Keeping track of sex offenders keeps the staff members at the Hawai‘i Criminal Justice Data Center in Honolulu busy. The center is a part of the state Department of the Attorney General, and is responsible for updating information on offenders
Keeping track of sex offenders keeps the staff members at the Hawai‘i Criminal Justice Data Center in Honolulu busy.
The center is a part of the state Department of the Attorney General, and is responsible for updating information on offenders in the state. The information is available by using public-access computers located at main county police stations across the state, and via the Internet.
Information on offenders is updated daily. That information includes name, aliases, a photograph, residence address, personal vehicle(s) driven, street name of place of employment, college/university affiliation, and crime for which convicted.
Additionally, offenders are required to verify their registration information with the attorney general’s office every 90 days, notes Liane Moriyama, the center’s director.
According to the public-access terminal located at the Kaua‘i Police Department Lihu‘e headquarters, there were 105 registered sex offenders on the island as of Monday. The search was done via ZIP code: Anahola, 5; ‘Ele‘ele, 1; Hanalei, 2; Hanama‘ulu, 2; Hanapepe, 2; Kalaheo, 2; Kapa‘a, 3; Kekaha, 2; Kilauea, 2; Koloa, 6; Lihu‘e, 40; Makaweli, 1; Princeville, 1; Waimea, 8.
Information on offenders may also be accessed via the Internet by going to sexoffenders.hawaii.gov.
However, displaying information of all convicted sex offenders over the Internet is not allowed under state law.
There are 66 offenders on the island as of Monday when a search was done through the Internet by ZIP code: Anahola, 3; Hanalei, 2; Hanama‘ulu, 1; Hanapepe, 2; Kapa‘a, 18; Kekaha, 1; Kilauea, 2; Koloa, 4; Lihu‘e, 25; Makaweli, 1; Princeville, 1; Waimea, 6.
The center leaders also have a list of people who committed offenses against minors. That list includes those convicted of kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment of a minor for ransom or for some other non-sexual purpose.
If an offender commits an offense against a minor that involves an act or an attempted act that is a sexual offense, then that person will be listed as a sex offender, according to officials at the center.
According to the computer terminal at KPD’s Lihu‘e headquarters, a search of zip codes on the island revealed no names on the offenders-against-minors list. No names popped up when doing a similar search via the Internet.
Officials in the state Department of the Attorney General added a non-compliant-offenders section to the center’s Internet Web site. That section lists offenders who are required to register and are not in compliance under state law.
As of Monday, 275 names are on the list, according to officials the center.
Offenders who fail to register face prison time for violating state law. Moriyama pointed out that offenders who recklessly fail to comply with registration requirements will be charged with misdemeanors, which are punishable by up to one year in prison.
Offenders who intentionally or knowingly fail to comply will be charged with a Class-C felony, which is punishable by up to five years in prison. Any second or subsequent violation will be charged as a Class-C felony, Moriyama noted.
An offender could be on the sex-offender list for years, Moriyama pointed out.
Sexually-violent predators and repeat offenders will remain on the list for at least 40 years after sentencing or release. Aggravated sexual offenders will remain on the list for at least 30 years after sentencing or release.
Class-A felons will be on the list for at least 25 years, and offenders convicted of Class-B felonies will remain on the list for at least 15 years.
Offenders convicted of Class-C felonies or multiple misdemeanors will be only on the public-access list for at least 10 years. After the appropriate time period has passed, offenders may petition judges to get their names off the public-access list, Moriyama pointed out.
According to center officials, people who use the registry information to injure, harass, or to commit a criminal act against those on the list, may be prosecuted or be subject to a civil suit, or both.
Additionally, the center officials warn the public that the information on offenders is based solely on each offender’s criminal conviction, and is not based on an estimate of the offender’s level of dangerousness.
Anyone who believes that registry information is incorrect should call the center’s Sex Offender Registration Unit toll-free at 274-3141, then dial 7-3279# after the recorded message, during normal business hours.
Anyone with information about those on the non-compliant list may call the same number.
