Suffolk County Sex Offenders

Suffolk County has more than 600 Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders on the state registry. The county sits at the heart of Massachusetts and includes Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Searching for sex offenders in Suffolk County starts with the SORB online database, which is free and open to all. You can also go to any local police station for in-person lookups. Boston Police runs its own sex offender registry page and can help with records that do not show up in the online system. This page walks you through each method for finding registered sex offenders in Suffolk County, from the state portal to local law enforcement contacts and court resources.

Suffolk County Sheriff and SORB

The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is at 200 Nashua Street in Boston, MA 02114. Call them at (617) 635-1000. The Sheriff runs the Suffolk County House of Correction at 20 Bradston Street in Boston. Sex offenders who pass through the county jail must meet all SORB registration rules before they are released. The Sheriff's Office does not run the sex offender registry on its own, but it plays a big part in tracking offenders who move in and out of custody.

When a registered sex offender is booked or let go from the Suffolk County jail, that data goes to SORB and to local police. This keeps the registry up to date for Suffolk County communities. The Sheriff's Office also holds inmate records, but those are not on a public website. You need to call or write the office to ask for them.

SORB is the state board that classifies offenders and runs the public database. You can reach them at (978) 740-6400 or toll-free at 1-800-93-MEGAN. The mailing address is P.O. Box 4547, Salem, MA 01970. All classification choices and appeals go through the Sex Offender Registry Board, not the Sheriff.

How to Search Sex Offenders

The main way to search for sex offenders in Suffolk County is the SORB online portal at sorb.chs.state.ma.us. The database is free. You can search by name, city, town, or zip code. Only Level 2 and Level 3 offenders show up in the public system. Level 1 offenders are low risk, and their info is not open to the public.

There is a gap you should know about. Level 2 offenders who were classified before July 12, 2013, are not in the online database. To check on those people, you have to visit a police station in person. An officer can look them up at no cost. Bring a photo ID with you. Most stations can help you the same day you walk in. This rule applies to all departments in Suffolk County, from Boston PD to Chelsea and Revere.

Level 3 offenders are the highest risk. Their records are fully searchable online with no limits. The SORB portal shows a photo, home address, physical traits, and offense details for each Level 3 registrant in Suffolk County.

The screenshot below shows the SORB search portal, which is the main tool for looking up sex offenders across all of Suffolk County and the rest of Massachusetts.

The SORB search portal lets you run name and location searches for registered sex offenders throughout the state.

Results from the portal include offender photos, addresses, and offense history for Level 2 and Level 3 registrants in Suffolk County.

For a broader check, the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice lets you search registries in all 50 states at once. This helps if you want to see whether someone has a registration in another state on top of Massachusetts.

Boston Police and Sex Offender Records

The Boston Police Department handles most sex offender inquiries in Suffolk County because Boston makes up the vast majority of the county's population. BPD is at 1 Schroeder Plaza, Boston, MA 02120. Call (617) 343-4500 for general inquiries. Boston PD keeps its own sex offender registry page at police.boston.gov, which gives details on how the department works with SORB and what information is open to the public.

Officers at BPD can do in-person registry lookups for any Level 2 offender not listed in the online system. You can walk into any district station in Boston and ask. No appointment is needed. Bring a valid ID. The department also carries out compliance checks on registered sex offenders who live in the city, visiting known addresses to confirm that offenders still live where they say they do.

Note: Boston PD's sex offender registry page also covers the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, which applies to offenders near colleges and universities in the city.

Suffolk County Community Notification

Massachusetts law calls for active community notification when it comes to Level 3 sex offenders. If a Level 3 offender moves into a Suffolk County neighborhood, local police must tell nearby residents, schools, and organizations. The way this works varies by city and town. Boston PD handles notifications in Boston. Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop police handle their own areas.

Level 2 offenders get a different kind of notice. SORB or local police can alert organizations like schools, daycare centers, and youth groups about Level 2 registrants who live close by. The public can access Level 2 info online or at a police station, but officers do not go door to door for Level 2 cases the way they do for Level 3.

Level 1 offenders get no public notification at all. Their records stay sealed. If you think someone poses a risk but you can not find them in the public registry, you may contact SORB to report a concern. The board will not share Level 1 records based on a single request, though.

