses, misleading actions, and other frustrating circumstances.

If you are in a similar type of situation, you may be wondering what will happen to you. It is important that you seek proper counsel and defense during this time.

Outline of Tennessee Sex Offender Registration Law

Will you have to register as a sex offender in Tennessee? If you were convicted of a crime in another state do you have to register in Tennessee as well? These are all common questions that many individuals face when accused/convicted of a sex crime.

To answer these questions, it is important to first take a look at the laws surrounding Tennessee's Sex Offender Registry.

The state requires offenders who plead guilty to a certain number of offenses or equivalent offenses in other jurisdictions to register.

If your crimes don't require registration in Tennessee but call for registration in other states, you may still be required to register in certain cases.

For more severe cases, you may be required to register for life, while other convictions may only force you to do so for a 10 year period.

How Long Do Sex Offenders Have to Register in Tennessee?

It is the responsibility of the sex offender to get their name on the list. Sex offenders in Tennessee have 10 days to fill out a form to get their name on the registry.

Within 10 days, you must:

• Following a 10-day release from prison
• In the 10 days following your release from probation or parole

After moving residences, a sex offender has only 48 hours to resubmit the registration form.

Registration deadlines must be met or you could be charged with a Class E felony and sentenced to additional jail time. A $150 registration fee is also required of the sex offender.

What Crimes Require Sex Offender Registration?

In Knoxville, Tennessee, there are certain crimes that will require you to register as a sex offender if convicted, including:

• Aggravated sexual assault
• Rape
• Attempted sexual assault
• Soliciting prostitution of an adult or child
• Indecency with a child (contact or exposure)
• Possession/distribution of child pornography

There are other sex crime charges that are not as common but may still lead to a requirement to register, such as incest. If you fail to register or update your records, you could be facing even more serious charges, including felony offenses.