Senate Approves Measures To Keep Sex Offenders From Falling Through Cracks In Registration

OKLAHOMA CITY - The full Senate has approved a measure aimed at making sure the state's sex offender registration list is a more accurate reflection of where Oklahoma's four-thousand convicted sex offenders actually live. That's according to Glenn Coffee, Senate author of House Bill 1351.

"The idea of a state wide sex offender registry is to give schools, youth organizations and individuals access to information about where convicted sex offenders live. Obviously, if you find out you have a convicted child molester living in your area, you are going be extra careful about making sure your children are aware of that situation, and that they stay clear of that individual," said Senator Coffee.

Under current law, convicted sex offenders are supposed to notify local law enforcement after the move to a new location. Unfortunately, some of those individuals move and do not re-register.

"This bill would require them to notify the Department of Corrections and local law enforcement at least three days before they move. If they don't, it would be a felony and they could wind up back in jail for another five years. They could also be fined for up to $5,000 for failing to give the proper notification before moving," explained Coffee.

"Having a statewide sex offender registry doesn't make sense unless it is kept as up to date and accurate as possible. Hopefully this legislation will help make sure we're keeping track of where these four-thousand convicted sex offenders are living," said Coffee.

The bill has already been approved by the full House of Representatives, and now goes to Governor Frank Keating for his approval.