The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is warning people against targeting sex offenders living in their communities or circulating information taken from the Public Sex Offender Website, the Trinidad Guardian reports. Speaking at the TTPS weekly media briefing at the Police Administration Building in Port-of-Spain, public information officer ASP Owie Russell urged residents to report concerns to police rather than take matters into their own hands. Russell said the website is intended to help people identify registered offenders and know the locality where they live so they can protect themselves and their families. He cautioned that access to the information does not permit its reproduction or use to shame, harass or harm someone. According to Russell’s explanation, the Sexual Offences Act provides for two separate registers following amendments in 2021: the National Sex Offender Register, which is restricted to law enforcement, and the publicly accessible website. The Commissioner of Police is responsible for managing and maintaining both. Convicted offenders are added to the public website only after police receive a court order, Russell said. Published details include a name, alias, date of birth, photograph, address locality, registrable offence and conviction date. The website does not disclose the offender’s specific address. Russell warned that members of the public should not circulate screenshots, forward the information through WhatsApp or publish it on social media. He said the law balances public access to information with offenders’ privacy rights to prevent victimisation and vigilante justice. As described by Russell, Section 48(4) makes it an offence to intentionally reproduce, share or use information from the website without lawful excuse or justification. He said a person convicted summarily is liable to a $25,000 fine and three years’ imprisonment. Anyone who sees website information being misused should report it to a police officer holding the rank of sergeant or above at any police station, Russell advised. Acknowledging that an offender’s presence could cause anxiety, anger and suspicion in a community, he urged residents to use the information for protection and report any information about a sexual offence directly to police.
