Trinidad and Tobago Public Sex Offenders website officially went online in March, and since becoming active, the names of 24 names have been listed. The Law states that only people convicted of sex crimes and coming out of the prison system can be posted to the registry.
The website has been operational for the past seven months and shows photos of the offenders, with information including their name, any aliases, date of birth, sex, address, convictions, and date of convictions. The website is a repository of information where people can identify registered sex offenders and it can act as a deterrent to criminals
Former commissioner of police Gary Griffith also praised the registry saying: “The importance of a proper database helps tremendously in policing and securing citizens. When I was (police commissioner) this was one of the key factors of our operations. The registry helps the police in getting themselves to know when they are going into an area. The value of the registry will only be seen by the data that is put in. Some may look at the small numbers of names and think it’s not enough, but it’s a start… but obviously the numbers are not as high as I think it should be,” Griffith said. However, he was also critical of the systems in place for the reporting of sex crimes in this country. He also said: “Things that I put in place have since been shut down.
The rules governing the use of information on the website are very specific: “Warning of prosecution for the intentional and unlawful reproduction, sharing or use of information contained on this website. Any person who intentionally and without lawful excuse or justification reproduces, shares or uses any information contained on this website, commits an offense and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $25,000 and to imprisonment for three years. Section 48 (4) of the Sexual Offences Act Chapter 11:28 (as amended by Act Number 19 of 2019).”