The Fresno County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to giving the residents of Fresno County the most up to date information possible about Sexual Offenders. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office in accordance with State and Federal laws wishes to provide the citizens of Fresno County with the information necessary to protect themselves and their families from danger.

Megan's Law makes available information on most, but not all sex offenders in their local community. The information on a registered sex offender may include:

• Name and known aliases;
• Age and sex;
• Physical description, including scars, marks, and tattoos;
• Photograph, if available;
• Crimes resulting in registration;
• Address and County of residence; or
• Zip Code (based on last registration).

Please note that California law does not allow the release of information on "Other" sex offenders.

"Other" sex offenders are required to register, but are not subject to disclosure under Megan's Law. These "Other" sex offenders are individuals convicted of exhibitionism, misdemeanor sexual battery, incest or spousal rape. Additionally, sex offenders adjudicated in juvenile court are not subject to public disclosure. As of Nov. 1, 1999, there were more than 12,800 "other" registered sex offenders within California.

For more than 50 years, California has required dangerous sex offenders to register with their local law enforcement agencies; however, information on the whereabouts of these sex offenders was not available to the public until the implementation of the Child Molester Identification Line in July 1995. The information available was further expanded by California's Megan's Law in 1996 (Chapter 908, Stats. of 1996).

Megan's Law is named after 7-year-old Megan Kanka, a New Jersey girl who was raped and killed by a known child molester who had moved across the street from the family without their knowledge. In the wake of the tragedy, the Kanka's sought to have local communities warned about sex offenders in the area.

Now, California's Megan's Law arms the public with certain information on the whereabouts of dangerous sex offenders so that local communities may protect themselves and their children. The law also authorizes local law enforcement to notify the public about high-risk and serious sex offenders who reside in, are employed in, or frequent the community.

The law is not intended to punish the offender and specifically prohibits using the information to harass or commit any crime against the offender. It recognizes that public safety is best served when registered sex offenders are not concealing their location to avoid harassment.