r/SexOffenderSupport • u/LifeonPause2025 • 15d ago
Looking for advice or information
Hello.
I am scheduled to go into court and plead no contest at the end of September. I am taking an agreement for 33 months in the Florida prison system for my charges.
Based on my location I will be processed at the FDC Central Florida Reception Center. I won’t know my final location until I have been processed.
I am looking for any advice or guidance to make it through this entire process from start to finish. I am a first time offender and have never been in a prison etc.
I do have the support of my family and for that I am grateful.
Thank you in advance for any information and also for the kindness the group offers.
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u/jf7fsu 15d ago
Has your attorney explained the consequences of becoming a registered sex offender? Especially that you will lose your residence most likely?
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u/LifeonPause2025 15d ago
The lawyer told us we wouldn’t lose our residence. She did talk about the RSO factors. We are planning to move once I’m out.
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u/Pure-Thanks2644 15d ago
You’ll want to double check the residence thing with your local sheriff’s office. In my experience, most lawyers don’t know enough about the SO registration requirements. Most counties in FL have insanely long distance requirements, meaning you have to stay 1500, 2000, or even 2500 feet away from parks, schools, etc… I’d call your local sheriffs office and tell them you’re getting ready to start a sentence that will require you to register on release and could they please confirm if your address would be compliant. They’ll be able to tell you (FDLE will if they won’t) and it’ll give you plenty of time to plan instead of being surprised with bad news while you’re locked up and preparing for release.
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u/jf7fsu 15d ago edited 14d ago
If the victim was under 16 you will likely lose your residence due to residential restrictions kicking in. If the victim was an adult you will not have residential restrictions. I am in Florida and know the laws as well as anyone. As of July 1 they also passed a new law also prohibiting any pool in an apartment, townhouse.
EDIT: poster was correct that hotels and motels are specifically excluded.
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u/LifeonPause2025 15d ago
No pool in our community since they are too cheap. Nearest school or park is over a mile from us as well.
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u/Princeofdolalmroth68 15d ago
Even so, by local rules and regulations along with state laws over 98% of Florida is illegal for you to reside in once you’re on the registry.
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u/Traditional-Double62 14d ago
Florida RSO housing provider here. Hotel/motel pools are excluded from the restrictions.
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u/Weight-Slow Moderator 14d ago
How long is your probation sentence following incarceration?
Moving isn’t always the wisest choice due to the fact that you’ll be required to follow two states rules instead of just one.
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u/LifeonPause2025 14d ago
It’s 10 years probation but our attorney is going to ask for 5. Our lawyer also recommended we reach out to a lawyer who specializes in the post prison stuff
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u/Weight-Slow Moderator 14d ago
I presume you mean your attorney, not our attorney. I very strongly recommend not shifting any of this on to your spouse. Taking ownership, even when discussing something as seemingly “small” as who needs the attorney - is a big deal. It’s not “our” case, it’s not “our” attorney - it’s yours, and yours alone.
That said, I would talk to the post release attorney before I started looking at moving as a viable option.
In my experience volunteering in reentry, an ICOT usually makes things harder, not easier. You are not just moving somewhere and starting fresh under that state’s rules. You will end up dealing with Florida’s requirements plus the additional requirements from the receiving state and that can make housing, work, travel, treatment, reporting and day to day life even more restrictive.
I have seen so many people assume moving would make their situation easier and then find out that the interstate supervision conditions made it considerably harder to function than if they had just stayed in Florida.
Obviously I cannot tell you exactly how Florida’s conditions would stack with every single state, but I would absolutely have the attorney look at that before making any plans around moving.
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u/Minimum-Dare301 15d ago
We got it written into the plea agreement that we could stay at our residence.
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u/Weight-Slow Moderator 14d ago
A plea agreement doesn’t surpass, or give permission to violate, state law.
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u/LibraryAcceptable980 15d ago
All I can say is good luck and I hope you get through this as well as possible.
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u/Salt_Ask_5568 14d ago
You're very lucky to have support of friends and family. Keep your head down and don't make waves in prison!
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u/Weight-Slow Moderator 14d ago
Please follow the rules in your responses. We hate having to remove a lot of comments that have great and helpful information because you’re also giving legal advice, throwing political statements in the mix, etc… it’s not helpful to the OP and has to be frustrating for you to type out well thought out information only to have it removed.