Tampa Man Arrested for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

Hillsborough County police arrested a Tampa, Florida man that was panhandling on Monday for not registering as a sexual offender when he moved from Michigan to Florida last year.

Officers started talking to the 48-year-old man Monday morning when he was panhandling on a street corner.

Upon further investigation, officers found that the man had been living in Florida since February 2010 under an alias.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, the man was listed as a sex offender in Michigan and had not complied with Florida’s sexual offender registration requirements.

He was taken to the Orient Road Jail in Tampa, FL with bail set at $9,500.

If you are a convicted sex offender or predator in the state of Florida you have to register with the Sherriff’s Office every year. The DMV must also be notified of any address changes. Sexual predators must register four times a year and sexual offenders must register twice annually. If you fail to register as a sex offender, you can be arrested for a third degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

To be convicted of this crime in the state of Florida, the prosecutor has to prove that the accused is a sex offender, that he or she failed to register as a sex offender, and that the accused had actual knowledge of the requisite and consequently failed to act in accordance with the terms. If, for some reason, you fail to register on time, it’s crucial that you contact an attorney and the authorities to show a dedicated effort to resolve your oversight.

If you are a convicted sex offender who has failed to register in the state of Florida for any reason, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Attorneys online or call 866-608-5529.