COLUMBIA--The state Supreme Court will hear arguments today on whether juvenile sex offenders should be listed on the state sex offender registry.

The case involves a Richland County boy whose lawyers say forcing him to register as a sex offender for life violates his constitutional rights because it will remain on his record well into adulthood.

The boy, called "Ronnie A" in court papers, pleaded guilty in Family Court two years ago when he was 9 years old to first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor in an incident involving his then 6-year-old sister.

He was placed on two years of probation.

The state Attorney General's Office wants the boy to be put on the registry because he was expelled from school for inappropriate sexual behavior with a teacher, "touching little girls, and things of that nature," according to court papers.

The state also plans to argue that the boy probably will not be stigmatized because names of offenders on the registry who are under 12 are kept secret from the public in most cases.

The State Law Enforcement Division maintains the sex offender registry, which started in 1994 and became public in 1999.

SLED officials said 207 juvenile offenders are not named in the public registry.

The names of children who committed their offense under age 12 are kept off the public list, as well as offenders between ages 12 and 16 who commit less serious offenses such as indecent exposure.

Those names are kept on a separate list available only to victims or witnesses in their case, schools, day-care centers and businesses or organizations that primarily serve children, women or vulnerable adults, according to SLED.

According to their custom, the justices are expected to issue their ruling at a later date.