Find Sex Offenders in Niagara County

Niagara County sex offenders are monitored by the Niagara County Sheriff's Office and tracked through the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services registry.

How to Search for Sex Offenders in Niagara County

The NYS Sex Offender Registry online subdirectory is the best way to look up sex offenders in Niagara County. The tool is free. It works 24 hours a day. Select "Niagara" from the county dropdown and the site shows all Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders who live in the county. Each listing has photos, home address, conviction info, vehicle details, and any aliases.

Level 1 sex offenders do not appear in the online search. To find out if someone is a Level 1 offender, call the registry at 1-800-262-3257. You need the person's name and one more piece of info: an exact address, date of birth, driver's license number, or Social Security number. Staff are on hand Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office also handles sex offender questions at the local level. You can call them or visit their office in Lockport. They have access to registry data and can help with community notification concerns.

Niagara County Sheriff's Office

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency responsible for sex offender monitoring in the county. The office handles address verification, compliance checks, and community notifications for registered sex offenders throughout Niagara County.

• Address: 5526 Niagara Street Extension, Lockport, NY 14094
• Phone: 716-438-3390
• Emergency: 911

Deputies conduct regular checks on sex offenders living in the county. Level 3 offenders must come to the sheriff's office every 90 days to verify their address in person. If an offender fails to register or misses an address check, the sheriff's office can charge them with a felony. A first offense for failure to register is an E felony. A second or later offense is a D felony under Correction Law Article 6-C.

The sheriff's office also operates the Niagara County Jail. Sex offenders who violate registration rules or commit new offenses in the county are held at this facility before appearing in court. The office works closely with DCJS to keep registry records up to date as offenders move, change jobs, or are released from custody.

Sex Offender Risk Levels in Niagara County

A judge sets the risk level for every sex offender after a court hearing. The process uses a point-based system. Factors include the seriousness of the offense, use of force, victim age, number of victims, drug use, and the offender's criminal history. Based on the total score, the offender is placed at Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3.

Level 1 is low risk. Address info is limited to ZIP code. Registration lasts 20 years unless the offender has a special designation. Level 2 is moderate risk. Full address is public and registration is for life. Level 3 is high risk. Full address is public, registration is for life, and the offender must verify their address every 90 days in person at the sheriff's office.

A judge can also designate a sex offender as a sexual predator, sexually violent offender, or predicate sex offender. These designations carry lifetime registration no matter the risk level. A Level 2 offender without a designation who has been registered for at least 30 years can petition the court for relief under Correction Law Section 168-o.

How SORA Applies in Niagara County

The Sex Offender Registration Act in Correction Law Article 6-C governs sex offender registration in Niagara County. SORA has been in effect since January 21, 1996. It requires people convicted of certain sex offenses to register with the state. The law covers New York convictions, out-of-state convictions that match a New York registerable offense, and federal or military convictions.

In Niagara County, the County Court handles most SORA risk level hearings. The Niagara County District Attorney makes recommendations to the court on what risk level an offender should receive. For offenders leaving prison, the Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders sends a recommendation 60 days before release. The court then holds a hearing and sets the level 30 days before the offender gets out.

For probation cases, the timeline is shorter. The court registers the sex offender at sentencing and holds a risk level hearing at least 45 days later. In some cases, the parties agree to hold the hearing at sentencing itself. The DA submits a recommendation at least 15 days before the hearing in either situation.

Community Notification in Niagara County

Niagara County residents can use the NY-ALERT system to get free notifications about sex offenders in their area. Sign up through the NYS Sex Offender Registry website and choose up to three locations by county, ZIP code, or specific address. You get alerts by email, text, fax, or phone when a Level 2 or Level 3 offender moves into or out of your chosen areas.

The sheriff's office handles local notification duties. When a Level 3 sex offender moves into a Niagara County neighborhood, the office notifies schools, daycare centers, summer camps, community organizations, places of worship, and similar entities. For Level 2 offenders, notification goes to entities serving vulnerable populations. The sheriff's office keeps a list of organizations that receive these notices and updates it as needed.

Internet Rules and Where Sex Offenders Can Live

Sex offenders in Niagara County must report all internet accounts, email addresses, and screen names to DCJS. Changes must be reported within 10 days. This comes from the 2008 Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act. Failure to report internet info is a felony. Offenders who committed crimes against minors or used the internet in their offense face mandatory internet restrictions as a condition of supervision.

There are no statewide residency buffer zones for sex offenders in New York. Niagara County cannot add its own restrictions. The New York Court of Appeals ruled in People v. Diack that local governments cannot pass their own sex offender residency laws. The Sexual Assault Reform Act does bar certain offenders from entering or living within 1,000 feet of school grounds when the victim was under 18 or the offender is Level 3. Beyond that, individual conditions can be set by parole or probation officers on a case-by-case basis.

Nearby Counties

If you need to search for sex offenders in areas near Niagara County, check these neighboring county pages.