Megan's Lawbreakers Sex offender: 'There has to be a better way'

Posted: Sunday, February 23, 2014

The newest changes in Megan’s Law reporting requirements have hit some registered sex offenders hard.

Like one 32-year-old Lower Bucks man who didn’t want to be identified. Overnight he became a high-risk lifetime sex offender.

The man was two years away from completing his 10-year Megan’s Law reporting requirement last year, when Pennsylvania implemented the tougher federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

He had been convicted of attempted indecent sexual assault and indecent assault when he was 19. Both victims were teens under 18.

Under SORNA, indecent sexual assault is one of 10 crimes that merit lifetime registration. An individual is placed in Tier 3, which included the most heinous sex crimes, also for two or more convictions of Tier 1 or Tier 2 crimes.

Until December 2012, the man was required to update state police with information, including home and work addresses and vehicle information and be photographed once a year. Now he is required to do report four times a year.

The single father who has shared custody of his children said he attends a sex offender therapy group once a month. Last year he moved to his parents’ home worried about what might happen if he fell out of compliance and ended up in jail.

When he received the Pennsylvania State Police letter in December 2012 notifying him of the new reporting requirements, he was confused.

“I just don’t get how you can change what I pleaded to,” he said. “I get what they’re trying to do, but there has to be a better way.”

Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181; email: jciavaglia@calkins.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia