8 hit with registration violations in Polk County.
A headline in Today’s, Daily Ridge reads, “8 Polk County sexual predators and offenders arrested for failure to comply with Florida law”. We had to read the story to check out what horrible new sex crimes these guys were committing and, as expected, these were not new sex offenses, but technical registration violations.
Worst, of the eight arrests, five (yes, 5 of the 8) were individuals who lived at the same address who were all charged with failing to report a vehicle.
So five people, all living at the same address, all getting charged with failing to register a vehicle… We had to look into it.
With 5 registrants all living at the same address (and it not being a high-rise condominium), it was unlikely that they purchased a fleet of vehicles and collectively decided to evade registration. It sure smelled like someone new moved in who had a vehicle and they all got popped for failing to register a new guy’s car.
According to this press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, one of the guys only moved there last week!
We always wanted to challenge the “vehicles owned” change to the registration requirement. Not only for situations where roommates change vehicles beyond the control of the registrant (yet triggering a registrant’s registration requirement), but also because individuals whose cars don’t belong to a sex offender should not have their cars on the sex offender registry.
This mass arrest provides an opportunity to bring this challenge in the context of a criminal charge (where the accused have the right to be appointed an attorney).
If anyone knows or has access to these individuals, please invite them to contact us.
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Perhaps they can receive mail at the jail?
They’ve done nothing but criminalize innocent behavior. And they say complying with registration requirements ISN’T punitive?
If my mother comes to visit I have to register HER car as that of a sex offender. Then I have to go to the sheriffs office AGAIN when she leaves. This is absurd. Living under these conditions creates such a myriad of unintentional ways to make mistakes. And just when you think you’ve got it figured out they change the rules again, making it even more difficult to stay out of jail. For what? And to what end?
With this kind of legislation we would all be better off if they were all just fired and we were represented by a “puppy”. We would have better representation. These are laws made up by legislators who have nothing positive to contribute to society.
strange thing, i have a vehicle ( not mine ) stored at my house, i did register it, and have my paperwork proving i did, but it is not listed on the website. is this normal?
they pull the data from the DHSMV – it’s not even accurate – some people have cars on there they sold years ago!
Every car I’ve owned for the last 20 years is listed. Even cars that predate my offense.
yea, i have some of those also !
If they pull it why do we need to report it? Just to have something to hang over us?
Interesting that someone should bring this up. In Jacksonville they keep a list of all vehicles at a residence, but DHSMV only pushes those vehicles actually registered to the RC to their FDLE “flyer,” from what I can see.
I would like to think this is out of concern for family members and co-inhabitants, but that may not be the case.
DHSMV bases it on whose name is on the title.
I have a roommate who was a Security Guard. (she is now disabled) The BSO (yes, Broward Sheriff Office) told me/her that she HAS to register her car with the FDLE as a “Sexual Predators Vehicle”, even tho I do not drive the car. IF she were still employed she would have been FIRED from her job as her vehicle was listed to a RSO/Felon. This would be an innocent person, who has committed NO CRIME and is being punished, and LABLED as a Sex Offender. She would have lost her job, her Security License and her freedom because of this stupid law.
I have also found out that the FDLE website is printing out false information. My adjudication date was 2/26/1995. They have it listed as 7-17-1996. By listing THAT date, they had me listed on their website. They had changed the law in Dec 1995 as far as people on the website.
I also have found out that I fall under “grandfather laws” which means that (according to BSO Deputies and “Career Criminal Deputies” [this was my first arrest ever] I am allowed into parks, I own my own home and have never been arrested since.) Basically I was set-up by my ex-wife.
There were 3 Deputies who tried to mess with me. After IAB investigations; one Deputy was fired, one transferred out of the County and the 3rd was busted from Detective Lieutenant down to road patrol.
A sex offender must report his or her registered vehicle…but not every single vehicle he or s
he so happens to be in. This is an arrest that can be successfully challenged. Polk county has always been one of the most severe when it comes to dealing with sex offenders.
According to Florida Statutes: “Vehicles owned” means any motor vehicle as defined in s. 320.01, which is registered, coregistered, leased, titled, or rented by a sexual predator or sexual offender; a rented vehicle that a sexual predator or sexual offender is authorized to drive; or a vehicle for which a sexual predator or sexual offender is insured as a driver. The term also includes any motor vehicle as defined in s. 320.01, which is registered, coregistered, leased, titled, or rented by a person or persons residing at a sexual predator’s or sexual offender’s permanent residence for 5 or more consecutive days.
So… you get a visitor for more than 5 days, you need to register THEIR vehicle.
They tried to give me shit because I didn’t tell them about a boat and a utility trailer?? These laws are absurd.. All I want is one of these idiots to explain to me where these laws prevent future crimes in children??? That’s all I want.. everyday on the news I see new crimes but there not guys on the registry committing them. It’s law enforcement or teachers or military personal. So how are these laws preventing anything. It’s like saying stricter gun laws will prevent shootings!! It’s not gonna happen.. These laws are clearly unconstitutional but we don’t have a big enough force to fight with.. like look at the NRA as soon as gun laws came out they sued the state of Florida for the unconstitutional laws. But we will never have the funding that the NRA has or this would all go away.. on the news today a lady is pushing for a new registry for child abusers.. they are saying it will be like the sex offender registry this should be interesting!!!