Registration Rules for Suffolk County

Sex offenders who live, work, or go to school in Suffolk County must register with SORB under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 6, Sections 178C through 178Q. The duty to register is in Section 178E. It does not matter where the conviction took place. If someone was convicted in another state or in federal court and now lives in Suffolk County, they must register with SORB within two days of settling in.

Level 2 and Level 3 offenders must verify their registration in person at a police station at least once a year. This is in MGL c.6, Section 178F1/2. The in-person check is not optional. Offenders can not mail in an update. They must show up, present ID, and confirm their current address and other details.

If an offender's address, job, or school changes, they must tell SORB within two days. This covers moves within Suffolk County as well as moves out of the county or out of state. Not updating your registration is a separate crime from not registering at all.

Note: Offenders with no fixed address must register with the police in the city or town where they spend the most time, which can make tracking harder in dense areas like Boston.

Penalties for Failing to Register

Not registering as a sex offender in Massachusetts is a crime with real consequences. Under MGL c.6, Section 178H, a first offense can mean six months to two and a half years in a house of correction, or up to five years in state prison. A fine of up to $1,000 is also possible on a first offense. These penalties apply to any offender who fails to register, skips the annual check-in, or gives false info at registration.

A second offense is much worse. Section 178H sets a mandatory minimum of five years in state prison for a second failure-to-register conviction. There is no suspended sentence or probation for that mandatory portion. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office at 1 Bulfinch Place, Boston, MA 02114, phone (617) 619-4000, prosecutes these cases. Suffolk Superior Court at 3 Bulfinch Place in Boston handles the more serious felony-level cases.

Law enforcement in Suffolk County runs compliance checks on a regular basis. Officers visit known addresses to make sure offenders still live where they claim. If the address does not match what is on file, the case goes to the DA for possible charges.

Suffolk County Courts and Sex Crimes

Sex crime cases and failure-to-register violations in Suffolk County go through two main courts. Boston Municipal Court at 24 New Chardon Street, Boston, MA 02114, handles lower-level cases. Suffolk Superior Court at 3 Bulfinch Place, Boston, MA 02114, takes the more serious felony charges. The Suffolk County DA's office decides which court is right based on the charges and the offender's history.

The DA's office has staff who focus on sexual assault and crimes against children. They work with victim advocates from the start of a case all the way through sentencing. If you are a victim of a sex crime in Suffolk County, the DA's office can connect you with services and walk you through your rights during the legal process.

Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act

Suffolk County is home to many colleges and universities, with Boston being a major hub for higher education in Massachusetts. The federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act requires registered sex offenders who work at or attend a college to report that status to campus police. Schools must then make this information available through their campus safety offices.

This law affects a large number of institutions in Suffolk County. Any offender enrolled at or employed by a school in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, or Winthrop must comply. Campus police departments keep their own records and can tell you whether any registered offenders are tied to their school. You can also cross-check names through the SORB portal to see if someone affiliated with a campus shows up in the state registry.

Victim Resources in Suffolk County

Victims of sex crimes in Suffolk County can get help from several places. The Suffolk County DA's office has victim-witness advocates who assist throughout court proceedings. They help victims understand what happens next, prepare for court dates, and find community services after an assault.

SORB also provides information to victims through a public records request process. If you need info about an offender's current registration status that is not in the public database, you may be able to request it through formal channels. Call SORB at (978) 740-6400 for guidance on how to submit your request.

The Massachusetts law about sex offenders page on mass.gov gives a plain-language summary of victim rights, registration rules, and how to use the registry. It is a good place to start if you have not used these systems before. Local victim advocacy groups in Boston also offer counseling, legal help, and safety planning at no cost. Call the Boston Police non-emergency line to ask for a referral.

Cities in Suffolk County

Suffolk County includes Boston and several smaller communities. The cities below have their own sex offender registry pages with local details and police contacts.

Chelsea and Winthrop are also part of Suffolk County. These towns do not have individual pages but are covered under the county-level registry through SORB and their local police departments.

Nearby Counties

Suffolk County borders several other Massachusetts counties, each with their own sex offender registry resources and local police contacts.