The sex offender next door will be the sex offender known to you, even if he -- or she, it's possible -- committed the crimes decades ago and in a faraway place.
People convicted of sexual felonies in other states will be required to register in California under legislation signed this weekend by Gov. Jerry Brown, according to the San Francisco Appeal online newspaper.
The bill, SB 622, requires out-of-state sex offenders to register with the state upon moving to California, according to the office of senate Majority Leader Ellen M. Corbett, D-San Leandro.
"This new law will help make everyone a little safer by ensuring out-of-state sex offenders are subject to the same sex offender registration requirements, and are publicly known, as in-state offenders are," Corbett said in a prepared statement.
The high-profile case of Phillip Garrido was used as an example of an out-of-state sex offender who moved to California and committed another sexual crime. Garrido was sentenced to 431 years in prison for kidnapping 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard and holding her captive for 18 years.
The legislation passed the state Senate with unanimous approval and will take effect Jan. 1, 2012.
Out-of-State Sexual Felons Must Register Here
Sex offenders convicted of crimes in out-of-state jurisdictions must register as such in California under a new law signed by Jerry Brown
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