Here's What Life Is Like After You Get Out Of Prison For A Sex Offense
Most U.S. states require released sex offenders to register in online databases and adhere to guidelines about where and how they can live their lives.
Here are other things some sex offenders have to do post-release:
1) Abstain from drinking - In at least a couple of states, sex offenders on parole can't have any booze. They may have to take urine or breathalyzer tests to show they haven't been drinking.
2) Give up their computer - Many sex offenders can't have their own computers, according to the Washington State Department of Corrections. A lack of computer access could make it tough for sex offenders to job hunt or keep up with the news, but it will ensure they can't prey on new victims online.
3) Wear a GPS monitor, for life - In Wisconsin and other states, some sex offenders are forced to wear GPS tracking devices for their entire lives. These devices can be faulty and land offenders back in jail when they haven't done anything wrong, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism has reported.
"There are times when I'm afraid to leave whatever room I'm in, even to go to the bathroom," convicted sex offender James Morgan told the Center. "I'm afraid an alert will go off and the police will show up at my door."
4) Take lie detector tests - Parole officers often require sex offenders to undergo polygraph tests, which measure physiological changes like heart rate or blood pressure to try to determine whether a person is lying. These tests have stirred up controversy because they're easy to cheat and aren't considered all that reliable.
An Indiana Little League coach pleaded guilty in September to "coaching" 100 people - including nine sex offenders - on how to beat lie detectors, McClatchy News reported.
5) Get really creative about finding a place to live - Sex offenders can have a notoriously difficult time finding housing that complies with various states' residency requirements. California sex offenders can't live within 2,000 feet of parks and schools, for example.
Georgia has even stricter housing limitations. Sex offenders in the Peach State can't live within 1,000 feet of "anywhere where minors congregate." Christopher Noles scoured real estate ads for two years before he finally found a tiny house in rural Georgia that complied with the sex offender residency requirement, the Wall Street Journal reported. His crime was having sex with his 14-year-old girlfriend when he was 17.
6) Tell their sex partners about their history as a sex offender - In Washington state, sex offenders are legally required to reveal their criminal histories to their new boyfriends or girlfriends before they have sex for the first time. They also have to tell their parole officers about their new romantic relationships.
7) Get chemically castrated - This is definitely a more radical requirement for sex offenders, but so-called chemical castration is not unheard of in America. At least nine states have laws that allow chemical castration, CNN reported last year.
The drug Lupron can be particularly effective for pedophiles, sex offender treatment specialist Dr. Renee Sorrentino told Time Magazine. "I was struck by how effective this medication was and how it had such a profound effect on individual lives," she said. "They're able to live life without being preoccupied, they don't have the craving anymore."
Some pedophiles opt to take the drug on their own, while others face court orders to do so.