Member Submission: My First Experience Traveling as a Sex Offender
Part 1 Volusia County Florida
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This is a recollection of my first travel outside of my state (Florida) to Chicago suburbs for a family event.
I went to the VCSO in Volusia county and asked them what I needed to do to travel to another state. The Response from the woman behind the glass said. Come in at least 48 hours in advance, tell us where you are going and when you will return. [FAC NOTE: THE LAW SAYS ‘WITHIN 48 HOURS’ NOT ‘AT LEAST 48 HOURS’ THERE’S A DIFFERENCE]
I made all my reservations and went back in before my travel.This time they wanted way more information than they had specified in my first visit.
In addition to where and when I was traveling and when I would return they wanted exact address of where I would be staying, mode of travel (plane), flight numbers and flight times. Luckily I had a ll the paperwork with me. The required a complete Iteniary of my travel.
Flights, airline, depart and return dates and times
Hotel address
The only thing that was never asked for was info about the rental car. [FAC NOTE: THE LAW SAYS ‘“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.”]
I gave the the name of the county in Illinois that I would be staying in and the name of the town as well, Dupage County, Village of Itasca. They said when I get there I should register with the local Sheriff.
I asked the Woman behind the glass what I needed to do when I returned to Florida. I asked “do I need to check in to the VCSO office when I Return”, she said no, and subsequently gave me a business card with and 386-248-1788 number and stated, just call this number and let us know.
When I Returned to Florida, I did call that number, got a voice message and left my name and stated that I had returned from travel. That was on Friday after 5pm. I never did receive any kind of verification that they had receivd the info that I had returned. That issue kind of dwelled on me during the next week, so I decided to go into the VCSO office to make sure it was recorded that I had returned. The Woman behind the glass stated that there was no mention in my record that I had returned. She then summoned an officer “Lee” and asked him about it. I could not see him but he said “sometimes when the voice messages are cleared they are just deleted”. I asked him what I should do in the future, he stated that “I was doing exactly the right thing”. But noted that he is retiring in a few months.
He gave me the names of two officers who would be handling this activity in the future.
Part 2 Itasca Village in DuPage County Illinois.
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I arrived at the Chicago airport on Friday and checked into my hotel. It was snowing, it was 4 degrees outside and traffic had slowed to less than 10 mph, and the temps were in the single digits. I decided to travel to the DuPage SO early the next morning (Saturday). I was not sure that they would be open but went there, about 25 miles from where I was staying in Itasca. When I got there, there was a red phone in the main office and I stated that I wanted to register. The Woman behind the glass slid a form to me and stated that they wee closed on Saturday and that I wold have to come back on Monday. I went back on Monday and the officer I spoke with barraged me with questions like “who told you to come here”, and who were you in touch with and the big reveal, he stated since I am staying in Itasca, I should register there with the Itasca Police Department.
I then went to the Itasca Police station on Monday evening and told them I was a traveling registered offender an I was there to register. The officer didn’t really know what to do and took me to an area to be fingerprinted and found a form to be filled out. The form said nothing about travelers and it seemed to be just a regular registration form, nothing about traveling from another state, so he checked “initial Registration”. In the stuff I had previously found online it said that traveling to Illinois for more than 5 days I would need to register. By this time I had 4 days left to be there. I filled out the form and I did get a copy. I returned to my Hotel and withing 60 minutes the same officer knocked on my door and when I opened the door, he stated that he was checking to see if I was at the address given on the form. That was my last contact with the County of DuPage or the Village of Itasca.
Summary
My Travel dates were Jan 17 2010 to Jan 24 2020.
Why is it that I feel that the Sheriffs office and the Police department as well only give you enough information to say that they answered my question. The documentation that they, VCSO, had attached to the form regarding regarding the regular check in visits is tremendously confusing, perhaps that is on purpose. This was my first experience traveling out of state in the 5 years that I was eligible to travel. Not only from the local office but in the web information of what is required at the traveling “TO” location.
I also asked about what about if I do a road trip in a car or on motorcycle, she stated that I would have to list each stopping place before I leave.
I would love to travel more, I am retired. It is untrue if anyone states that the registration is NOT punishment.
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All of this is 100% unacceptable. “People” who support this harassment are not our fellow Americans and they are not people for whom we should have any concern. Not for them or their families. They must be attacked as the harassing terrorists that they are.
Message to Registry Supporters/Terrorists: Sic semper tyrannis. Here’s a famous quote for you – “You think you can be ruthless? Let’s see how you like it when the fighting is brought to you.”
Thank you, Will! — Well said!
I, too, have no patience for those who twist the constitution — OUR LAW — by using the absurd argument that this is not punishment and thus, that it is somehow permissible to violate Double Jeopardy and Ex-Post Facto.
