Virginia’s Sex Offender Registry Romeo-and-Juliet Clause Upheld

A 30-year-old man, who as an 18-year-old was caught having sex with his 14-year-old girlfriend and pleaded guilty to taking indecent liberties with a minor, must stay on Virginia’s sex offender registry, the Fourth Circuit said Friday.

John Doe was facing the higher class felony of having “carnal knowledge of child” but pleaded to the lesser offense to get a shorter prison sentence.

Had Doe pleaded guilty to the carnal knowledge offense, he could’ve petitioned to be removed from the registry after five years under the law’s Romeo-and-Juliet provision, which is intended to ameliorate sex offenders registry requirements for teenagers ...