§ 54-254 — Registration of person who has committed a felony for a sexual purpose.

Connecticut § 54-254

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 54: Criminal Procedure
• Ch. 969: Registration of Sexual Offenders

Text

(a) Any person who has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect in this state on or after October 1, 1998, of any felony that the court finds was committed for a sexual purpose, may be required by the court upon release into the community or, if such person is in the custody of the Commissioner of Correction, at such time prior to release as the commissioner shall direct to register such person's name, identifying factors, criminal history record, residence address and electronic mail address, instant message address or other similar Internet communication identifier, if any, with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, on such forms and in such locations as the commissioner shall direct, and to maintain such registration for ten years from the date of such person's release into the community. If the court finds that a person has committed a felony for a sexual purpose and intends to require such person to register under this section, prior to accepting a plea of guilty or nolo contendere from such person with respect to such felony, the court shall (1) inform the person that the entry of a finding of guilty after acceptance of the plea will subject the person to the registration requirements of this section, and (2) determine that the person fully understands the consequences of the plea. If any person who is subject to registration under this section changes such person's name, such person shall, without undue delay, notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in writing of the new name. If any person who is subject to registration under this section changes such person's address, such person shall, without undue delay, notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in writing of the new address and, if the new address is in another state, such person shall also register with an appropriate agency in that state, provided that state has a registration requirement for such offenders. If any person who is subject to registration under this section establishes or changes an electronic mail address, instant message address or other similar Internet communication identifier, such person shall, without undue delay, notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in writing of such identifier. If any person who is subject to registration under this section is employed at, carries on a vocation at or is a student at a trade or professional institution or institution of higher learning in this state, such person shall, without undue delay, notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection of such status and of any change in such status. If any person who is subject to registration under this section is employed in another state, carries on a vocation in another state or is a student in another state, such person shall, without undue delay, notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection and shall also register with an appropriate agency in that state, provided that state has a registration requirement for such offenders. During such period of registration, each registrant shall complete and return forms mailed to such registrant to verify such registrant's residence address and shall submit to the retaking of a photographic image upon request of the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection. (b) Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class D felony, except that, if such person violates the provisions of this section by failing to notify the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection without undue delay of a change of name, address or status or another reportable event, such person shall be subject to such penalty if such failure continues for five business days.

Legislative History

(P.A. 98-111, S. 5; P.A. 99-183, S. 5, 13; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 82; P.A. 06-187, S. 39; 06-196, S. 292; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4, S. 94; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; P.A. 15-211, S. 7.) History: P.A. 99-183 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “sexual purposes” with “a sexual purpose” where appearing, revise provision re changing address to and registering in another state, add provision requiring a person who regularly travels into or within another state or temporarily resides in another state to notify the Commissioner of Public Safety and register with an appropriate agency in that state if that state has a registration requirement, add provision requiring registrants to submit to the retaking of a photographic image upon request and make technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 1, 1999; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-07 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision requiring any person subject to registration under this section who is employed at, carries on a vocation at or is a student at a trade or professional institution or institution of higher learning in this state to notify the commissioner of such status and any change in such status and to make requirement that a person subject to registration under this section notify the commissioner and register with an appropriate agency in another state applicable if such person “is employed in another state, carries on a vocation in another state or is a student in another state” rather than if such person “regularly travels into or within another state or temporarily resides in another state for purposes including, but not limited to employment or schooling”, effective August 15, 2002; P.A. 06-187 amended Subsec. (a) to require person in custody of Commissioner of Correction to register at such time prior to release as commissioner directs, require person who changes such person's name to notify commissioner in writing of new name without undue delay, replace requirement that person who changes address register new address in writing with commissioner within five days with requirement that such person notify commissioner in writing of new address without undue delay and require that notification person must give re employment, vocational or student status at trade or professional institution or institution of higher learning in this state and any change in such status and re employment, vocational or student status in another state be given “without undue delay” and amended Subsec. (b) to add exception that person who fails to notify commissioner without undue delay of change of name, address or status or another reportable event is subject to penalty if such failure continues for five business days, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-196 changed effective date of P.A. 06-187, S. 39 from July 1, 2006, to October 1, 2006, effective June 7, 2006; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-4 amended Subsec. (a) to require registration of person's “electronic mail address, instant message address or other similar Internet communication identifier, if any,” and require registrant who establishes or changes such an identifier to notify Commissioner of Public Safety in writing of such identifier without undue delay; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 15-211 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re 10-year registration period to start from date of person's release into the community. Court concluded that section is not a sentence enhancement statute; court found that evidentiary hearing is required on issue of whether the crime was committed for a sexual purpose and stated that the fact is to be found by a fair preponderance of the evidence. 69 CA 516. Subsec. (a): Order to register as sex offender not required to be based on finding that defendant posed risk of reoffense or danger to public safety but can be based on finding that crime was committed for sexual purpose. 288 C. 582.