Augusta County Sex Offender Registry

Augusta County residents can search for registered sex offenders using the Virginia State Police public registry, the official statewide database covering all persons required to register in Virginia. This page explains how to search for offenders in Augusta County, what local agencies do to enforce registration requirements, and what state law demands of all registrants in this Shenandoah Valley region.

Searching for Sex Offenders in Augusta County

The official registry is maintained by the Virginia State Police. Use the primary portal at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov/sor or the alternate address vspsor.com. Both connect to the same database at no cost. No account is required.

To search in Augusta County, enter a local zip code such as 24401 or 24402 for Staunton, 22980 for Waynesboro, or 24482 for Verona. You can also type in a specific street address and set a search radius to see offenders registered within a certain distance. Results show the offender's name, photo if available, current registered address, date of birth, and a brief description of the conviction offense. The registry updates each business day as new registrations and address changes come in.

Augusta County is a large county in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. The county surrounds, but does not include, the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Those cities have their own police departments and registry processes, though all feed into the same VSP database. For questions about a specific listing, contact the VSP Sex Offender Registry unit at (804) 674-2825 or sor.vsp@vsp.virginia.gov.

The VSP portal at vspsor.com provides access to the same public registry data as the main site, with an updated interface for searching Augusta County and the broader Shenandoah Valley region.

Augusta County Sheriff's Office

The Augusta County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated parts of the county. The mailing address is P.O. Box 860, Verona, VA 24482. Phone: (540) 245-5333. Sheriff Donald L. Smith has led the office since January 2016. The Sheriff's Office handles registration appointments for sex offenders with Augusta County addresses and works directly with the Virginia State Police on compliance monitoring.

Augusta County inmates are housed at the Middle River Regional Jail in Verona. When offenders are released from that facility, they must complete or update their sex offender registration before leaving. The jail and the Sheriff's Office coordinate this with the Virginia State Police to make sure no one is released without an active registry entry. Fingerprinting for registry compliance is available through the Sheriff's Office.

The Augusta County Circuit Court handles felony sex offense cases from within the county. Court records are searchable at vacourts.gov through the Virginia Judicial System Case Information portal. Select Augusta County from the jurisdiction dropdown and choose the appropriate court type to search by name, case number, or hearing date. Copies from the circuit court cost $0.50 per page, with $2.00 for certified copies.

If you believe an offender in Augusta County has moved or is not complying with their registration requirements, report it to the Sheriff's Office or contact the VSP registry unit directly. Virginia Code section 9.1-913 requires the internet posting of registry information, and the VSP takes compliance reports seriously.

Recent Enforcement in Augusta County

Augusta County law enforcement has worked with state investigators on serious sex offense cases in recent years. In July 2025, Brian K. Karicofe, 49, of Verona was convicted on 10 felony counts of possessing child pornography. The case was investigated by the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. He received a sentence of five years in prison followed by five years of probation and was required to register as a sex offender.

Cases like this are investigated using digital forensic tools developed for the Internet Crimes Against Children program, which operates as a national network of task forces. Virginia's ICAC units receive federal funding to investigate online exploitation of minors. When cases originate in Augusta County, they are typically prosecuted in Augusta County Circuit Court, which handles all felony proceedings for county residents.

The Sheriff's Office also coordinates with the Virginia Department of Corrections on offenders who are supervised under probation or parole conditions after release. Probation officers verify that registrants are complying with all address reporting rules. Any violations can lead to revocation of supervised release in addition to new criminal charges.

Virginia Registration Tiers and Requirements

Virginia assigns every registrant to one of three tiers based on the offense of conviction. Tier I is the lowest level. Tier I offenders verify their address once a year and may petition for removal after 15 years under section 9.1-910. Tier II offenders also verify annually but must wait 25 years before seeking removal. Tier III is the highest risk level. Tier III offenders verify every 90 days and remain on the registry for life in most cases.

Initial registration must happen within three days of conviction or release from custody. Offenders appear in person and provide a current address, employer, school enrollment if applicable, internet identifiers, and a photo. Address changes must be reported within three days. Internet account changes must be reported within 30 minutes. These rules apply to all registrants in Augusta County and throughout Virginia.

The full legal framework is at Virginia Code Title 9.1, Chapter 9. Failure to register is a Class 1 misdemeanor for Tier I and Tier II offenders. For Tier III, it is a Class 6 felony under section 18.2-472.1, carrying one to five years in prison. A second Tier III violation rises to a Class 5 felony.

National Resources

The National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov is a federal tool run by the Department of Justice. It lets you search across all 50 states, U.S. territories, and tribal jurisdictions at once. This is helpful when checking on someone who moved to Augusta County from another state or who may have a registration history outside Virginia.

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services at dcjs.virginia.gov supports local agencies with training and resources for registry compliance. The Virginia Department of Corrections at vadoc.virginia.gov manages offenders while incarcerated and coordinates with the State Police on registration at the time of release.

The NSOPW covers all 50 states and U.S. territories, making it useful for multi-state searches when checking on individuals who have lived in more than one state.

Cities in Augusta County

Augusta County is bordered by the independent cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. Both are independent cities under Virginia law and have their own police departments. Offenders who move between Augusta County and either city must update their registration within three days. All three jurisdictions report to the same Virginia State Police registry.

Nearby Counties

Registry Use and Public Safety

Virginia law makes sex offender registry information available to the public to help protect communities. You can use the registry to check if an offender lives near your home, school, or workplace. The National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov also lets you search across all states at once. This is useful when checking on someone who may have moved to Virginia from out of state. The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services at dcjs.virginia.gov has more information about the registry program and community safety resources available to local agencies.

Note: Registry information is for public safety purposes only. Using it to harass or intimidate an offender is prohibited under Virginia law and can result in criminal charges.

Offender Residency Restrictions

Tier III offenders in Virginia may not live within 500 feet of a school or licensed daycare facility in most situations. This restriction applies throughout Virginia, including all parts of Augusta County. Courts can grant limited exceptions in certain cases. Any Tier III offender planning to move within Augusta County must confirm that the new address is compliant before moving. Sex offender records and registry information are excluded from FOIA provisions under Virginia Code 9.1-900 et seq., and are maintained as a separate public notification system by the State Police.