Megan’s Law

About Megan's Law

In July 1994, seven year-old Megan Kanka was lured into a neighbor's house under the pretext of seeing his new puppy. The residents of Hamilton Township, New Jersey had no idea that Jesse Timmendequas was twice convicted for sexually abusing a child. Timmendequas was charged and convicted of murdering Megan Kanka.

As a result of Megan's death, the legal requirement prohibiting law enforcement from making public to the community the presence of serious and high-risk sex offenders living in the area was brought to national attention. On May 17, 1996, President Clinton signed the Federal "Megan's Law" (HR2137) which "required the release of relevant information to protect the public from sexually violent offenders." Several states, including California, followed suit with a California "Megan's Law" that allows public access to information on serious and high-risk sex offenders.

Registration

Sex offenders are required to register with the local law enforcement any time they are released from prison, move to a city or change address, within five days of the event. They are also required to register annually, within five working days of their birthday, and a new photograph is taken. All of this information is entered into a database that can now be accessed online. 

The purpose of the Megan's Law Database is to allow members of the public to protect themselves and their children from sex offenders.

Additional Information

Megan's Law information can be viewed online.