PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Edward C. Kipp, 75, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 19 months in prison and ten years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl for failing to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), also known as “Megan’s Law.” Under Megan’s Law, sex offenders are required to register their home, work, and school addresses with state law enforcement, so that individuals can search a database and be aware of convicted sex offenders living, working, or attending school in their neighborhood.
In August 2021, the defendant was convicted at trial of the charge of failing to register as a sex offender. In 2013, Kipp was convicted of possessing child pornography. Because of that conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender with the Pennsylvania State Police, and to verify that registration on an annual basis for 10 years. The defendant must also notify the State Police within three business days if there is any change in his residence. In 2020, Kipp absconded from federal supervised release and moved to a new residence without updating his registration. For this offense, he was charged by Indictment in September 2020.
“The purpose of Megan’s Law is to provide the public with current information about the whereabouts of sex offenders in order to ensure public awareness and safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Williams. “Failure to comply with the Megan’s Law registration requirement is not simply an administrative hiccup; it is a federal crime. And if offenders do not fulfill their obligation to report, we will aggressively prosecute them to ensure compliance.”
“Non-compliance regarding sex offender registration is, quite simply, not an option,” said Eric Gartner, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “We will continue to aggressively enforce these laws purposed to protect our children as part of a deterrence framework supporting Project Safe Childhood.”
“Parents want to know if there’s a sex offender living in the neighborhood, to better protect their children, and Megan’s Law gives them that right,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “If registered offenders refuse to keep their information current, as required, the FBI and our partners will see that they’re held accountable. The community’s safety is paramount here.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Rice and Nancy Rue.
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