Federal Crime Statutes
18 U.S. Code Part I
Chapter 109B — Sex Offender & Crimes Against Children Registry
This chapter of federal law establishes a national system for sex offender registration and notification, primarily through the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), which is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Its purpose is to protect the public from sex offenders and offenders against children by requiring them to register and keep their registration current. Chapter 109B creates and enforces a comprehensive national system for tracking and notifying the public about convicted sex offenders, aiming to enhance public safety by making it more difficult for offenders to evade monitoring by simply moving between jurisdictions.
§ 2250 — Failure to register
(a)In General.—Whoever—
- (1)is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act;
- (2)
- (A)is a sex offender as defined for the purposes of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act by reason of a conviction under Federal law (including the Uniform Code of Military Justice), the law of the District of Columbia, Indian tribal law, or the law of any territory or possession of the United States; or
- (B)travels in interstate or foreign commerce, or enters or leaves, or resides in, Indian country; and
- (3)knowingly fails to register or update a registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act;
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
(b)International Travel Reporting Violations.—Whoever—
- (1)is required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (42 U.S.C. 16901 et seq.);
- (2)knowingly fails to provide information required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act relating to intended travel in foreign commerce; and
- (3)engages or attempts to engage in the intended travel in foreign commerce;
shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
(c)Affirmative Defense.—In a prosecution for a violation under subsection (a) or (b), it is an affirmative defense that—
- (1)uncontrollable circumstances prevented the individual from complying;
- (2)the individual did not contribute to the creation of such circumstances in reckless disregard of the requirement to comply; and
- (3)the individual complied as soon as such circumstances ceased to exist.
(d)Crime of Violence.—
- (1)In general.—
An individual described in subsection (a) or (b) who commits a crime of violence under Federal law (including the Uniform Code of Military Justice), the law of the District of Columbia, Indian tribal law, or the law of any territory or possession of the United States shall be imprisoned for not less than 5 years and not more than 30 years. - (2)Additional punishment.—
The punishment provided in paragraph (1) shall be in addition and consecutive to the punishment provided for the violation described in subsection (a) or (b).
