Bill would make changes to Mo. sex offender registry

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Sex offenders convicted of lower-level crimes would be able to petition to have their names removed from a state registry under a bill that a Senate committee is considering.

Convicted child molester Dennis Ash is listed as an absconder, non compliant on the registry

The Columbia Missourian reports that Republican Rep. Kurt Bahr’s bill already has passed the House. It would create a tiered system, similar to what the federal government uses, to make it possible for people who have committed an offense that falls into the first two tiers to petition to have their name removed from the registry.

Bahr says his bill could help make the registry clearer for the public.

The bill also distinguishes different kinds of sexual offenses, and imposes a lifetime sentence with no eligibility for parole for those who commit a predatory sexual offense.