Nebraska residents who have are charged with sex crimes know that they may be required to participate in the state’s sex offender registry program if they are ultimately convicted. However, some potentially unclear wording in the state’s laws have been causing some issues in a case that has made its way to a federal judge.
The basic law in Nebraska indicates that juveniles need not register as sex offenders unless they are convicted of sex crimes as adults. At the same time, another part of the state’s laws requires that any person registered as a sex offender in another state who eventually moves to Nebraska must also register as a sex offender in Nebraska.
At the age of 11, a boy was adjudicated of a sex crime in Minnesota and placed on the sex offender registry list. His registration was visible only by law enforcement. Now 13, he lives with family members in Nebraska. At issue was whether or not he would be required to register as a sex offender in Nebraska given that he was required to register in Minnesota. A Senior U.S. District Judge has ruled that the boy does not, in fact, need to register in Nebraska because he was originally adjudicated as a juvenile, not as an adult.
Cases like this illustrate how complex Nebraska’s criminal laws can be. Anyone who is arrested on suspicion of a sex crime may wish to consult with an attorney to better understand the criminal defense process, the laws and any potential penalties.