The South Carolina Supreme Court has found lifetime monitoring violates the constitutional rights for a sex offender found to be at a low risk to abuse a child again.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The South Carolina Supreme Court has found lifetime monitoring violates the constitutional rights for a sex offender found to be at a low risk to abuse a child again.
The satellite monitoring for life without a chance to appeal was ordered for 31-year-old Jennifer Dykes after she violated probation on a lewd act on a child charge stemming from her relationship with a 14-year-old girl in Greenville County several years ago.
State law requires lifetime monitoring for just two crimes -- lewd act and first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. Most other crimes that land someone on the sex offender registry give an offender a chance to appeal after 10 years.
A lower court will reconsider Dykes' punishment. Whether the ruling will affect other sex offenders is unclear.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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