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Megan’s Laws
– Sex Offender Database
*For more than 50 years, California has required sex
offenders to register with their local law enforcement agencies. However,
information on the whereabouts of these sex offenders was not available to
the public until the implementation of the Child Molester Identification
Line in July 1995. The information available was further expanded by
California's Megan's Law in 1996 (Chapter 908, Stats. of 1996).
California's Megan's Law provides the public with certain information on
the whereabouts of sex offenders so that members of our local communities
may protect themselves and their children. Megan's Law is named after
seven-year-old Megan Kanka, a New Jersey girl who was raped and killed by
a known child molester who had moved across the street from the family
without their knowledge. In the wake of the tragedy, the Kanka's sought to
have local communities warned about sex offenders in the area. All states
now have a form of Megan's Law.
The law is not intended to punish the offender and specifically prohibits
using the information to harass or commit any crime against an offender.
A new California law,
Assembly
Bill 488 (Nicole Parra), sponsored by the Attorney General will
provide the public with Internet access to detailed information on
registered sex offenders beginning no later than July 2005.
This expanded access will allow the public for the first time to use their
personal computers to view information on sex offenders required to
register with local law enforcement under California's Megan's Law. The
information earlier was available only by personally visiting police
stations and sheriff's offices or by calling a 900 toll-number. The new
law was given final passage by the Legislature on August 24, 2004 and
signed by the Governor on September 24, 2004.To find out more information
visit the Office of the Attorney General of the State of California
at http://caag.state.ca.us/megan/
Currently you can check the LA County Offender map at
www.MegansLaw.ca.gov. and
http://gismap.co.la.ca.us/sols/.
Megan’s law allows members of the public to protect themselves and their children
from sex offenders. The information available includes the name,
photograph, and conviction information for sex registrants living in a
particular zip code. Non qualifying convictions are not included, and
address information is not released.
* From the office of the Attorney General's
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