Baltimore Sex Offenses Law Blog

It's a law that most convicted sex offenders are loathe to follow, and one that doesn't seem to have an equivalent among sentences for other crimes: Even after you've served time for a sex offense, you must provide your name and address to a public sex offender registry.

If you've already been convicted and registered, you may have experienced the negative effects of this penalty. Being a registered sex offender can prevent you from finding a stable job or secure housing. Even if you pose no threat to society, your neighbors may not trust you, particularly if they have children. Given these consequences, it's not surprising that some people convicted of sex offenses are reluctant to register when they move to a new community. But failing to do so can have an even worse impact on your future.

The increasing means of communication we use to stay in touch with friends and family members in the digital age has also led to an increase in the various types of sex crimes and their resulting charges. Whereas sexual abuse charges once dealt only with physical contact, cellphones and the Internet have led to new types of crimes and investigators have developed new ways to combat them.

The arrest of a 65-year-old man in Linthicum, Maryland, serves as a good example of these charges. He pleaded guilty last week to charges of using a cellphone to coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity. The man, who was a member of a hotel swimming pool in Linthicum, befriended a 9-year-old girl whose family was staying at the hotel. She spent time at the pool over those few days and played games with the defendant, who later touched her inappropriately. He was also accused of exposing himself to her.

It should come as no surprise that being convicted of a sex crime can make life considerably more difficult, particularly because most such convictions require a defendant to register as a sex offender. Not only does this requirement make it harder to secure a good job and possibly housing, but it's taken into consideration with any subsequent criminal accusations, even if you've already served time for an offense.

A 21-year-old registered sex offender from Lexington Park, Maryland, is currently facing charges after being accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. After the allegations against him first arose, the Special Victims Unit of the St. Mary's County Bureau of Criminal Investigations started watching the man and discovered he had used a new screen name to contact the girl via Facebook. They eventually met in person and engaged in sexual activity at a home in Lexington Park, police said.

In the past we've discussed the increasing efficiency of investigators of crimes involving child sexual exploitation, particularly child pornography. As methods of tracking down suspects grow more sophisticated, the methods of those who collect and distribute such material have remained relatively unchanged over the past few years.

A man from Hyattsville, Maryland, has been sentenced to more than six years in prison and mandatory registration as a sex offender after being convicted of possession and distribution of child pornography. Federal investigators said the man used a file-sharing program to distribute almost 1,300 files depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The man's plea agreement said he'd possessed and shared the images from October 2010 until May 2011, when he was arrested and his home was searched. During that search, Maryland State Police troopers said they seized computers and hard drivers containing about 57 sexually explicit videos of children.