DOJ plans a national sex offender registry.

The Justice Department has announced plans for a national registry of sex offenders that would allow Internet users to check all the state databases in a single search, The Washington Post reported. Officials said the Web site is being created in response to complaints from victims' rights groups and some lawmakers that dangerous sex offenders were often evading detection by moving across state lines.

While announcing the initiative, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said the DOJ aims to have a working Web site linked to all the U.S. states by fall. "We must keep parents and communities informed and engaged," he said. "With this technology, every citizen and law enforcement officer will be able to search the latest information for the identity and location of known sex offenders."

All but two states now have some sort of sex offender registry, but calls for a nationwide database have gained support in the wake of several high-profile crimes involving multiple jurisdictions.

Justice officials said the new Web site would avoid privacy problems by simply tapping into databases maintained by the states, which would maintain control of their own data. Gonzales said the DOJ will also work with officials in the states that do not have registries--Rhode Island and Oregon--"to be sure that everyone gets on board with this important public notification system."