Philly Man Gets Prison For Not Registering As Sex Offender

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to prison for failing to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law, according to federal authorities.

Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said Edward C. Kipp, 75, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 19 months in prison and ten years of supervised release failing to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Under Megan’s Law, sex offenders are required to register their home, work, and school addresses with state law enforcement, so that individuals can search a database and be aware of convicted sex offenders living, working, or attending school in their neighborhood.

In August, Kipp was convicted at trial of the charge of failing to register as a sex offender.

In 2013, Kipp was convicted of possessing child pornography.

Because of that conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender with the Pennsylvania State Police, and to verify that registration on an annual basis for 10 years.

Kipp must also notify the State Police within three business days if there is any change in his residence.

In 2020, Kipp absconded from federal supervised release and moved to a new residence without updating his registration. For this offense, he was charged by indictment in September 2020.

"The purpose of Megan’s Law is to provide the public with current information about the whereabouts of sex offenders in order to ensure public awareness and safety," Williams said. "Failure to comply with the Megan’s Law registration requirement is not simply an administrative hiccup; it is a federal crime. And if offenders do not fulfill their obligation to report, we will aggressively prosecute them to ensure compliance."