Washington County Sex Offenders
Washington County sex offenders are tracked through a public registry run by the sheriff's office in Nashville, Illinois. The county has a population of about 13,627 and sits in the southern part of the state. Sheriff Ross Schultze oversees sex offender registration and compliance for all of Washington County. You can search for sex offenders who live here for free using state and local tools. This page walks through how the registry works, where to look up sex offenders in Washington County, and what Illinois law says about registration and public access.
Washington County Quick Facts
Washington County Sheriff and Sex Offender Tracking
Sheriff Ross Schultze runs the sex offender registration program in Washington County. The sheriff's office is at 245 N. Kaskaskia St. in Nashville. You can call (618) 327-4800 with questions about sex offenders in your area. Every sex offender who lives in Washington County must check in at this office. They provide their name, photo, address, and other details required by state law. The sheriff's team then sends that data to the Illinois State Police so it shows up on the statewide registry.
Washington County is mostly rural. Small towns and farm land make up the bulk of the area. That means the sheriff's office covers a lot of ground when it comes to sex offender compliance. Deputies do address checks on sex offenders to make sure they live where they claim. If someone is not at their listed address, the case gets flagged. Under 730 ILCS 150, sex offenders must register within 3 days of moving into Washington County. Failing to do so is a felony.
Visit the Washington County Sheriff's website for more on how the office handles sex offender duties and other law enforcement tasks in the county.
| Sheriff | Ross Schultze |
|---|---|
| Address | 245 N. Kaskaskia St., Nashville, IL 62263 |
| Phone | (618) 327-4800 |
| Website | wcso-il.com |
Search Washington County Sex Offenders Online
The best place to start a search is the Illinois State Police Sex Offender Registry. It is free and covers all 102 counties. Type in a name, address, or zip code and the tool returns results for any registered sex offender in the state. For Washington County, try searching by Nashville or any other town in the area. Each result shows a photo, home address, and what the person was convicted of.
The Sex Offender Registration Act lays out the rules for how Illinois handles registry data. The screenshot below shows the full text of 730 ILCS 150, which governs sex offender registration across the state.
This law applies to every sex offender in Washington County. It spells out who must register, how often, and what happens if they do not comply.
OffenderWatch gives you another way to search for sex offenders near your home in Washington County. You enter your address and the tool maps out nearby offenders. You can sign up for email alerts too. If a sex offender moves close to you, you get a message. The Illinois Sheriffs' Association backs this tool and many sheriffs use it to track compliance in their counties.
Sex Offender Registration Rules in Washington County
Illinois law is strict on sex offender registration. Anyone convicted of a qualifying sex offense must register. In Washington County, that means going to the sheriff's office in Nashville. The offender provides their full name, date of birth, address, and place of work or school. A new photo gets taken at each visit. All of this keeps the registry current for people who search it.
Most sex offenders in Washington County must verify their info every 90 days. Sexual predators check in even more often. If a sex offender changes their address, gets a new job, or enrolls in school, they have 3 days to report it. Under 730 ILCS 152, the state must make updated sex offender data public within 72 hours. That is why the online registry stays fairly current for Washington County.
The standard registration term is 10 years. Some sex offenders face lifetime registration. It depends on the offense and the person's criminal history. A conviction for predatory criminal sexual assault, for example, means the person stays on the list for life. Failing to register or missing a check-in can add 10 more years. The law treats registration violations as a Class 3 felony in Washington County and across the state.
Note: Sex offenders who leave Washington County must register with the new county sheriff within three days of the move.
Washington County Sex Offender Residency Rules
State law puts limits on where sex offenders can live. In Washington County, a sex offender cannot live within 500 feet of a school, park, or playground. They also cannot be near child care centers or other places that serve kids. These rules apply in Nashville and in every other town in Washington County.
Sex offenders are also barred from loitering near schools and parks. Being in those areas without a good reason can lead to new charges. In a rural county like Washington, the 500-foot buffer still matters. Nashville has public schools, a park, and other facilities that fall under the restricted zone rules. The sheriff's office keeps tabs on where sex offenders live relative to these spots. If someone is too close, they have to move or face penalties under Washington County enforcement.
Community Alerts for Washington County Sex Offenders
You can stay informed about sex offenders in Washington County without checking the registry every day. OffenderWatch has an alert feature that sends you an email when a sex offender moves near your address. Set it up once and the tool does the rest. It covers all of Washington County.
The Illinois.gov sex offender service page also has links to search tools and explains how the registry works. This state page covers your rights as a resident and what you can and cannot do with registry data. Using the info to harass or threaten a sex offender is a crime. The registry exists as a safety tool for Washington County residents, not for vigilante action. Illinois law protects offenders from unlawful intimidation even while they must register.
What Washington County Sex Offender Records Show
Each entry in the Washington County sex offender registry has standard details. You will find the full name and any aliases the person uses. A recent photo is part of every record. The home address is listed with the city and zip code. The record also shows which offense led to the registration and when the conviction took place.
Some records have more than the basics. Vehicle info, employer address, or school enrollment may show up. Physical traits like height, weight, and eye color are common. Scars and tattoos get listed as well. All of this helps people in Washington County spot sex offenders who live near them. The data comes from what the offender provides at each check-in, plus court and law enforcement files. If something looks off in a Washington County sex offender record, call the sheriff's office in Nashville.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Washington County. Sex offenders can move across county lines, so checking nearby registries gives you a fuller picture of who lives in your area.