BILLINGS – Montana sex offenders’ online and geographic freedoms could soon become more restricted. Two bills in the state House sponsored by Billings Representatives, House Bill 88 and House Bill 219, take aim at the growing list of 2,271 sex offenders in the state. The existing law requires sexual offenders to register his or her name, address, and phone number with the county at least once a year. HB 88, which was signed into law by Gov. Steve Bullock on March 24, states that offenders must now provide to the…
Read MoreTag: Montana
MT: Under the radar: More than half of all sex offenders on the registry still lack a tier level
In Montana, sex offenders are supposed to receive a 1, 2 or 3 tier designation, effectively telling the public how dangerous they are. An offender’s designation also affects how they’re supervised on the registry. It affects how often they have to check in and verify their address, how long they have to register and the amount of information that’s made available to the public. But that rule has become the exception. A Gazette examination found that more than half of all sex offenders on the registry didn’t have a tier level…
Read More