In May 2023, a New York jury found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, awarding her $5 million. Jurors also found Trump liable for defaming Carroll over her allegations.
After Trump was re-elected as president earlier this month, some people on social media claimed the White House will appear on a sex offender registry after he takes office, suggesting this move is related to the 2023 sexual abuse verdict.
“As of January 20, this address will, for the next 4 years, appear on the national registry of sex offenders. What a country,” one person wrote in a post on X with over 5 million views.
THE QUESTION
Will the White House appear on a sex offender registry after Trump takes office?
THE SOURCES
- The Division of Criminal Justice Services (DJCS) in New York
- Probation Information Network
- Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute (LII)
THE ANSWER
No, the White House will not appear on a sex offender registry after Trump takes office.
WHAT WE FOUND
Claims that the White House will appear on a sex offender registry after Trump becomes president are false.
That’s because Trump has never been convicted of a sex crime and therefore doesn’t have to register as a sex offender.
The false claims misinterpret the repercussions of the sexual abuse verdict in E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump.
That case was civil, not criminal, which means Trump wasn’t found guilty of a crime. Carroll could not press criminal charges against Trump because the statute of limitations in New York, where the alleged assault occurred, had already passed.
New York has specific rules about who is required to register as a sex offender. Anyone convicted of a criminal sex offense, or sentenced to probation or jail time in New York must register with the state’s sex offender registry upon returning to the community, the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services (DJCS) says. These rules are standard across the country.
The sex offender registry rules don’t mention anything about civil liability.
Civil liability differs from guilt in a criminal case, as Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute (LII) explains.
While states often initiate criminal cases, civil cases are usually brought by private parties to sue for damages or other remedies. For example, a person who is hurt in a car cash can sue the other driver and ask for monetary damages.
In civil cases like E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump, a defendant only risks liability. They cannot be found guilty of a crime or face the risk of prison like they would in a criminal case, according to the LII.
Trump has not been charged with sex crimes in any criminal cases. So we can VERIFY Trump is not required to register as a sex offender, which means the White House won’t be listed on any such registry when he becomes president.
VERIFY digital journalist Kelly Jones and the Associated Press contributed to this report.