Being convicted of a sex offense in Illinois carries with it several consequences. A person may be sentenced to jail time, high fines, and will most certainly be required to register as a sex offender. The laws pertaining to sex offender registration in Illinois are complicated. They are also very harsh. In fact, a person may be required to register as a sex offender even when they do not have any convictions for a sexual offense. Due to the complexity of these laws, there are many misunderstandings surrounding them.

The information below will explain the most important aspects of the sex offender registration laws within the state. While this information is comprehensive, anyone accused of a sex offense should still contact an attorney that can review their case in more detail.

Crimes Requiring a Person to Register as a Sex Offender

All criminal charges need to be taken seriously. That being said, because of the penalties associated with sex crimes, those facing these charges are encouraged to seek professional representation immediately. Individuals who are charged with or convicted of a sexual offense, such as sexual assault or possession of child pornography, are likely to have a negative reputation that can follow them around forever. The stigma around alleged sex offenders is so powerful that it can be hard to shake this bad reputation, even if the defendant has been cleared of all charges. In the event a defendant is convicted of a sex crime, the consequences can be even worse. Sex crime convictions can carry a host of consequences, including significant jail time and being listed on the sex offender registry for the rest of your life. As such, you need an aggressive defense attorney who can protect your rights and your reputation.

Suppressing Evidence

Without evidence, there is generally no criminal case. Every crime and charge is different, but a criminal defense attorney will work tirelessly to suppress any evidence that is improperly collected against a defendant. Regardless of the crime or suspicion, everyone is entitled to their Constitutional rights. The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution gives individuals the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. If the collection of evidence violated your rights, this could be a large factor in preventing criminal charges from being brought.

Improper Police Conduct

In addition to making sure that a police officer has the proper search warrants to collect evidence, the police have other conduct-related requirements that they must follow. For example, entrapment can often be a defense in sex crime cases. Entrapment is a complex area of the law, but your attorney may be able to show that if the police had not enticed you to commit a crime, you would not have committed the alleged offense.

When an individual is convicted of committing a sex crime in the United States, he or she may be required to register as a sex offender. Each state (and the District of Columbia) maintains its own sex offender registry and has its own set of laws that specify who is required to register as a sex offender within the state. For example, the statute that specifies who is required to register as a sex offender in Illinois is spelled out in code section 730 ILCS 152/115. Furthermore, each state also separately specifies the circumstances under which a registered sex offender within the state can petition to havehis or her name removed from the registry.

Consider the following information regarding the limited circumstances under which an individual can petition to havehis or her name removed from Illinois’ sex offender registry. Additionally, it is important to note that each situation is unique and that anyone who is interested in filing such a petition should consult with a local Illinois criminal defense lawyer about the specifics ofhis or her individual case.

Who is Eligible to File a Petition?

A sex offender, simply put, is someone who has been convicted of, or plead guilty to, committing a sex crime (i.e. a crime involving sexual conduct or committed with a sexual motive). In the United States, many sex offenders are required to register with a local law enforcement agency due to the federal Wetterling Act.

The actrequires the states to implement sex offender registries aimed at gathering information about sex offenders living within their borders, and the corresponding state laws designed to fulfill this requirement (which are each commonly referred to as “Megan’s Law,” respectively).

Registration requirements vary a bit from state to state. However,to give you an idea about the circumstances under which an individual is generally required to register as a sex offender, the registration requirements for Illinois’ sex offender registry are briefly outlined below.

Google made big news recently when it announced its decision to remove nude or sexually explicit images posted on the internet without consent from its search results. The practice of posting private sexual images without the consent of the person in the pictures is commonly referred to as “revenge porn.” This name comes from the practice of jilted lovers posting intimate pictures of an ex once a romantic relationship has ended. Historically there were few laws governing this practice. However, Illinois recently passed a strict criminal law that deals with this issue.

Illinois Passed a Strict Law against Revenge Porn

In December of last year, former Governor Quinn signed a strict anti-revenge porn law into effect before leaving office. This law goes so far as to make it a felony to post sexually explicit photos or videos of another person online without his or her consent. This new law just went into effect on June 1. The crime is a Class 4 felony, which can be punished by one to three years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. Additionally, if a person who posts these images makes money off of them or receives any goods in exchange for posting them, the law requires that the money or goods be forfeited. The law does not just cover pornographic websites. It also prohibits the posting of these images without consent on other types of websites, including social media websites.