Henry County Youth Minister Convicted of Child Molestation

A former youth minister in Jonesboro has been convicted of four counts of child molestation in Henry County. Reports show that he has been sentenced to thirty years in prison this past week. He is then to serve thirty more years on probation once he is released and will be required to register as a sex offender with the Georgia Sex Offender Registry.

Child molestation cases have been taking over the news recently. As a Georgia Sex Crimes Lawyer, instead of outlining the law behind child molestation in today's post - I will outline what happens when a convicted sex offender fails to comply with registering in the state of Georgia.

Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in Georgia

There are certain crimes which require the individual (if convicted of the crime) to register as a Sex Offender in Georgia. These offenses include but are not limited to:

• Aggravated Child Molestation in Georgia
• Aggravated Sodomy
• Public Indecency in Georgia
• Rape in Georgia
• Sexual Assault in Georgia

As I mentioned above, the list is not exclusive. There are many other offenses that can lead to the necessary registration to the Official Sex Registry List.

According to the Georgia Code, in O.C.G.A. §42-1-12, the criminal offense of failure to register as a sex offender in Georgia is outlined as violating the any of the following rules regarding registration:

1. Provide the required information to the appropriate law enforcement official before you are released from prison or placed on parole, supervised release, or probation;

2. Register in person with the sheriff of the county in which you reside within 72 hours after your release

3. If you are homeless, you still have 72 hours to notify the sheriff of the county where you sleep.

If an individual fails to register as a sex offender in Georgia, there are serious repercussions. For a first time conviction for failing to register is punished by a prison term between one and thirty years. For a second time conviction for failing to register will be a prison term between five and thirty years.

Practice Note

Georgia Sex Offenses are making headlines recently. However, this does not mean that there has necessarily been an uptake in the amount of sex crime. If you or a loved one has been arrested for a sex crime, call our offices now. We can help you today.