IL- Convicted Sex Offender says he Didn't Know he Wasn't Allowed on School Trips

9-16-2008 Illinois:

ROCKFORD - A convicted child sex offender goes on trial after chaperoning a school field trip.

Ennis Montgomery, 39, admits he went on the trips with students at Rockford's Thompson Elementary School, but he claims he didn't know it was against the law to do it.

Montgomery says when he checked the Illinois sex offender website the rules about that weren't updated. Prosecutors say it doesn't matter what he thought the law was.

-And the website still shows nothing about what registrants can and cannot do. If they are going to convict him they better be able to prove they notified him of that specific prohibition or the charge will fail the due process test. Hopefully he has a good lawyer.

The judge in Montgomery's bench trial will make a decision later this month. ..News Source.. by Dani Maxwell