Attorney General Vincent F. Frazer announced earlier this month that the US Virgin Islands Department of Justice has successfully completed its third “Operation Sweep” of both island districts. In joint cooperation with United States Marshals and the Virgin Islands Police Department, a territory-wide compliance check of all sex-offenders residing, attending school and working within the Territory was carried out between July 24, 2014 and August 11, 2014.
“All necessary actions are being taken to locate and apprehend sex offenders who are found to be in violation of territorial and/or federal sex offender laws for their failure to report to the Virgin Islands Department of Justice to register,” stated Attorney General Frazer.
The updated count indicated that a total of 59 sex offenders is currently registered in the St. Thomas-St. John-Water Island District and 36 sex offenders are registered in the St. Croix District. As of press time, the current registry indicated there is a total of eight convicted sex offenders living in the St. John community — with one absconder.
All convicted sex offenders are required by law to register with the US Virgin Islands government within three days of entering the territory or upon changing residences within the territorial jurisdiction. The reporting requirements vary based on the nature of the sexual offense conviction.
The required reporting periods to register include, 15 years, 25 years or a lifetime, depending upon the nature of the sex crime conviction. The law was passed by the VI legislative body in June of 2012, having been submitted by the Governor the previous year.
The 2012 modification by the legislature amended the Virgin Islands Sexual Offender Registration and Community Protection Act of 1997, by increasing the reporting requirements for convicted sex offenders.
The 2012 law also brought the territory into compliance with the mandates required by the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2006. Those convicted sex offenders who do not comply with registration requirements are apprehended by law enforcement and face immediate incarceration.
The Department of Justice is the agency charged with monitoring the Convicted Sex Offender registration process in the Virgin Islands and states that it remains committed to protecting the families of the Virgin Islands Community.
The department issued the following statement of instruction for readers of this newspaper, “We ask that members of this community continue to visit our website at www.doj.vi.gov or go directly to usvi.nsopw.gov to access the registry and view the list of sex offenders in the territory.” ..Source.. by Susan Mann
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