South Carolina Sex Offender Laws
Posted by Becca
Similar to the other states, the South Carolina sex offender laws have two main parts. The first part is meant to protect victims throughout the criminal proceedings of those accused in their case and the second part is meant to protect the public from convicted sex offenders.
The first part of the South Carolina sex offender laws can also be referred to as a victim’s bill of rights. It grants the victims of sex crimes certain rights to help protect them during the court proceedings such as the right to be respected, the right to be informed when the accused is arrested and/or released or has escaped, the right to be informed of and to be heard at all hearings affecting bond or bail, pleas and sentencing, and the right to be reasonably protected from the accused. All of these rights are guaranteed to victims as long as granting these rights does not interfere with the rights of the accused in the case.
The second part of the South Carolina sex offender laws refers to what happens when convicted sex offenders are released from prison. Federal law requires that all states have a sex offender registry available to the public, but each state is free to define the parameters of its individual registry. In South Carolina, those convicted of certain sex crimes are required to register with the state within 24 hours of release from prison, within ten days of entering the state and within 10 days of changing address. The convicted sex offenders who need to register with the state must provide the state with their name, a photo and a description of the crime. Failure to comply with the requirements of the South Carolina sex offender registry results in a mandatory 90-day sentence for the first offense, a one-year sentence for the second offense and a 1-5 year sentence for the third offense.
According to the South Carolina sex offender laws, the general public can access the information on the sex offender registry by petitioning their county sheriff.
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