Sex-offender registries grow with crackdown on Web crimes

Sex-offender registries have grown dramatically this decade as prosecutors cracked down on Internet-fueled child pornography and other offenses against children. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says there are 716,319 registered sex offenders in the United States. That compares with about 403,000 in 2001, according to the Justice Department. The majority of registrants committed crimes against children, but other offenses, such as rapes of women, are included.

Here are the statistics for sex-offender registries in Virginia, the District and Maryland, along with their Internet links:

VIRGINIA

Total offenders by year:

2000 -- 9,304

2001 -- 10,354

2002 -- 11,636

2003 -- 12,244

2004 -- 13,094

2005 -- 12,293

2006 -- 15,676

2007 -- 17,729

2008 -- 17,843

2009 -- 16,219

Increase since 2000: 74 percent

Registry: http://sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov/sor/.

THE DISTRICT*

Total offenders by year:

2000 -- 262

2001 -- 516

2002 -- 690

2003 -- 833

2004 -- 956

2005 -- 1,067

2006 -- 1,185

2007 -- 1,294

2008 -- 1,413

2009 -- 1,528

Increase since 2000: 483 percent

*The D.C. data are the sum of all offenders who have registered up to the specified year. It does not reflect offenders who might have been taken off the registry for such reasons as relocation or death.

Registry: http://www.mpdc.dc.gov. (See "Sex Offender Registry.")

MARYLAND*

Total offenders by year:

2003 -- 3,200

2004 -- 3,832

2005 -- 4,329

2006 -- 4,811

2007 -- 5,455

2008 -- 5,916

2009 -- 6,273

Increase since 2003: 96 percent

*Maryland could provide reliable data only back to 2003.

Registry: http://www.dpscs.state.md.us/. (See "Sex Offender Registry.")

-- Jerry Markon