A person convicted of a sex crime in Texas may be ordered to register as a sex offender. Participation in the state’s sex offender registry program entails many things, including the requirement to provide certain information to the program.
Failure to comply with all elements and mandates of the sex offender registry program may result in a person facing additional charges.
Physical identifiers
As explained by the Texas Department of Public Safety, some information a registrant must provide includes details about the person’s physical characteristics. For example, a person must disclose his or her height, weight, hair color, eye color and even shoe size.
Digital identifiers
As most people today may have online identities, details about these must also be provided by a registrant. These include email addresses and social media profiles.
Location and contact identifiers
The sex offender registry program mandates that all participants disclose the addresses at which they live, work or attend school. In addition, all phone numbers used by the registrant must be provided to the program. These types of contact and location identifiers must be updated when any changes occur in the person’s life.
Recent case highlights realities of the failure to disclose information
A recent LMT Online story reported on the case of a man required to register as a sex offender and his alleged violation of the program’s requirements. According to the report, he failed to provide information about some of his online accounts, including an email address. After being arrested, the man posted bond. No information about any fines or additional penalties were provided.