FAC Member Submission
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.
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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.