SC- Full appeals court to hear sex offender case

4-28-2009 South Carolina:

ATLANTA — The full 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the case of an Alabama man who failed to register as a sex offender after being convicted of sending obscene material to minors over the Internet.

An appellate panel split 2-1 in January, ruling Matthew Mason Dodge was not required to register because his particular crime was not on the federal list mandating registration. On Monday, the court agreed to an en banc hearing, vacating the panel's ruling.

U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. Granade of Mobile, Ala., sentenced Dodge on Jan. 17, 2008 to 18 months in prison and required him to register as a "tier 1," offender, the lowest level, after Dodge admitted providing links to nude photos of himself to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl. ..News Source.. by