Let’s be clear.
When I go on a road trip I have no idea as to where I will be staying as I do not decide until I get tired of driving and decide to stop for the night. All I reported to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office was the day I was leaving and when I anticipated getting back. I was told to send an email to the SORT office each evening to let them know where I was spending the night. I did that and reported my return by phone message. Otherwise I had no problems. The annotations on my driver’s license seemed to have no impact on anyone. All they were interested in was my credit card. On a previous trip to Virginia I tried to check in at the police station and the officer behind the desk asked me what I wanted him to do. If you ask me, Florida is much more concerned with this travel “BS” than most other states. As long as you don’t break a law they couldn’t care less.
Generally, the cops simply don’t know the registration laws. I expect that most states are surprised and annoyed by Florida extending its long arm of the law into their territories and causing them grief. I’ll be damned if I’m going to become registered in another state just because I’m visiting for a few days. After all, I’d have to de-register there upon leaving too, right? If I am going to travel out of state, I will make sure that I don’t reside at any specific out of state location for more than 2 days (to satisfy FL law). So, I’ll change hotels, if needed. I will also make sure that the state where I’m going does not require me to register based on the total amount of time I expect to be there.
This is such a valuable submission. I thank this member for retaining this impt level of detail.
FAC, I think VCSO may have been correct wrt rental car.
If the law is to register any rental car within 48 hours, then, barring a fix by the legislature, how would one even begin to comply? It seems that, in the case of vehicles rented, driven, and returned out of state (a typical travel situation), Florida statute cannot possibly be complied with, correct?
Jacob
registering a rental car with LE can be very dangerous to the public! ,think about this a RP gives LE the plate number and the car description now the car is returned what about the next person whom rents that car you get some Vindictive LE could be a serious and dangerous situation for the unsuspecting lessee of that vehicle just sayin lot of issues could arise out of it or we think now a RP loans his/her vehicle to a friend to move furniture and a corrupt LE decided yes lets fuk this guy up and ask questions later all this is asking for troubles
The situation indicated here is the result of statutes passed by clueless politicians. Ramifications mean nothing to them.
Throw shit at the wall and hope it sticks. It is OUR faulty if we cannot understand the Chinese characters they use to spell out the 100000 pages of offender rules that carry a life sentence, which is longer than almost any crime.
They will do anything, including take bribes, to stop us from winning any relief, and when we do, it is almost never enforced, proved by so many recent rulings which were ignored in defiance of the judge.
If a defense attorney did that, they would lose their license to practice and be thrown in jail and be humiliated. But when the state does, they get a prize of more time, again and again and again.
Many mistakes by VCSO here. Among them, requiring registration of information not covered in the law.
But VCSO’s worst mistake here probably is their attempt to enforce another state’s registration laws. That is in no way subject to their jurisdiction, nor can it be. They should have clarified that they were just speculating and you must consult with the receiving state. Their job wrt this trip is simply to have you register the address of any temporary or permanent residence that you may establish. Nothing else.
I wouldn’t call it mistakes. I would call it intentionally and idiotically operating outside of the law. Most law enforcement agencies are not capable of operating within the law and they don’t really care. They’ll try what they think they can get away with.
Lee is the officer who stated to the front that i need to return to florida for my second check in if im gone from june to september and my Mid year month is july. Wouldn’t even think id still be considered a resident that long away.
You will be considered a resident of Florida until you actually change your residency “officially” with the VCSO. If you do not change your permanent residence with them, you will still be required to do either your Quarterly or Semi Annual registration. Failure to do so will land you behind bars with another third degree Felony on your record. Do not chance it. Just some friendly advise.
So i literally need to fly back just for the semi annual? Just doent make sense as i would have the temp address updated on the travel papers
Jm, please don’t expect anything in Florida to make sense. That way you won’t be disappointed.
Florida is a Spanish word that translates loosely as = FUBAR
Fudged Up Beyond Any Recognition
Who pays for my return? This is almost a probation thing: i have no obligations other than the twice a year. Now i need to travel back just for this? How is that even right???
Jm, I was unaware that if a person is on the Florida registry and lives out of state, he/she had to return twice a year to re-register. That even makes less sense than having to initially register just for visiting. I wonder if Florida exhumes those who are dead and on the registry, twice a year so they can be re-registered?
That is completely incorrect. If someone lives in another state (but they are on the FL registry because of a past registration), they DO NOT need to return twice a year to re-register. That is totally untrue. JM and Capt Munsey – please note that if you no longer have a permanent, temporary or transient residence in Florida, you DO NOT need to return for re-registration.
FAC, he is a FL resident who is gone from June to Sept but told he has to return every July for re-registration.
Is the detective correct? If he maintains a FL residence, must he make a return trip during his re-registration month?