Section 290.45 Of Chapter 5.5. Sex Offenders From California Penal Code >> Title 9. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 5.5.
290.45
. (a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and
except as provided in paragraph (2), any designated law enforcement
entity may provide information to the public about a person required
to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290, by whatever
means the entity deems appropriate, when necessary to ensure the
public safety based upon information available to the entity
concerning that specific person.
(2) The law enforcement entity shall include, with the disclosure,
a statement that the purpose of the release of information is to
allow members of the public to protect themselves and their children
from sex offenders.
(3) Community notification by way of an Internet Web site shall be
governed by Section 290.46, and a designated law enforcement entity
may not post on an Internet Web site any information identifying an
individual as a person required to register as a sex offender except
as provided in that section unless there is a warrant outstanding for
that person's arrest.
(b) Information that may be provided pursuant to subdivision (a)
may include, but is not limited to, the offender's name, known
aliases, gender, race, physical description, photograph, date of
birth, address, which shall be verified prior to publication,
description and license plate number of the offender's vehicles or
vehicles the offender is known to drive, type of victim targeted by
the offender, relevant parole or probation conditions, crimes
resulting in classification under this section, and date of release
from confinement, but excluding information that would identify the
victim.
(c) (1) The designated law enforcement entity may authorize
persons and entities who receive the information pursuant to this
section to disclose information to additional persons only if the
entity determines that disclosure to the additional persons will
enhance the public safety and identifies the appropriate scope of
further disclosure. A law enforcement entity may not authorize any
disclosure of this information by its placement on an Internet Web
site.
(2) A person who receives information from a law enforcement
entity pursuant to paragraph (1) may disclose that information only
in the manner and to the extent authorized by the law enforcement
entity.
(d) (1) A designated law enforcement entity and its employees
shall be immune from liability for good faith conduct under this
section.
(2) Any public or private educational institution, day care
facility, or any child care custodian described in Section 11165.7,
or any employee of a public or private educational institution or day
care facility which in good faith disseminates information as
authorized pursuant to subdivision (c) shall be immune from civil
liability.
(e) (1) Any person who uses information disclosed pursuant to this
section to commit a felony shall be punished, in addition and
consecutive to any other punishment, by a five-year term of
imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
(2) Any person who uses information disclosed pursuant to this
section to commit a misdemeanor shall be subject to, in addition to
any other penalty or fine imposed, a fine of not less than five
hundred dollars ($500) and not more than one thousand dollars
($1,000).
(f) For purposes of this section, "designated law enforcement
entity" means the Department of Justice, every district attorney, the
Department of Corrections, the Department of the Youth Authority,
and every state or local agency expressly authorized by statute to
investigate or prosecute law violators.
(g) The public notification provisions of this section are
applicable to every person required to register pursuant to Section
290, without regard to when his or her crimes were committed or his
or her duty to register pursuant to Section 290 arose, and to every
offense described in Section 290, regardless of when it was
committed.