“The department is still actively registering sex offenders and is still actively monitoring and registering prior sex offenders that must come in to DPS to register every three months,” DPS spokesman PO2 Eric David said in an e-mail to the Variety.
“However, our website is not ready to go without the approval of the Attorney General’s Office,” David added.
The sex offenders registry officer-in-charge, PO2 Jason Tarkong, submitted a final draft of standard operating procedure to the AG’s office for review sometime last year, said David.
But the department “has not received any feedback from their office,” he added referring to the AGO.
Tarkong made “several attempts this year to follow up with his request but to no avail,” David said.
Tarkong was told that his submission was still being reviewed by the AGO, David added.
Asked for comment, Attorney General Edward T. Buckingham said in an e-mail on Friday: “You are asking a number of questions going back to 2009. I will review your questions and respond as soon as practicable.”
In July 2009, the Variety reported that DPS was finalizing its sex offenders registry online, and was waiting for the AGO’s approval.
DPS launched its sex offenders registry website in July 2008.
Convicted sex offenders are required by law to declare in writing with the department, the probation and parole offices, the actual living address at which he or she will reside upon release as required by Public Law 11-104.
An intentional failure to provide a timely and accurate written declaration will be a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and one year of imprisonment.
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 makes it a federal offense punishable up to 10 years imprisonment a sex offender’s failure to register at the jurisdiction he has moved into.
For more information, call the Sex Offender Registry Office at 664-9026 or 664-9001.
