Sexual offender notification

(1) A person becomes subject to sex offender notification requirements in accordance with sub-section (2) where64 (a) he is convicted of a sexual offence specified in section 65(2); or (b) he is found not guilty of such an offence by reason of insanity, or disability having committed the act of which he is charged. (2) A person referred to in sub-section (1) shall be required to notify the police in accordance with sub-section (3) of the following information on the relevant date– (a) his name and where he uses one or more of other names, each of those names; (b) his home address and if that address changes, the new address shall be provided within fourteen days after leaving the former address; (c) his date of birth; (d) his occupation and address of his place of work; and (e) his criminal convictions and corresponding (3) A person who is subject to sex offender notification requirements as determined within sub-section (1) may provide such notification– (a) by attending at any police station in his district and giving an oral notification to any police officer, or any person authorized for the purpose by the officer in charge of the station; or (b) by sending a written notification to any such police station. 65 (4) A person’s details shall be kept on the sex offender database for a period of ten years or for such longer period as specified by the Minister of National Security or the Commissioner of Police. (5) Notification under this section shall be acknowledged and any acknowledgement under this subsection shall be in writing and in such form as the Commissioner of Police may direct. (6) The information received by such notification as stated in sub-section (2) shall be collated and recorded on database known as the “National Sex Offender Database” and– (a) shall be updated each time a new notification is received nationwide; (b) it shall be the responsibility of the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of National Security to oversee the institution of, maintenance of, update of and general management of the national sex offender database, and who shall exercise their discretion in granting access to the national database; (c) the information contained within such database may be made available to the persons mentioned in sub-section (7) on successful application to the Commissioner of Police and Minister of National Security; (d) all applications to the Commissioner of Police and Minister of National Security requesting access to the national sex offender database must be done in written form and must indicate the reason for the request. (7) The persons who may be made privy to the information on the national sex offender database include but are not limited 66 to the principals and managers of schools, childcare facilities and any other bodies involved with the care and education of children and ultimately the Minister for Human Development and any other authorized officials within the Ministry of Human Development. (8) The Superintendent of Prisons shall notify the Commissioner of Police and Director of Human Development as soon as a sex offender is released from the Prison after serving any sentence for a sexual offence. (9) For the purposes of this section“home address” in relation to any person means the address of his home or place of residence, that is to say his sole or main residence in Belize or, where he has no such residence, premises in Belize which he regularly visits; “local police area” in relation to any person means the police area in which his home is situated; and “relevant date” means the day after the date on which any of the situations described in section 65A (1) sub-section (a) to (b) occur.