In February, a 19-year-old Sharon Hill man was arrested and charged with 14 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of dissemination of child pornography and 15 counts of criminal use of a communication facility after the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force allegedly traced illegal downloads to his IP address. On June 6, the man reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, allowing him to plead guilty to only one count each of possessing child pornography and criminal use of a communications facility.

At the time he entered his guilty plea in June, the judge ordered the young man to undergo an evaluation by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board to determine if he was a sexually violent predator.

At his sentencing hearing this month, the results of the young man's evaluation were released, and he was found not to be sexually violent.

Due to the positive findings, he was sentenced to 6 months of incarceration and house arrest. He will serve his sentence through a combination of weekend prison at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility and electronic home monitoring when he is not at the facility.

Additionally, the judge sentenced him to 10 years of supervised release and ordered him to provide a DNA sample to law enforcement. He was also required to forfeit his computer.

The Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board was established under Megan's Law in 1995. The board is responsible for assisting the court in determining whether those convicted of sexual offenses meet the legal criteria for classification as sexually violent predators.

When a criminal defendant is classified as a sexually violent predator, he or she could be subject to lifetime sex offender registration, community notification of his residence and status, and mandatory counseling by a treatment provider approved by the SOAB. Additionally, those classified as sexually violent predators may later be subject to long-term civil commitment in addition to any criminal sentence.

Even the possibility of being classified as a sexually violent predator can be terrifying, but actually being classified as one can have life-changing consequences. Mandatory registration and community notification severely limit a person's ability to obtain work, find housing or participate in society.

This young man was found not to be sexually violent, and it is quite rare for someone to be designated as sexually violent predator while still in their teens. Still, if you or a loved one has been accused of a crime that may lead to an SOAB evaluation, you should seek assistance from an experienced criminal defense attorney.  

Source: Daily Times, "Sharon Hill man not sexually violent predator according to court," Alex Rose, Sept. 20, 2011