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Some Level 2 sex offender pictures going online

(MyFoxBoston.com) – Supreme Judicial Court Justice Ralph Gants has ruled that pictures of moderate-risk Level 2 sex offenders can be posted on the state's Sex Offender Registry Board website, as long as they were classified after the law went into effect on July 12.

>>see the memorandum of decision, order

The battle over publicizing information about Level 2 sex offenders online hit the Supreme Judicial Court Tuesday, where the state's public defenders sought an injunction barring the state from putting the information on the Internet.
            
Names, pictures and crimes of high-risk Level 3 sex offenders in Massachusetts are already online, but it's not so easy to find out about one of the more than 6,000 Level 2 offenders, those deemed a moderate risk to re-offend. That information can be obtained only by physically visiting a police station.
            
The law to publicize Level 2 offender information was part of the new budget, signed into law this month by Gov. Deval Patrick.
            
It's not known how many Level 2 sex offenders have been classified since July 12 and when the Sex Offender Registry Board will put that information online.
            
Justice Gants also referred the matter to the full SJC for a review.