Official Site of The Watertown Police Department in Watertown, South Dakota

Statement of Intent
The City of Watertown believes it is important to provide its citizens with information crucial to protecting themselves and others. State law [SDCL § 22-22-31] requires that any person who has been convicted of a sex crime or of felony sexual contact, must register with local law enforcement within ten days of moving to a county. Registration records and lists collected by local law enforcement agencies are public records. [SDCL § 22-22-40]

South Dakota Codified Laws pertaining to Sex related offenses

Victim Confidentiality
State law also protects the identity of any victim. Therefore, no information regarding the victim is recorded on the Sex Offender Registry. The information is also available at the Division of Criminal Investigation as all local law enforcement authorities are required to report this information to the Division of Criminal Investigation.

Protection of Registrants
State law provides that any person who commits any crime as a result of information gained through the sex offender registry or through public information kept pursuant to SDCL § 22-22-40 is guilty of a Class 6 felony. Such liability is in addition to any other civil or criminal penalties. [SDCL §22-22-41] This means that anyone who uses information from the Sex Offender Registry to harass, intimidate, threaten, or damage property of anyone on the Registry may be convicted of a felony punishable by 2 years in the state penitentiary or a $2,000.00 fine or both.

Removals from the Registry
There are two circumstances wherein individuals may be removed from the Sex Offender Registry. The first circumstance involves a person who went through court and received a suspended imposition of sentence. Upon discharge of the individual’s case pursuant to SDCL § 23A-27-14, the individual shall forward a certified copy of such formal discharge by certified mail to the Division of Criminal Investigation and to local law enforcement where the person is then registered. Upon receipt of such notice, the person shall be removed from the sex offender registry open to public inspection and shall be relieved of further registration requirements under this section.

The second circumstance involves a juvenile offender who was placed on the sex offender registry may petition the circuit court for removal from the registry upon a showing that the person has not been adjudicated or convicted of any sex offense for at least ten years and no longer constitutes a threat to reoffend.

Disclaimer
All persons listed on this website as sex offenders have been convicted of crimes requiring their registration on a sex offenders registry. Registrants do move and fail to notify the relevant law enforcement agency of their change in residence.

The webpage of the South Dakota Sex Offender Registry is maintained by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Local Watertown residents who are required to register are added to that page by the DCI.