The History of the Sex Offender Registry

Sex offender registries provide the public with information regarding convicted sex offenders. The registries list individuals convicted of violent sexual offenses and those against children. Both a federal and state database of sex offenders is available online to anyone interested.

The Sex Offender Registry (SOR) was created in 1994. Known as the Jacob Wetterling Act, the registry required sex offenders to register with local law enforcement. Two years later, a revision known as Megan’s Law took the law one step further, now requiring convicted sex offenders to update their address and employment information with the state of residence on a regular basis, typically once every three, six or 12-months. Megan’s Law also requires public notification of violent sexual offenders through a national and state registry available online.

Here are the tragic stories behind the Sex Offender Registry.

Jacob Erwin Wetterling

On October 22, 1989, 11-year-old Jacob Erwin Wetterling from St. Joseph, MN was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered. His death and circumstances surrounding the murder remained a mystery for more than 27-years until a man confessed to the murder and led police to his remains in Paynesville, MN.

Danny Heinrich was always a person of interest in the Wetterling case but police never fathered enough evidence to arrest him.

That changed when Heinrich was taken into custody on suspicions of abducting 12-year-old Jared Scheirl. He confessed to the Wetterling crime in exchange for a plea deal sentencing him to 20 years in prison on child pornography charges.

The Jacob Wetterling Act

The Jacob Wetterling Act mandated all persons convicted of sex crimes register their name, address, and workplace with local law enforcement. It was the first law passed with intention of informing the public of potentially dangerous predators.

Several revisions to The Jacob Wetterling Act aim to further public awareness of sex offenders located nearby them. The most notable revision occurred two years later. Megan’s Law, a federal act requiring states to make their SOR publicly available online, was enacted in 1996.

The law also requires sex offenders to update their address and employment information to the city/state registry on a regular basis.

Megan’s Law

Megan’s Law came into effect after the kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka in 1994.

The Crime

Jesse Timmendequas lived across the street from Megan and her family in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. On July 29, 1994, Timmendequas lured Megan into his home where he raped and murdered the beautiful little girl. After strangling her to death with a belt, he dumped Megan’s body in a local park. Police recovered her body the next day. They quickly suspected Timmendequas of the crime, accusations he quickly confirmed after confessing to the rape and murder.

Timmendequas had several prior violent sexual-related convictions on his record when he attacked Megan. In 1979, he pleaded guilty to the attempted aggravated sexual assault of a 5-year-old girl. He was given a suspended prison sentence but spent nine months in jail when he failed to attend counseling. Two years later, he pleaded guilty to assaulting a 7-year-old girl and spent six years in prison.

Therapists noted Timmendequas refused to participate in treatment during his incarceration and described him as a “whiner.” They listed Timmendequas as a “high probability” of offending again, although the therapist did not think he would murder anyone.

He was sentenced to death after Megan’s rape and murder though his sentence was later commuted to life in prison.