[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Sex offenders need to be locked up, permanently. If they got to be monitored when they're released that means they're still a danger to society.

Also sex offender laws need to be dramatically clarified. An 18 year old dating a 17 year old girl shouldn't be labeled a sex offender.

[Paloma_55]

I agree that an 18 yr old dating a 17 yr old should not be labeled a sex offender, however, there is a thing called statutory rape. An 18 yr old *having sex* with a 17 yr old may qualify for that charge.

There are different classes of felony and misdemeanors, it would seem (and I believe it is so) that the difference in age is a mitigating factor in which class of crime the defendent is charged. There are also juries which will help to ensure that a person is not branded for life for a minor offense, and there is plea bargaining.

IMO, the requirement to register should only be placed upon people who have engaged in sexual activity with minors under 15 and more than 3 years younger than them or for non-consentual sexual assault or battery... but better yet, I would have a 2 strikes law for such offenders and for some offenses, like pedophilia, one strike.