Which Crimes Make You a Sex Offender in Wisconsin?

 Posted on December 16, 2022 in Criminal Defense

With most crimes, a convicted individual goes to jail, pays his fees, completes community service, and then, having paid his debt, is able to move on with his life. Sex crimes are different. Despite having already served time and made amends for wrongdoings, people accused of sex crimes are placed on a sex offender registry that essentially exposes them to lifetime consequences for acts that may have happened many years past.

If you have been accused of a sex crime or any crime that was sexually motivated, you may face conviction and a lifetime registry on the Wisconsin sex offender’s list. Taking the charges against you seriously is essential for putting together an effective defense strategy. Read through this list to discover whether you are at risk of permanent sex offender registration and then contact a Wisconsin criminal defense attorney right away.

Will I Have to Register as a Sex Offender in Wisconsin?

Certain crimes always require registration on the sex offender’s list, but others - such as battery, stalking, false imprisonment, criminal trespassing, or solicitation, just to name a few - may also require registration if the motivation is determined to have been sexual in nature.

Included among the crimes that require mandatory registration on the state sex offender’s list are:

• Sex crimes against children, such as soliciting a child for prostitution, child enticement, sexual exploitation of a child, or possession of child pornography
• Using a computer to conduct a sex crime against a child
• First, second, or third-degree adult sexual assault
• Repeatedly sexually abusing the same child
• Child incest
• A therapist sexually exploiting a client

This is not an exhaustive list; in general, crimes that are categorized as a “serious sex offense” or which are committed by a person considered a “sexually violent person” or “serious child sex offender” are included.

What Are the Limits Placed on Registered Sex Offenders?

After registering with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, convicted sex offenders must regularly report to the Department of Corrections. Those considered sexually violent persons must remain in their home county and are not permitted to go within 1,500 feet of certain locations, including schools, childcare institutions, public parks, churches, or youth centers. Depending on the nature of the crime, these locations could also include nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Furthermore, sexually violent persons and serious child sex offenders cannot live next to a home where a child lives if the houses are within 1,500 feet of each other. Individual municipalities in Wisconsin have more specific sex offender restriction ordinances dictating where registered sex offenders can live.

Sex offenders may also be restricted from working in certain jobs, engaging in certain behaviors (like legally changing one’s name), and may even be required to submit to GPS monitoring for the rest of their lives.

Meet with a Racine County, WI Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer

Being placed on the sex offenders list can impact your life in ways big and small for decades or even the rest of your life. To get the best criminal defense against your charges, schedule a consultation to meet with a Waukesha County sex crimes defense lawyer with Bucher Law Group, LLC. We will fight passionately for your rights and work hard to protect you against the kind of reputational and professional damage that being a convicted sex offender can bring. Call 262-303-4916 today.

Sources:

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/940/ii/225

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lc/information_memos/2021/im_2021_07