Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement has issued a sharp public warning regarding improper use of the nation’s newly launched public sex offender registry website, clarifying that unauthorized sharing or reproduction of information from the platform carries severe criminal penalties, including steep fines and potential prison time.
Assistant Superintendent Owie Russell made the official announcement during a press briefing held on Wednesday at the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain, emphasizing that the platform was created solely as a public safety tool — not a channel for harassment, intimidation, or vigilante justice against registered offenders.
First launched to the public on March 3, 2023, the official website (sexoffenders.gov.tt) grants public access to court-vetted information about people convicted of sexual offenses. Under the country’s Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 11:28, the nation operates two separate sex offender registries with distinct access rules. The National Sex Offender Register, a centralized database managed by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Criminal Records Office with additional records kept at local police stations, is restricted exclusively to law enforcement use. Only the second registry, the public website, is open for general public viewing, and even entries on this platform are only published following formal court approval and verification by TTPS Criminal Records Office staff.
Information available to the public on the website includes the offender’s full name, any known aliases, date of birth, current photograph, the general locality of their residence, the specific offense for which they were convicted, and the date of their conviction. Critically, the full street address of registered offenders is never disclosed to the general public to prevent targeted harassment and harm.
“I want to caution citizens: Citizens are not to misuse the sex offenders website,” Russell stated during the briefing. He went on to explain that the platform’s core purpose is to let community members identify convicted sex offenders and know the general area where they reside, while also offering evidence-based safety guidance and educational resources to help families and children stay protected. Even with this open access, Russell stressed that the public is only permitted to view the information directly on the official site — distributing it through any third-party channel is a criminal offense.
Under Section 48(4) of the Sexual Offences Act, any person who intentionally reproduces, shares, or uses information from the public registry without lawful justification can be found guilty of a criminal offense. Upon summary conviction, offenders face a maximum fine of 25,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars and up to three years of imprisonment. Russell explicitly outlined prohibited uses, noting “That means no screenshots on WhatsApp, no WhatsApp forwards, no social media posts.”
This legal framework is intentionally designed to strike a careful balance between the public’s right to know about potential safety risks in their communities and the fundamental privacy rights of registered offenders, Russell explained. Without these restrictions, the system would open the door to ongoing victimization of offenders and unregulated vigilante action that can spiral into violence and extrajudicial harm.
Russell urged any member of the public who suspects someone is misusing information from the registry to report the activity immediately to a sergeant or higher-ranking officer at their local police station or divisional headquarters. Designated officers will then launch a formal investigation to determine whether criminal misconduct has occurred.
“Use the information to protect yourself and loved ones. Do not use it to shame, harass, or harm anyone,” Russell added. He also reminded the public that anyone with information about an unreported sexual offense should contact police immediately to initiate an investigation.
During the question-and-answer portion of the briefing, members of the media raised a common concern from parents and guardians: how can adults protect children from potential risk in their communities while still complying with the restrictions on sharing registry information? Russell acknowledged the validity of the public’s concern, but repeated that residents must not take matters into their own hands.
He reaffirmed that while the site shares the general locality a convicted offender lives in and a photo for identification, no specific address is released to the public. For any suspected incident involving harm or risk to a child, Russell said parents and guardians must contact the TTPS directly to let trained officers investigate and assign accountability, rather than taking independent action against a person based on registry information.
“I understand you are trying to protect your children but do not find yourself on the other side of the law whilst wanting to protect your children,” he said.