Texas Sex Offender Laws
Posted by Becca
Like the rest of the states, the Texas sex offender laws have two main parts meant to protect people. The first part refers to the victims during the criminal proceedings related to their case and the second part refers to informing the public about convicted sex offenders who have been released from prison and who are living in their communities.
The first part of the Texas sex offender laws refers to the rights that victims are granted through the state during the criminal proceedings of those accused in their cases. These rights include the right to be respected, the right to be informed of important events in the criminal proceedings, the right to be present at public hearings and the right to be heard (such as during the sentencing and parole hearings).
The second part of the Texas sex offender laws stems from a federal law that requires all states to have a sex offender registry to help keep the public informed about convicted sex offenders. The federal laws do allow each state to define their own parameters in regards to this registry, however. In Texas, all convicted sex offenders must register with the state within seven days of being released from prison or changing address. When registering with the state, the convicted sex offenders must provide his or her name, aliases, date of birth, physical description, driver’s license number, photograph, fingerprints and a description of his or her offense. Failure to comply with the requirements of the state’s sex offender registry results in a felony.
The Texas sex offender laws also make the information on the registry accessible to the public. The state will inform communities when convicted sex offenders move into the communities and people can also contact their local law enforcement agencies for information on registered sex offenders.
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