TX: Proposed law would force sex offenders to list crimes on social media profiles

SAN ANTONIO — Texas Voices, a group dedicated to supporting registered sex offenders and their families, estimates 111 new names hit the sex offenders registry every week in the Lone Star State.

“We’ve already put their names and their faces and all of their information on the public registry for the world to see,” said Mary Sue Molnar, who serves as president of Texas Voices. Full Article

Related posts

Subscribe
Notify of

We welcome a lively discussion with all view points - keeping in mind...

 

  1. Your submission will be reviewed by one of our volunteer moderators. Moderating decisions may be subjective.
  2. Please keep the tone of your comment civil and courteous. This is a public forum.
  3. Swear words should be starred out such as f*k and s*t and a**
  4. Please avoid the use of derogatory labels.  Use person-first language.
  5. Please stay on topic - both in terms of the organization in general and this post in particular.
  6. Please refrain from general political statements in (dis)favor of one of the major parties or their representatives.
  7. Please take personal conversations off this forum.
  8. We will not publish any comments advocating for violent or any illegal action.
  9. We cannot connect participants privately - feel free to leave your contact info here. You may want to create a new / free, readily available email address that are not personally identifiable.
  10. Please refrain from copying and pasting repetitive and lengthy amounts of text.
  11. Please do not post in all Caps.
  12. If you wish to link to a serious and relevant media article, legitimate advocacy group or other pertinent web site / document, please provide the full link. No abbreviated / obfuscated links. Posts that include a URL may take considerably longer to be approved.
  13. We suggest to compose lengthy comments in a desktop text editor and copy and paste them into the comment form
  14. We will not publish any posts containing any names not mentioned in the original article.
  15. Please choose a short user name that does not contain links to other web sites or identify real people.  Do not use your real name.
  16. Please do not solicit funds
  17. No discussions about weapons
  18. If you use any abbreviation such as Failure To Register (FTR), Person Forced to Register (PFR) or any others, the first time you use it in a thread, please expand it for new people to better understand.
  19. All commenters are required to provide a real email address where we can contact them.  It will not be displayed on the site.
  20. Please send any input regarding moderation or other website issues via email to moderator [at] all4consolaws [dot] org
  21. We no longer post articles about arrests or accusations, only selected convictions. If your comment contains a link to an arrest or accusation article we will not approve your comment.
  22. If addressing another commenter, please address them by exactly their full display name, do not modify their name. 
ACSOL, including but not limited to its board members and agents, does not provide legal advice on this website.  In addition, ACSOL warns that those who provide comments on this website may or may not be legal professionals on whose advice one can reasonably rely.  
 

26 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Facebook Terms Of Service
Registration and Account Security
6. You will not use Facebook if you are a convicted sex offender.

This is why I don’t have a Facebook account. I’m completely out of the circle when it comes to goings on with my friends and family. When I go to a family get together, like at Christmas, I feel left out when I have to ask about a particular relative and everyone can give me a run down on their activities based on their profile or postings. The other thing I’m becoming increasingly frustrated about is that I feel ‘Chilled’ by not being allowed to comment on so many websites that are only available to Facebook subscribers. I imagine a lot of people use an alias, but I’m on parole and don’t want to take that chance. A member of the S.A.F.E. team has made it clear that I’m not allowed that privilege, though my crime had nothing to do with the internet. Actually most of the conditions of my parole have nothing to do with my original conviction and more to do with myths about registrants. I do look forward to the day of reckoning when all this abuse will be abolished. Likely long after I’m off parole, but it will be a blessed day.

Yes, clearly laws are unnecessary as we are already unwanted in the Facebook online community. We have already been told that simply being sex offenders that we are not permitted to enter the site, we are not welcome, go away! F – Facebook and the sheep who use it. It’s a club I wouldn’t want to join even if I could. BUT the point is that I have not been given a choice.

The simple truth is that every person on this planet is a “sex offender” depending on who you ask. Everyone has done something of a sexual nature that someone somewhere disapproves of. To me the term is meaningless.

I never had any interest in Facebook, but it isn’t relevant.

I don’t see how this Texas law, or Facebook’s TOS are legal.

