Indiana found to be not in compliance with federal sexual offender registry guidelines

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - Tippecanoe County has 163 of the 9,000 registered sexual offenders in the state. The federal government says those sexual offenders are not facing the correct standards.

Indiana is one of 35 states the federal government says is not implementing the standards of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The act became law in 2006.

Sheriff's Department Detective Jason Morgan is in charge of the county's sexual offender registry.

"One of the more difficult things about this, is if someone moves into our state from another state, is determining where they fit in our registry laws," Morgan said. "What crime is equivalent to Indiana crime?"

Right now, Indiana's Sexual Registry Law puts offenders into three categories. They are, sexual offenders, offenders against children, and sexually violent predators.

Depending on the crime, offenders must register for 10 years or a lifetime. Federal law wants states to have a 25 year period as well.

Indiana can't enforce anyone who committed their crime before 1994, when the state law was signed, to register. Also, if someone committed their crime before it was added to the Indiana statue, they too don't have to register.

"The way it's stated is anyone who committed their crime before it was added to the registry [don't have to register]," Morgan said. "Not just in 1994, but some crimes were added in 2001 or 2006."

Morgan says in Tippecanoe County detectives are doing more than just what the state law says.

"State statue requires we do a home visit [to sexual offender registers]  at least once a year," Morgan said. "Our sheriff requires us to do it at least every 90 days."

To adopt all the federal requirements, state legislation will have to change. The Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee plan to meet about the subject on Thursday.