Source: kslnewsradio.com 1/4/23
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah doesn’t require minors to register or follow sex offender guidelines, but a proposed bill in the 2023 Utah Legislative Session might change that.
Utah’s registry, the Sex and Kidnap Offender Registry, currently has around 7,000 registrants, something that H.B. 122 would surely change.
KSL’s Legal Analyst Greg Skordas said that Utah’s registry has historically been exclusively for adults, but HB122 would allow for juveniles to be added to the list, depending on the crime.
“Certain minors, who commit offenses that would be registerable sex offenses had they been adults, will be subject to the sex offender registry requirement.”
It contradicts Utah’s previous rehabilitation attempts for juveniles, which KSL’s Legal Analyst Greg Skordas said has proved effective.
“Historically in Utah, we treat juveniles as people that can be rehabilitated, people that can be changed, people that can be counseled. So putting them on a sex offender registry is a little bit contrary to that.”
Once a sex crime has been convicted, an individual is placed on the list for 10 years. But if the crime involves a child, they are guaranteed to be on the list for life.
This legislation is yet another example of a legislator trying to get re-elected at the expense of registrants and their families. If passed, the legislation will not end sexual abuse but it will harm juveniles convicted of a sex offense.
“Areas an offender can and can’t enter are also detailed, including private pools in a Home Owners’ Association neighborhood, according to H.B. 146”
What type of sh*t is that? A person pays association fees to maintain and use those facilities. Now the Utah government is telling private communities to exclude certain residents from lounging around the swimming? Does the state of Utah plan on reimbursing those residents for fees paid on services due to them? Conservatives have been running that state forever and screaming about their citizens not being able to use federal lands as they please. Now these lawmakers are telling their own citizens not to use private facilities they bought and paid for.
“Historically in Utah, we treat juveniles as people that can be rehabilitated, people that can be changed, people that can be counseled. So putting them on a sex offender registry is a little bit contrary to that.”
So is this stating that only juveniles can be rehabilitated and not adults?
This passed the House Judiciary Committee today with a recommended vote. Looks like all juveniles are on their way to being registered in Utah – although not publicly at this time – for a non-lifetime offense.
Those convicted prior to their 18 birthday are not subject to lifetime registration unless they have a prior offense. They are also not publicly listed, unless they have a lifetime requirement.