From a member:
I was arrested when I was 18. It was a sting operation. Non violent, no contact, and consensual.
I was sentenced as a Youthful Offender, withheld adjudication, and 2 years of probation (off in one). The judges’ exact words were “my hands are tied” when he handed me the sex offender label. I was 18.
I am now 25 and planning for my future. I don’t have to tell you how restricted I am, I see it all over your website.
I don’t qualify for Romeo & Juliet because it only covers crimes where there was a victim, not a made-up victim like my case.
I don’t want to waste my life here in Florida. Eventually the laws will change but I’m not waiting around for that day to come.
My question for your committee and its members is: Where can I move to (state or country) that will provide me relief as a Youthful Offender? I’m tired of being constantly paranoid, but this also puts my family at risk.
I appreciate your help!
There is a state-by-state survey that is posted, courtesy of the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws that you can find HERE:
Summary-of-State-Registration-Laws-Concerning-Visiting-and-Temporary-Res…-2
Florida, as you will see, is one of the most backwards, draconian states.
Hello I had very similar sentence as you I had a withheld of adjutification in Florida back in 2003, did 3 years of sex offender probation the probation office said I could be off after a year since I completed the counseling in under a year as it was determined I didn’t have a sex problem just a lack of morals as I was meeting random girls and hooking up with them and I wasn’t checking IDs or anything but the state said no I did the full 3 years sadly.
Anyways to answer your question I moved to Washington state King county back in 2015. I am a level 1 here which means the following:
I don’t appear on the Washington state register
The police come once a year normally in spring to register me, the knock on my door and I sign a piece of paper and were done.
That is it which is really nice. I feel a much better freedom here than I ever did in Florida. The rules are pretty simple to follow unless you move but they seem to be pretty understanding here for the most part. I can have facebook or any social media website I choose, I don’t have to report anything aside from my home. I don’t have to go to the police station for anything unless I’m moving somewhere. The police I have delt with don’t treat me poorly and are respectful.
The downside is that you will NEVER be removed from Florida’s registry. I guess you might be able challenge it after 25 years which I’m only at the 15 year mark so not close to try to ask to be off. Washington state may let you off their registry at the 15 year mark I plan on talking to the king county sex offender lawyers about this soon but the they stated it was possible when I asked about it before but I don’t know how much it will cost.
@Mike
If you don’t believe you’ll ever be in Florida again, an option would be to change your name. This would nullify the now irrelevant FDLE indexed page from haunting you.
I’ve seen the laws of some states where registrants are not allowed to change their names, but it’s on the rare side. If you do change your name or start going by something else (alias), just be sure to update your registration.
Not everyone is open to changing their name, and nobody blames them. But, just wanted to point out that it could be an immediate solution for some who have long left Florida and hope to never return.
So what do you have to do in your county BEFORE you leave Florida to travel somewhere else? Register the place you’re going as a temporary address and then take it off when you get back?
http://ccresourcecenter.org/state-restoration-profiles/50-state-comparison-relief-from-sex-offender-registration-obligations/
To the initial member post – I have contacted a few states (3-4 attorney’s per state)
Missouri: If you were charged in Florida, you have to be removed off of Florida’s registry first. Apparently a dead end here.
Alabama: Youthful Offender’s have a chance. It depends on who the residing judge is in that circuit. Some are more reasonable than others. Move to Alabama and petition the courts for removal. It might be worth a shot.
New York – auto removed after 10 years. So if your timeline is correct, that is only a few years away.
It’s a work in progress. At least this gives you options. Not being registered in the state you live in is a lot easier.
Sorry for the multiple posts, but this may be helpful as well:
https://legaldictionary.net/romeo-and-juliet-laws/
This Floriduh document actually shows other states which have a better Romeo and Juliet clause:
https://www.flsenate.gov/PublishedContent/Session/2012/InterimReports/2012-214cj.pdf
But, does it matter if you were convicted in FL? Seems too good to be true if its as easy as qualifying for the states’ Romeo and Juliet law.
I’m glad to see many of you reaching out to help this young person. Thanks FAC for posting the story. However, I do not see how the linked document answers the core question of “Where can I move to (state or country) that will provide me relief as a Youthful Offender?”
The link doesn’t work.
Debi, in a Chrome browser you have to save the Word document before you can open it.
Hi – I live in Oregon and I hear my state is pretty good. Unfortunately my son was caught in a very similar manner as you up in WA state 🙁
Feel free to write me if you’d like.
Kathleen
I moved to Wisconsin where there is nothing on my license with regards to my charge in Florida. There are places that are willing to give you a chance here.I found a job making over 60k per year. The jobs are plentiful here. If I can help you I will. Email [email protected]@gmail.com I know of a company I can get you in with that I’ll start you at over$13 an hour and in 6 months you’ll probably be making in the neighborhood of $15 per hour
Massachusetts does it right.
