A law creates a three-tiered sex offender registration system
BEND — Sexting — sending nude pictures or arousing text messages — has become part of our modern-day life. But for one Central Oregon teen, who wants to remain anonymous, sending one picture changed his life. “I’m on supervised probation for 120 months, which is 10 years — and I sent a picture,” he said.
Last year, when he was 18 years old and in high school, he sent a nude picture to his friend, a 15-year-old girl. Although there was never any sexual contact between the two, he is now a registered sex offender, on a decade of probation.Within a few days, he found himself going from having a job lined up as a wildland firefighter, to being in jail. “I got completely certified with them (fire officials) — Friday I was arrested,” he said.
Now he is homeless and has no job, because no one wants to hire him. And he says none of the homeless shelters accept him, either, because he’s a registered sex offender. Full Article