Lee County Sex Offenders Database
Lee County is one of South Carolina's smaller rural counties, located in the Pee Dee region with Bishopville as its county seat. The county's sex offender registry is part of the statewide SLED SORT system and is available for free public search. Sex offender registration in Lee County is conducted at the Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Daniel Simon. This page covers how to search the registry, how local registration works, and what additional resources are available for Lee County residents who want to stay informed.
Lee County Quick Facts
How to Search the Lee County Sex Offender Registry
The Lee County SORT portal is the official database for searching sex offenders registered in the county. It is operated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and is filtered to show only Lee County records. You can enter a name, address, or zip code to find offenders registered to specific locations within the county.
Each search result displays the offender's current photo, full legal name, date of birth, home address, and the offense that required registration. The registry is free to access and open to all members of the public. No account or login is needed.
For searches that go beyond Lee County, use the SLED SORT statewide portal. This covers all 46 counties in one search and is useful when looking at areas near the Lee County border with Sumter, Kershaw, Darlington, or Florence counties.
Note: The SORT database only shows offenders who are actively registered. Someone removed from the registry due to a court order or completion of their registration period will no longer appear in results.
Lee County Sheriff's Office
The Lee County Sheriff's Office is located at 113 Gregg Street, Bishopville, SC 29010. The phone number is (803) 484-5353. The department's website is www.leeso.org. Sheriff Daniel Simon has led the office since being appointed Acting Sheriff on May 3, 2010, and then elected on July 13, 2010. Sex offender registration is conducted directly at the Sheriff's Office.
When a person convicted of a qualifying sex offense is released and lists a Lee County address, they must report to the Sheriff's Office within one business day. There is no grace period for initial registration. If an offender moves from another county, they have 10 days to complete registration in Lee County. Any change of address within the county must be reported within three business days.
The Sheriff's Office processes each registration, collects required information, photographs the offender, and submits the data to SLED for inclusion in the public database. This process keeps the SORT portal current and gives Lee County residents access to accurate information about offenders in their area.
Tier Classifications and Verification Schedules
South Carolina uses a three-tier system to classify sex offenders based on risk and offense history. The tier assigned to each offender determines how often they must appear in person at the Sheriff's Office to verify their current information.
Tier I offenders verify once per year. This group typically includes those with a single qualifying offense and no prior sex crime history. Tier II offenders verify every six months. These are typically those with more serious offenses, including crimes against minors. Tier III offenders are required to verify every 90 days for the rest of their lives. There is no option to petition for removal from the registry for Tier III offenders.
All tiers must report address changes within three business days. Moving to a new county requires registering there within 10 days. The legal requirements and penalties are found in SC Code Title 23, Chapter 3. Key provisions include sections 23-3-430, 23-3-490, 23-3-510, and 23-3-535, which cover qualifying offenses, verification schedules, and removal procedures.
Penalties for non-compliance are significant. A first offense carries up to 90 days in jail. A second carries up to one year. A third offense is classified as a felony with up to five years in prison.
Public Records in Lee County
Lee County residents can request public records from county agencies under South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act. The FOIA statute is codified at SC Code Title 30, Chapter 4. This covers records held by the Sheriff's Office, county government offices, and other public bodies in Lee County.
Sex offender registry data is publicly accessible through the SORT portal without a formal FOIA request. For other types of records, like incident reports or court documents related to sex offense convictions, residents should file a written FOIA request with the appropriate agency.
Note: The Lee County Sheriff's Office handles FOIA requests for records within its jurisdiction. Court records related to criminal cases are handled by the Lee County Clerk of Court.
Additional State and Federal Resources
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division maintains the statewide sex offender registry and is the central authority for all county-level registration data. SLED works with local sheriffs across the state, including Lee County, to ensure the registry is current and accurate. You can report concerns about registry compliance directly to SLED or to the local Sheriff's Office.
The South Carolina Attorney General's office provides public information about how the registry works and what enforcement tools are available under state law. The AG's criminal division handles serious non-compliance cases that go beyond what local agencies can manage alone.
For out-of-state history, the National Sex Offender Public Website is a free federal tool that searches all state registries at once. If someone moved to Lee County from another state, NSOPW can show whether they have a sex offense registration history elsewhere. The SC Department of Corrections also provides a public inmate search portal for looking up current and recently released state prisoners.
Registry Image Reference
The Lee County SORT portal is the direct access point for the county's sex offender registry.
This portal is operated by SLED and displays current registered sex offenders at addresses in Lee County, SC.
The SLED SORT statewide portal covers all 46 counties and is a useful companion to the county-specific search.
The statewide SORT tool lets you search beyond Lee County when checking on offenders who may be near a county border or recently relocated.
Cities in Lee County
Lee County's county seat and largest community is Bishopville. Other communities in the county include Lynchburg, Rembert, and Bishopville's surrounding unincorporated areas. Lee County is largely rural, and most of the county falls under the Sheriff's Office jurisdiction rather than a municipal police department. Searching the SORT portal by zip code is often the most effective approach for locating offenders in Lee County's rural areas.
Nearby Counties
Lee County is bordered by Sumter County to the south, Kershaw County to the west, Chesterfield and Darlington to the north, and Florence and Clarendon to the southeast. Searching these adjacent counties through the SORT portal can help when looking for offenders who live near the edges of Lee County.