The Texas law clearly is a form of punishment, and the registry isn’t ‘supposed’ to be punishment: or so it is claimed. Having an identifier on a social media site is not the same thing as being registered. Seems they are trying to claim that it is, but it definitely is not. The registry (which I also think is wrong) is limited to name, address (in some cases) and nature of the crime. Someone has to go to the site- seek the info. It is not a sign on your home or worn around your neck: which would be more like what this law is proposing. It is the cyber version of wearing a yellow star of david on your clothes in nazi germany. I know the nazi-comparison gets over used, but it is appropriate here, since it is what they are proposing.

If this is excepted electronically it will be easy to take it into the physical world and force registrants to put signs on their home, vehicle licence plates, and even their body.

As for Facebook’s TOS that strikes me as obviously discriminatory. The Meagan’s Law site states that the info can not be used to discriminate, so how is banning someone from your service because of a past crime not discrimination? Would it be alright for a Supermarket chain to say ‘no sex offenders’?

The law gets complicated when dealing with the rights of a company to discriminate- such as the Boy Scouts and their anti-gay stance. But I think there is a giant class action lawsuit in the making here.

Well I just can’t wait.

All my online friends are just chomping at the bit to hear something more interesting than what I had for breakfast.

So now I volunteer to detail in exquisite 3D-perspective every illicit sexual exploit I have had the pleasure of enjoying for all my “Social Media Collaborators” to individually or collectively freak-out over.

HA!

Mike @ “feels left out”
There are many of us who could have a ga-zillion social accounts, but choose not to.
For me, maybe it’s because I am older, but can not figure out what the big deal is, or why anyone would want to communicate that way, unless it is for business purposes.
I wouldn’t want to share “with the world” pictures of my family, grandkids etc.
Facebook seems like an invasion on my privacy.
Yes, many publications now require a “facebook account” to be able to post a comment. So screw them!
But that doesn’t stop me from writing to the author or editor, which is more effective.
P.S. I know that parole restrictions have absolutely nothing to do with your offense. It is for the most part, the same blanket nonsense for everyone. I know how frustrating and hard it is, but follow it, and before you know it, it will be over.

I am not a sex offender, but my fiance is, and I see what he has to go through everyday. He went to prison at 18 for a girl lying about her age and then again at 26 for downloading bit torrents of movies, software, games and music but got a secret file sent with one of the software files he downloaded without knowing it. He went to prison for 5 years the first time at 18 and then 3 years for the one at 26. He served his time like everyone else but yet his crime “sex crime” makes you never move on. What happened to this countries constitution? Murderers, thieves, and arsonists etc don’t have their crimes sitting over their heads like a cloud. They do better, never do it again and they can move on. Why do sex offenders have to deal with being isolated. They served their time now let them live a NORMAL life. No more registering or telling them they can’t go anywhere or do anything. Hey someone revive George Washington, we need him to knock out the government for taking away what he worked hard to put in place.

@Tired of hiding … Yes, that is what it is with one exception, on this planet anyway. For those who know Christ, have asked for forgiveness … There will be NO eternity in hell, there is NO registry. The hell will be here on earth … Sad, but true. I’m living it every day with my fiancé. Think about the condemnation our Savior went through, for us. To those who have accepted Christ, asked for forgiveness … This pain, as much as it is unfair, is only temporary … Long that it may be. But in the end … For all eternity is where I know those who are truly repentful will find peace for all time … Believe me … I don’t diminish for one moment how hard this is for all of us … But, I KNOW …. Eternity is soooo much longer than the here and now. Besides, the ones who judge today on this earth will be held accountable to Christ when they stand in front of Him with the Book of their lives … They will have to answer on being judge & jury to the almighty Judge. That’s good for us …

@Joe … Agreed.

This is truly disturbing. I mean, lets face it. Truly. You make a mistake in your life, required to attend court to address your mistake, pay your debt to society and later put on probation to hopefully fulfill any court imposed requirements. In essence, you’ve already been punished and rehabilitated and yet they want you to continue paying for the rest of your life? This law will clearly be struck down? How about murderers? Assaulters? Wife beaters? Or, think about this. Facebook page: Tom Jones 1985: DUI, 1987: Public Intoxication 1991: Asault/ What a joke? This is crossing the line and I can guarantee you, this wont stick. Its honestly a very disturbing law. Furthermore, whoever thought about it clearly isn’t thinking clearly as well. From my perspective, the objective with any judicial process is to rehabilitate, release and the person goes on to become a decent law abiding citizen unless they have murdered/ect someone.

