KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Juvenile offenders are among those you won't find on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry, but that could now result in the state losing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
After a federal law was passed, part of the deal requires states to put juveniles on the registry, and if they’re not added, states face a 10-percent cut in federal law enforcement funds.
If you look on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Web site for sex offenders in your area, you'll find them, unless they’re juvenile offenders.
State Senator Tim Burchett says, "They need to be on that list because that's definitely not something when they turn 18 that they're just going to get over."
Sen. Burchett says talk of cost has prevented previous legislation from passage. But now the talk of loss of funding in a new federal law could change that. Kristin Helm with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says the state receives about seven million in federal funds for law enforcement.
Helm says, "If those states that are not in compliance with the Adam Walsh Act by 2009 will receive a ten percent reduction in those funds."
Helm says Knoxville has a poster child of a case to show the need to be in compliance.
Grant Anthony Friese was just 14 when he was convicted of molesting a six year old. In two other states he was registered on their sex offender registries....but then he moved to Tennessee.
Helm says, “He was not required to register because we do not require juveniles to register."
In recent months, Friese was sentenced to 40 years after pleading guilty to raping three women, and attempting to rape a fourth woman at area coin laundry mats.
Sen. Burchett says, "Unfortunately with child molester cases you don't see any big change coming until the state is embarrassed by a situation."
With the threat of federal funding cut, Burchett expects passage of the legislation to put juveniles on the registry.
Helm says only those juveniles at least fourteen and those convicted of serious sexual offenses would be required to register to meet the new federal law.
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