Have You Been Injured Or Charged With A Crime?

Who Has Access To Your Personal Information

Some of the most frightening aspects of a sex crime conviction are not the criminal consequences. It is the social stigma that many people face after being convicted. This is only magnified when a convicted person’s name has been placed on a sex offender registry list.

If you are being investigated or have already been charged with a sex crime, you will likely want to know what personal information will be made public if you are convicted. Below you will find a more detailed description of what information may be accessible to the public.

These cases can be complex, and each involves different circumstances that will influence your situation. Contact our office in Urbandale (the West Des Moines area) to arrange a free, confidential initial consultation. Attorney Peter Berger of Berger Law Firm, P.C., can be reached online or by telephone at 515-288-8888.

What Personal Information About Me Is Shared on the Sex Offender Registry?

Iowa’s department of corrections maintains an Internet site for the public and others. The Internet site is readily searchable by name, county, city, ZIP code and even geographic radius. The Iowa Code also provides the following for the sex offender registry site.

The department shall provide updated or corrected relevant information within five business days of the information being updated or corrected from the sex offender registry to the following:

  • A criminal or juvenile justice agency, an agency of the state, a Sex Offender Registry of another jurisdiction, or the federal government.
  • The general public through the sex offender registry Internet site.
    (1) The following relevant information about a sex offender shall be disclosed on the Internet site:
  • The date of birth.
  • The name, nickname, aliases, including ethnic or tribal names.
  • Photographs.
  • The physical description, including scars, marks, or tattoos.
  • The residence.
  • The offense committed that requires registration.
  • A specific reference indicating whether a particular sex offender is subject to residency restrictions.
  • A specific reference indicating whether a particular sex offender is subject to exclusion zone restrictions.

The following relevant information shall not be disclosed on the Internet site:

  • The relevant information about a sex offender who was under 20 years of age at the time the offender committed a violation.
  • The employer name, address, or location where a sex offender acts as an employee in any form of employment.
  • The address and name of any school where a student required to be on the registry attends.
  • The real name of a sex offender protected under 18 U.S.C. § 3521.
  • The statutory citation and text of the offense committed for an incest conviction in violation of section 726.2, however, the citation and text of an incest conviction shall be disclosed on the internet site as a conviction of section 709.4 or 709.8.
  • Any other relevant information not described in subparagraph (1).

A criminal or juvenile justice agency may provide relevant information from the sex offender registry to the following:

  • A criminal or juvenile justice agency, an agency of the state, or a sex offender registry of another jurisdiction, or the federal government.
  • The general public, any information available to the general public in subsection 2, including public and private agencies, organizations, public places, child care facilities, religious and youth organizations, neighbors, neighborhood associations, community meetings, and employers. The relevant information available to the general public may be distributed to the public through printed materials, visual or audio press releases, radio communications, or through a criminal or juvenile justice agency’s internet site.

Can Someone Get Additional Information About Me?

Iowa Code § 692A.121(5) states:

  • A member of the public may contact a county sheriff’s office to request relevant information from the Registry regarding a specific sex offender . . . and the request shall include the name of the person and at least one of the following identifiers pertaining to the sex offender about whom the information is sought:
  • The date of birth of the person
  • The Social Security number of the person
  • The address of the person
  • Internet identifiers
  • Telephone numbers, including any landline or wireless numbers
  • The relevant information made available to the general public shall include all the relevant information provided to the general public on the registry Internet site and the following additional relevant information:
  • Educational institutions attended as a student, including the name and address of such institution
  • Employment information including the name and address of employer
  • Temporary lodging information, including the dates when residing at the temporary lodging
  • Vehicle information

Iowa Code § 692A.151(7) states:

The following relevant information shall not be provided to the general public:

  • The identity of the victim
  • Arrests not resulting in a conviction
  • Passport and immigration documents
  • A government issued driver’s license or identification card
  • DNA information
  • Fingerprints
  • Palm prints
  • Professional licensing information
  • Social Security number
  • Real name protected under 18 U.S.C. § 3521

What if I Was Convicted as a Minor?

Records of convictions committed by a minor can be released in the same manner as records of convictions of adults.