Georgia, Oregon, and Rhode Island I believe have 10 year escape clauses but you’d still be listed here.
See the table in that link – there are many more. It also depends on the tier.
So many people reach out to let us know they are not in FL but still on the FL registry. We tried to organize these people to co-fund a suit to challenge that, but so few people stepped up that we are less than 1/5 of the way there.
I can’t use FAC’s general legal funds for this, because most of our membership is IN Florida and would not benefit from this action. It’s really up to those impacted to make it happen. We can lead the horses to water but cant make them drink.
I continue to make donations to the Out Of State Challenge on a semi-regular basis and have not given up on that challenge at all.
Florida can be a nice place to raise a family, but even Floridians would appreciate options!
I had already reached out to New Hampshire, Penn, tenn and Arkansas
I was told they going to discuss it with there board members on next month agenda. If i can get a little help finding these places .I be happy to send them emails. I don’t like taking on the phone because I’m hearing impairment plus the “He said/She said” then people have sudden memory loss when they say they make a commitment . How about a go fund ?
Go fund me rarely works and they take a piece of the revenue.
It does not matter where you move to…Fla. will keep you on their registry for life thus keeping you on the Federal registry for life.
You may be removed from registration obligations as I was (by the state that I went home to) which does make your life easier, but…
20 years later, I still run into employment problems, travel problems, I was kicked out of the YMCA (policy, my name came up on the Fed registry). Anyone that googles your name will trigger the registry listing and here you go again as if you just did a new crime.
I haven’t had any run ins with the law in over 20 years, I have made a good life for my self here in NC (I am not required to register here.) But this issue does raise its ugly head over and over.
All that I can recommend is to live your life the best you can and hope that people judge you as the person that “they know” and not as who they are told that you are.
This is pretty much a death sentence.
I wish I had know then what I know now…
Michael
FAC is collecting for an out of state challenge – where people no longer in FL would petition to get off the Florida registry.
Please search our site for “out of state” challenge
No one has donated to that in months and at 19% of the required funds Florida will probably change the law themselves in 20 or 30 years long before before the $25,000 is donated.
I sent in a donation, this month, granted small but I sent one in..
Appreciate that, Susan!
been waiting to here about the expost that we were told was going to be filled months ago. and this will probably not be posted again as my post 2 times in the post was not when asked about it
It will be filed when ready – some changes in precedent caused a change in direction.
Aside from having to re-register every few months, how is moving to another state beneficial if you are still registered federally? Do most website search offenders by state registries?
Because, if you could move to a more lenient state and have your address not pop up, that would be worth it.
Yea, employment and background checks would still be a bear, but the privacy aspect is very appealing.
Try searching out-of-staters on The Florida registry to answer that question. I recall in those cases that Florida publishes peoples’ city, state, and zip, but relegates their specific addresses to the police registry only.
look into the New England States especially Mass., and Vermont, Conn.
Either way no matter where you go youll still be on the list here no?
That is correct. Not only will he continue to be listed on the Florida state registry but also the federally run national sex offender database!
https://www.nsopw.gov
You can change states but you can not hide once Florida has you they have you for LIFE!
Are there any privacy advantages for moving to a different state that does not require you to register?
Yeah, Florida and the Federal Registry still have you, but do SO maps flag your current residence in the non registered state?
Even when you are googling names, I doubt another state’s registry would show up. The national registry has a million names. You couldn’t google anyones name without multiple SO’s popping up.
There are MANY advantages.
– No SORRs
– No Proximity Ordinances
– You can parent your children
– No IN PERSON re-registration
– No vehicle registration
– Freedom to use the internet without registering your identity
– Not having your neighbors know your business
– Not constantly worrying you are inadvertently violating some restriction you don’t know about.
… the list can go on…
What about traveling within the US? Or back to Florida?
Anon Arizona is great here for me. Once a year report in. Nothing on my Driver license that say Sex offender. A $10/12 dollar fee at DMV for register but everyone paying that too.If you are not Classified a sexual predatory no 1000 foot law I hate to say this but the cops/sheriff at the Courthouse are petty cool about taking you and process you in No more then 30 minute wait.They don’t talk down to you and they do send your flyer out. The flyer and fees I care nothing about. it was the silly 1000 foot law. I got cool landlady 490.00 a month gotta buy own electricity She has waiting list for the apartments. Mine is 490. two other sizes are 580. a month and 675. for two bedroom. If interested asked me I give u her number The bad side of this State of Arizona Dry heat and temp is 115 in summer during the day and 90 at night I been here 7 years no problems and in 3 more years I going to asked the Court for removal. 10 year minimum in this state. I don’t put my faith in the system I put it in GOD.