Ohio Supreme Court: Sex Offenders Must Register Extended Work Locations

The Ohio Supreme Court says registered sex offenders may be required to register the location where they are actually working, even when the assignment is temporary and outside the county where their employer is based.

The unanimous ruling upheld the conviction of Christopher Smith Jr., a Tier III sex offender who worked for several weeks at Camp Wise in Geauga County as part of a janitorial crew.

Smith had registered his Cleveland employer’s address with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office but did not register the camp as a new place of employment in Geauga County.

Smith argued the state law was unclear about whether he needed to report his employer’s business address or the location of his work assignment.

The Supreme Court disagreed, ruling that the ordinary meaning of a “place of employment address” is the physical location where the person is performing the work.

The Court emphasized that the case involved Smith working at the same location for several weeks and did not decide how the law might apply to workers, such as delivery drivers or tradespeople, whose job locations constantly change.