§ 651-B:9 — Penalty

New Hampshire § 651-B:9

• Jurisdiction: New Hampshire
• Title LXII: CRIMINAL CODE
• Ch. 651-B: REGISTRATION OF CRIMINAL OFFENDERS

Text

I. A sexual offender or offender against children who is required to register under this chapter and who negligently fails to comply with the requirements of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
II. A sexual offender or offender against children who is required to register under this chapter and who knowingly fails to comply with the requirements of this chapter shall be guilty of a class B felony. An offender who is required to register for a period of 10 years following his or her release, pursuant to RSA 651-B:6, II, shall be required to register for an additional 10 years from the date of conviction for violating this paragraph. The obligation to register for an additional 10 years from the date of conviction for violating this paragraph shall be consecutive to the registration period imposed pursuant to RSA 651-B:6 and shall be imposed even if the original registration period has elapsed.
III. A sexual offender or offender against children previously convicted pursuant to paragraph II who is required to register under this chapter and who knowingly fails to comply with the requirements of this chapter shall be guilty of a class A felony. An offender who is required to register for a period of 10 years following his or her release, pursuant to RSA 651-B:6, II, who is convicted for violating this paragraph shall be required to register for life.
IV. The penalties imposed under paragraphs I-III shall not apply to juveniles required to register pursuant to RSA 651-B:1, XI(a)(3) or (4). The court with jurisdiction over such juveniles may impose an appropriate disposition for a violation of this section.
V. Any person who violates the provisions of RSA 651-B:7 shall be guilty of a violation.
VI. A sexual offender or offender against children who knowingly provides false information in response to any of the requirements of this chapter shall be guilty of a class B felony.
VII. A person is guilty of a class B felony if the person has reason to believe that a sexual offender or offender against children is not complying, or has not complied, with the requirements of this chapter and who purposely assists the offender in eluding any law enforcement agency that is seeking to find the offender to question the offender about, or to arrest the offender for, his or her noncompliance with the requirements of this chapter, and engages in any of the following acts or omissions:
(a) Withholds information from, or does not notify, the law enforcement agency about the offender's noncompliance with the requirements of this chapter, and, if known, the whereabouts of the offender;
(b) Harbors, or attempts to harbor, or assists another person in harboring or attempting to harbor, the offender;
(c) Conceals or attempts to conceal, or assists another person in concealing or attempting to conceal, the offender;
(d) Provides information to the law enforcement agency regarding the offender which the person knows to be false information; or
(e) Warns the offender that the law enforcement agency is attempting to locate the offender.
VIII. (a) Except as provided in subparagraph (b), any sexual offender or offender against children who is required to register under this chapter who is convicted of aggravated felonious sexual assault pursuant to RSA 632-A:2, or felonious sexual assault pursuant to RSA 632-A:3, or sexual assault pursuant to RSA 632-A:4, and who initiates contact with the victim of the offense at any time shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. In this paragraph, "contact" means any action to communicate with the victim either directly or indirectly, including, but not limited to, using any form of electronic communication, leaving items, or causing another to communicate in such fashion.
(b) Subparagraph (a) shall not apply to contact between a sexual offender or an offender against children and a victim where there is an ongoing relationship between the victim and the offender that existed prior to the commission of the offense and that necessitates contact between them, such as the shared custody of a child or an emergency involving a shared sibling or parent, provided that any contact by the offender shall be strictly limited to the immediate issue that needs to be communicated.

Legislative History

1996, 293:1. 2000, 177:4. 2005, 214:96. 2006, 327:12. 2008, 334:5. 2010, 75:1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011.