Four years after it was put online, South Dakota’s sex offender registry is still confusing to some residents. Lawmakers are looking toward changing the sex offender registration laws because some of the laws have changed since the offender’s convictions. An investigation by a South Dakota newspaper revealed that 450 of the 2,600 offenders were convicted of crimes that had been redefined.
One of the biggest changes in the law involves statutory rape. Many of these cases involve young men who had consensual sex with their girlfriends—who may have been 16. In July 2005, statutory rape was listed as a more serious offense—third degree rape. A change in the law now classifies statutory rape as a fourth degree rape.
Lawmakers are proposing a division of the offenders into three categories. These categories will be based on the seriousness of their crimes.
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100119/NEWS/1190328/1001/news
