Ga Supreme Court: No Sexual Activity Required to be Sex Offender ATLANTA (WABE) - In a 5-2 vote, The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld a law that allows the state to put convicted adults on the sex offender list, even if the crime isn't sexual in nature. The decision involves the sex offender registration law, which says any adult convicted of a crime against a minor can be put on the list.

In 2001, an 18 year old man, along with three friends, robbed a 17 year old girl in his car. Later, the man pled guilty to robbery and false imprisonment and served 5 years in jail. After he was released, he learned he'd have to register as a sex offender.

His lawyer argued that since no sexual crime had been committed, it amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. However, the Court disagreed and said sex offender status isn't legally considered a punishment.

But WABE legal analyst Page Pate found the decision odd. In Georgia, registered sex offenders, for one, cannot live within 1000 yards of parks, school, and swimming pools.

The defense has 90 days to appeal to the US Supreme Court, but Pate says it's unlikely, because the sex offender registration law is unique to Georgia. © Copyright 2012, WABE