Legal Question in Criminal Law in Massachusetts

Sex Offender Registration Requirement

Is possession of child pornography an offense that requires registrating on the Massachusetts State Sex Offender Registry? It is a gross misdemeanor in the state of Minnesota, where I was convicted (I entered a plea of no contest and am appealing the search warrant). I was not sentenced to any jail time, nor was I accused of any improper actions on or with a child. I was under the impression that it is does require registration in Massachusetts, but when I read the statute it does not include that crime on the list of predicate offenses. If it is, what is the procedure for registering (I am also under the impression that there is a backlog, which would give me time to complete the appeal process)Furthermore, if it does require registration, would it be advisable to retain the services of an attorney to facilitate the process? Thank you.


Asked on 6/14/99, 1:20 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Thomas Workman Law Offices of Thomas Workman

Re: Sex Offender Registration Requirement

The sex offender registry is but one area you need to be concerned about. There is a new requirement for the submission of DNA samples, and I believe that child pornography is one of the enumerated crimes for this statute. These statutes are not very forgiving, if you do not comply. Failure to register for the sex offender registry is an arrestable offense, for example.

Your status on the child pornography charge is a bit confusing. You may want to get a copy of your criminal record from Minnesota, just to make sure there are no other entries that require any registration in Massachusetts. If there are mistakes, which can happen, you want to get these cleared up before they create a problem for you.

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Answered on 6/28/99, 5:25 pm


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