LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Disgraced Niagara Falls attorney Nicholas D'Angelo was determined by a judge on Thursday to be a dangerous sex offender.
Once considered a rising young star in Niagara County's legal and political circles D'Angelo, 30, pleaded guilty in April to felony sex crimes involving several women, including one who was 16.
He was stripped of his law license and sentenced to six months in jail by a judge who said h would also have to register as a sex offender.
As he nears the end of his incarceration, D'Angelo appeared in court on Thursday at a hearing to determine what level sex offender he'd have to register as.
There are three categories of registration level, with 1 being the lowest and on up to Level 3, which is the highest," explained criminal defense attorney Justin D. Ginter, whose office in not defending D'Angelo in this case.
Due to the nature of his crimes, the judge accepted a report that would designate D'Angelo as a Level 3 offender.
"With Level 1 designations, there is a 20-year requirement to register as a sex offender. But for Level 2 and 3, there is a lifetime requirement," Ginter said. "The other very important part about that is, that while Level 1 offenders do not appear on the state registry website, Level 2 and 3 offenders do, and your picture is posted and anybody can access the website."
The state's registered sex offender website also includes the registrants current address, and information regarding their offenses.
Individuals placed on the list can apply to challenge the level of their designation, something D'Angelo's lawyer indicated in court that he would do, before his client was taken back to the Niagara County jail to serve out the rest of his sentence.
Once released, D'Angelo will also be under a ten year probationary period as a sex offender, and if found in violation of his probation could end up in state prison for decades.