Kansas Sex Offender Laws
Specialized laws, commonly known as "Megan's Laws," are designed to protect the general population from sex offenders. In Kansas, a number of statutes meet these ends at the state level. Known sex offenders, having completed sentencing, remain liable for informing their communities of their past convictions. This responsibility is shared by several governmental authorities, who manage the information and make it available to those living or working nearby sex offenders.
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Legal Definitions
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Kansas law determines a "sexually violent crime" to include: rape; indecent liberties with a minor; criminal sodomy (involving a minor); indecent solicitation of a minor; sexual exploitation of a minor; sexual battery; aggravated incest; or electronic solicitation. Similarly, any determined intent or conspiracy or motivation of a sexually violent nature may be considered sexually violent crimes. Whether or not any of these offenses is committed with assault, they are still considered sexually violent crimes. Any person found guilty of a sexually violent crime is legally considered a sex offender. Full legal definitions can be found in Kansas State Laws Chapter 21, Article 35.
Registration of Offender
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Under Kansas state law, any sex offender must register with the county sheriff within 10 days of arrival within the county. In addition, nonresident sex offenders attending school or going to a workplace in a different county must register with the sheriff's office in that county. Upon receiving notification, the sheriff will inform the offender of the extent of notification responsibilities at the local level. Responsibilities may include registering for a special driver's license, obtaining an annually renewable identification card or reporting in person to the sheriff's office multiple times per year.
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Public Posting
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Upon registration, sex offenders are liable to have their whereabouts publicly posted in print or online databases. The Kansas Bureau of Investigations maintains a database of registered offenders on its website. The database has full search functions based on name, street address, city, postal code or county, and is freely available to the public. Kansas law entitles schools and day care facilities to receive notification of any local sex offenders; the state secretary of health and environment must annually inform all schools of the registered offender database. While state law demands open records of full identification information relating to sex offenders, it also safeguards any information relating to the victims of sexually violent crimes, specifically protecting victims' names, addresses and contact information from public access.
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