Sex Offender Internet Database Otherwise Known as the Public Website
Effective Apr 25, 2025Mass. Register #1546MGL c. 6, §§ 178C through 178QDepartment of Criminal Justice Information Services
- (1) The information contained in the Public Website pursuant to M.G.L. c. 6 §§ 178D and 178K(2), will be created and updated on a regular basis from the Sex Offender Registry, but must be kept physically separate from the Sex Offender Registry which is not publicly accessible.
(2) The information contained in the Public Website must not include information:
- (a) pertaining to unclassified or Level 1 sex offenders and any Level 2 sex offender finally classified prior to July 12, 2013;
- (b) pertaining to finally classified incarcerated or civilly committed sex offenders until seven calendar days prior to the sex offender's reasonably anticipated release date;
- (c) identifying victims' names, addresses or relation to Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders; and
- (d) relating to requests for registration data under sections M.G.L. c. 6, §§ 178I and 178J.
- (3) Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 6, § 178N, thePublic Website, shall include a warning explaining the criminal penalties for use of sex offender registry information to commit a crime or to engage in illegal discrimination or harassment of a sex offender and the punishment for threatening to commit a crime under M.G.L. c. 275, § 4.
(4) The Board shall develop and implement policies, procedures, and protocols to update and maintain the Public Website in order to:
- (a) validate the accuracy, integrity, and security of information contained in the Public Website;
- (b) ensure the prompt and complete removal from the Public Website of registration data for sex offenders whose duty to register has terminated or expired under M.G.L. c. 6, §§ 178G, 178L, or 178M or any other law or order of any Court; and
- (c) protect against the inaccurate, improper, or inadvertent publication of registration information on the Internet.