My thoughts are that this violates a person’s rights against self incrimination. I don’t know enough about law to determine if this only applies in the pre-conviction phase. Exactly what are the guidelines? What if the person is barely literate; or does not posses proper grammar or usage. What then? Will the state step in and post something damaging on that person’s page? Will the company interject verbiage about danger – even if the registrant has been found to pose no risk to others beyond the initial case? I guess I believe in the adage that ‘there is no right way to do the wrong thing’. This seems to apply up and down in and out in the knee-jerk laws that apply to countless registrants. If these laws are intended to protect the public, I would feel more at ease if they included anyone who has taken the life of a human being under any circumstances whether it be dui or with the use of a weapon; or any circumstance other than an accident. What about anyone who has kidnapped or discharged a weapon in public; or committed mayhem; or harmed anyone with a weapon; carjacking?

One would think being born poor, living way below the poverty level would be one of the toughest challenges that one would ever survive. And salt to the wound, figure out, know, and be openly proud (not sure if “proud” is the right word when one accepts him/herself as they are) to be gay. Overcoming 50 yrs of being labeled a sissy, fag, queer, etc isn’t an easy task. At mid life being told that your body is being “attacked” from within. Yes, GRID (Gay Related Infectios Disease), ARC (AIDS Related Complex)…to what we now know as HIV/AIDS. I just turned 50. I’ve lived in and out of closets to survive, and lived openly with HIV/AIDS for over 25 yrs. But NOTHING compares to the HELL I’ve been through over the past 5 yrs for being a RSO. One would think staying healthy, fighting to stay alive would be my priority. Not a chance. The happiness that is just right out of reach is someone to share my life with. The biggest challenge is meeting that someone. Get past that, then comes the HIV POZ conversation. Survive that…then the RSO bs. Even if the “someone” is open minded then comes the restrictions. I can’t have a simple social drink, can’t dance the night away, can’t take a romantic walk through the park or zoo, can’t share a funnel cake or feed each other cotton candy at the local carnival, God forbid enjoy halloween together, and the simple idea of chatting with each other is another risk of breaking probation. Honestly there are way more things that a RSO can’t do then he/she can do. This is America. I am an American. And I will die defending and fighting this bs called Registred Sex Offender.

So I’m still not informed. I live in Austin TX. Am I allowed or not allowed to use Facebook instagram or Google + I want to use for business. Does anyone know the facts or where do I get them?

While I am not entirely against some restrictions for those of us who are RSO’s, I am against a Total ban on RSO’s. Although the State of Texas lists me as a ‘ High Risk Predator’. I don’t consider myself as such. As a Predator is like a Lion, Tiger, or other wild beast that STALKS it’s prey. I have made many mistakes in my life, including sex offences, for which I truly regret, and am still paying for. But I have never even once been a Predator. By being denied access to sites like Facebook, I am being denied my right to communicate with long lost and distant relatives, and to participate in conversations on Politics, etc. I have absolutely no intention or desire to ‘stalk’ or ‘prey’ on anyone. Despite my past misdeeds, I am still a Proud Marine, and just as American as many others. And I feel it is a despicable and Un-Constitutional disgrace that I am being denied my right to communicate with others, and express my opinions etc., on things that have absolutely nothing to do with stalking or preying on others.

As an addendum to my previous comment: Concerning listing my offenses, Although I have no real objection to it, I don’t find it necessary, as anyone who wishes to do so, who may wish to know about such things about me, can easily already easily find me on the Internet, merely by Googleing my name.

I understand perfectly what everyone is saying,but it is really all in vain. Nobody really gives a shit what any of us think or how we feel. To the general public we are all child molesters and rapists. My own family is no different. My wife divorced me my son has disowned me. Even they could care less. My life is over and I see only one way out and that is suicide. I can’t take the chance of breaking some law that would land me in prison. I never touched anyone and I pose no threat whatsoever. But I am still forced to register for 25 years. It is also stated that I am not a court determined sexual predator. I am 54 years old too old to start over. I have lost everything that ever meant anything to me. Not trying to whine, just stating the facts. I would ask everyone to band together if there are to be any changes on our behalf. Please log onto a website called Women Against The Registry. They are fighting to get the laws changed and need all of the support we can give them. I have recently joined. We can talk or fight, but it will take all of us!