Maps :: Megan's Law - Keeping Children Safe from Sex Offenders

For more than 50 years, the State of California has required dangerous sex offenders to register with their local law enforcement agencies. Information as to the whereabouts of these sex offenders, however, was not available to the public until the Child Molester Identification Line was implemented in July 1995. Megan’s Law further expanded the scope of this program when it was enacted in 1996. Megan’s Law was named after seven-year-old Megan Kanka, who was murdered by a registered sex offender who lived across the street from her family without their knowledge. Due to this tragedy, the law was changed to allow police departments to notify the public about high-risk and serious sex offenders who reside in, are employed in, or frequent the community. This allows potential victims to protect themselves and allows parents to protect their children.

Additionally, a new California law, Assembly Bill 488 (Nicole Parra), sponsored by the Attorney General now provides the public with Internet access to detailed information on registered sex offenders.

This expanded access allows the public for the first time to use their personal computers to view information on sex offenders required to register with local law enforcement under California's Megan's Law. Perviously, the information was available only by personally visiting police stations and sheriff offices or by calling a toll-free 900 number. The new law was given final passage by the Legislature on August 24, 2004 and signed by the Governor on September 24, 2004.

The law is not intended to punish the offender and specifically prohibits using the information to harass or commit any crime against an offender.