Sex Offenders

1. What is a Sex Offender?

A sex offender is any person who resides or works in the Commonwealth and who has been convicted of a sex offense, or who has been adjudicated as a youthful offender or as a delinquent juvenile by reason of a sex offense, or a person released from incarceration or parole or probation supervision or custody with the department of youth services for such conviction or adjudication, or a person who has been adjudicated a sexually dangerous person or a person released from civil commitment on or after August 1, 1981.

For a list of crimes that require registration please click here to visit the MA state website and click on the Who Has to Register link.

Sex offenders will be classified according to the degree of dangerousness they pose to the public and their likelihood for re-offense. An offender's classification will be:

Level 1 or "low risk" offender Level 2 or "moderate risk" offender Level 3 or "high risk" offender.

2. What is a Level 1 Sex Offender?

Level 1 Sex Offender - The designation given to a sex offender when it has been determined that the risk of re-offense is low and the degree of dangerousness posed to the public is not such that a public safety interest is served by public access to information pertaining to the offender.

Information on Level 1 offenders will not be available to the public. Neither the police nor the Board have the authority to disseminate information to the general public identifying a Level 1 sex offender.

3. What is a Level 2 Sex Offender?

Level 2 Sex Offender - The designation given to a sex offender when it has been determined that the individual's risk of re-offense is moderate and the degree of dangerousness posed to the public is such that a public safety interest is served by public access to sex offender registry information. The public shall have access to the information regarding a Level 2 sex offender through the Lee Police Department and through the Sex Offender Registry Board.

4. What is a Level 3 Sex Offender?

Level 3 Sex Offender - The designation given to a sex offender when it has been determined that the individual's risk of re-offense is high and the degree of dangerousness posed to the public is such that a substantial public safety interest is served by active public dissemination (community notification) of sex offender registry information.

The public shall have access to the information regarding a Level 3 sex offender through the Lee Police Department and through the Sex Offender Registry Board.

5. Can a member of the public find out about sex offenders on the registry?

Yes, any person seeking sex offender information can make a request through the Lee Police Department or the Sex Offender Registration Board. For more information of how to obtain sex offender information, please click here to visit the MA state website and click on the link Information.

6. What will a registered offender have to do if he/she moves to a different address within Massachusetts?

All sex offenders must registry by notifying the Board of his/her current and new address by mail at least 10 days prior to moving to a different city or town in the Commonwealth; or moving within the same city or town in the Commonwealth.

7. What will an offender have to do if he/she moves into Massachusetts?

All sex offenders must register with the Board by mail within 2 days of moving into the Commonwealth from another jurisdiction.

8. What will an offender have to do if he/she lives outside of Massachusetts but works within the Commonwealth?

Sex offenders residing out of state but employed in the Commonwealth must register with the Board by mail within 2 days of beginning employment.

9. What will an offender have to do if he/she changes his/her work address or place of employment within Massachusetts?

Sex offender must register by notifying the Board of the current and new work address by mail at least 10 days prior to changing employment.

10. What will an offender have to do if he/she moves out of Massachusetts?

A sex offender is required to notify the Board of his/her new address by mail at least 10 days prior to moving out of the Commonwealth.

11. What can happen to an offender if he/she fails to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act?

Sex offenders may be prosecuted for violating the law if they knowingly fail to register, fail to verify registration information, fail to provide notice of change of address or place of employment, or provide false information.