How Can Being a Registered Sex Offender Impact Your Life?

If you are found guilty of committing a sex crime, you will likely be required to register as a sex offender. These collateral consequences are designed to ensure you continue to pay for the crime you allegedly committed, even after you have completed your sentence. Sex offender registration is designed to protect the public, but when someone has been wrongfully accused, a sex offender designation can destroy their lives.

For this reason, it is critical to work with your Houston sex crimes attorney to present the strongest criminal defense strategy possible to avoid a conviction. However, not everyone will be able to clear their names or secure acquittals. It is important to understand the profound impact being a registered sex offender will have on your life if you hope to rebuild post-conviction. Here is more about the types of crimes that may require sex offender registration in Texas, whether societal stigma will affect your work or housing opportunities, and how you can get your name removed from the Texas sex offender registry.

What Crimes Require Sex Offender Registration in Texas?

There are a wide variety of criminal offenses that may require registration as a sex offender under Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Some examples of sex crimes that may demand sex offender registration as part of your criminal sentence include:

• Child molestation under Tex. Pen. Code § 21.11
• Child pornography under Tex. Pen. Code § 43.26
• Indecent exposure under Tex. Pen. Code § 21.08
• Internet sex crimes, such as stalking under Tex. Pen. Code § 42.072
• Prostitution under Tex. Pen. Code § 43.02
• Rape under Tex. Pen. Code § 22.011

The Impact of Sex Offender Registration Can Haunt You

After completing your criminal sentence, you may be looking forward to getting back to your life. Unfortunately, your life will continue to be dramatically affected if you are required to register as a sex offender. Some of the most common ways your life could be impacted by your sex offender registration status include:

• Being prohibited from visiting schools or playgrounds
• Having your reputation destroyed
• Housing restrictions
• Loss of firearm rights
• Your personal identifying information being made public
• Regular verification visits to your home by police
• Trouble finding gainful employment
• Being prohibited from traveling out of the state
• Loss of your right to vote
• Trouble maintaining personal relationships
• Being prohibited from using the Internet

For example, a college student who’s a registered offender may experience backlash from other students, resulting in a loss of reputation. It may also make finding work after college a difficult task.

How to Get Removed From the Sex Offender Registry in Texas

The amount of time you are required to register as a sex offender varies depending on the type of sex offense you are accused of committing and the court’s assessment of your recidivism risk. Some sex offenders are required to register for the rest of their lives, while others may need to register for as few as 10 years. However, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, through deregistration, you may be able to petition to get your name removed from the sex offender registry.

Anyone with a high recidivism risk, as calculated by the Texas Council on Sex Offender Treatment (CSOT), will not be eligible, but those with a medium risk assessment may qualify. Typically, you will need to have registered as a sex offender for a minimum of 15 years while you were on parole or probation. If the CSOT supports your request to be deregistered, the court may grant you a hearing where you can request that your name be removed from the sex offender registry. If granted, the judge will issue a permanent exception which can be revoked if you are convicted of another reportable crime in the future.