The National Sex Offender public website

A previous blog post discussed the Massachusetts sex offender registration requirements. Sex offenders convicted of certain offenses must comply with Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Law which requires them to report personal details such as their names, addresses, height, weight and date of birth. Sex offenders who are classified as Level 2 or 3 must also provide fingerprints and photographs taken by local police. This information is not only available to Massachusetts residents; the National Sex Offender Registry makes the information public to everyone in the United States.

The National Sex Offender Public Registry was established in 2005 and then renamed the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website in honor of a college student from North Dakota who was kidnapped and murdered by a Minnesota-registered sex offender. The first of its kind, the NSOPW provides the pubic with nationwide sex offender data. The U.S Department of Justice, state, territorial and tribal governments all work together to provide this resource.

Anyone can access this national search site to identify information on sex offenders in their communities as well as those in nearby communities and other states. The search tool allows visitors to search for sex offender information by name, address, zip code, county or city. Each Jurisdiction provides and hosts the information according to its own laws and this information is not modified by NSOPW or the federal government.

The website also provides information about sexual abuse and self-protection, including how to talk to children about sexual abuse, recognizing sexual abuse, common questions, resources and materials, facts and statistics and help and support for victims. Massachusetts maintains a website of Level 2 sex offenders classified after July 12, 2013 and Level 3 sex offenders who may be convicted of federal crimes like kidnapping.