South Lake Tahoe City Council reluctantly voted to repeal an ordinance that bans sex offenders from parks and other public areas in the city following decisions by California courts that such laws are unconstitutional. Full Article Also see: FEDERAL LAWSUIT CHALLENGES SOUTH LAKE TAHOE ORDINANCE
Read MoreMonth: May 2014
Fullerton City Council Revises Sex Offender Ordinance
The Fullerton City Council voted 4 to 1 to revise its sex offender ordinance by removing all presence restrictions. The vote took place on May 21 and a second vote is required to finalize the Council’s decision. “The City of Fullerton is to be commended for its decision to remove presence restrictions from its ordinance,” stated CA RSOL President Janice Bellucci. “After the revisions become effective, registered citizens will be free to visit parks and other recreational areas within the city without the fear of arrest.” Fullerton is 1 of…
Read MoreOf sex trafficking and International Megan’s Law and cabbages and kings
A piece of legislation called International Megan’s Law—HR 4573—passed the U.S. House of Representatives, according to this article, June 20. The bill’s sponsor, U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, has been pushing this bill, in various forms, for years. It is aimed at sex trafficking in general and will largely affect American registrants traveling out of the country, but named after Megan Kanka, a seven year old child who was murdered twenty years ago, and touted as “…the model needed for the U.S. to persuade other countries to take action to stop both…
Read MoreWA: Woman says her husband is mistaken for a sex offender
A Rancho Reata woman claims that a recently released photo of a sex offender is causing trouble for her husband. The two men reportedly look alike, and neighbors are confusing Kristin Daniel’s husband for a convicted sex offender who lives about a mile away. Full Article
Read MoreNY: Dozens charged in child porn case in NYC area
NEW YORK (AP) — Seemingly respectable members of the mainstream — a police officer, a paramedic, a rabbi, an airline pilot, an architect, a Boy Scout leader — were caught using the Internet to collect and trade child pornography, federal officials said Wednesday. Full Article
Read MoreInternational Megan’s Law passes House of Representatives
WASHINGTON — The United States House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday aimed at protecting children from roving convicted sexual predators who travel abroad. The International Megan’s Law, H.R. 4573, which was authored by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-4), establishes a model framework for international law enforcement notifications when convicted child-sex offenders who pose a danger to children arrive in a destination country. Full Article H.R. 4573
Read MoreHuntington Beach repeals sex offender park ban
HUNTINGTON BEACH – After one lawsuit and threats of lawsuits from civil rights groups, Huntington Beach has joined the list of Orange County cities that have repealed an ordinance that bans registered sex offenders from entering parks without permission from the police chief. Full Article
Read MoreLiving with 290: Is There a Silver Lining Somewhere?
In 2000 I was convicted of one count of 311.4, a misdemeanor, but lifetime on the registry, nevertheless. This transgression resonated from a relationship with a girlfriend who was six-months away from her 18th birthday, and me being three-months into my 21st year. Before all of this, the relationship lasted three years, and the victim’s parents approved – that is, until an altercation erupted that led me to impulsively strike her. This miscalculation of emotion invariably caused the Tustin Police Department to introduce a domestic violence investigation into the significance…
Read MoreUS Sex Offender Registration Laws
How to Stay Compliant by Meeting State Registration Requirements Registered citizens must meet registration requirements in the states they visit as well the states in which they reside. State visitor requirements vary widely from 48 hours in Florida to 10 days in Hawaii. These requirements apply regardless of whether the visit is a vacation, business trip or school-related activity. “It is essential for registered citizens to remain compliant when they visit another state,” said CA RSOL President Janice Bellucci. “In order to remain compliant, registered citizens must know the requirements…
Read MoreMore Cities Repealing Bans Against Sex Offenders in Parks
Fullerton, Huntington Beach and Yorba Linda this week join the list of Orange County cities pulling back from local bans on sex offenders in parks in the wake of a state Supreme Court ruling that said they didn’t comply with state laws. Full Article
Read MoreTX: Under trafficking law, sex with minor can mean life in prison
____ ____ was a 43-year-old prison guard who met a young girl online and had a sexual relationship with the 14-year-old for about a year. A few years ago, such a crime would’ve put him behind bars for two to 20 years for sexual assault of a child. But a Hays County jury this week gave ____, now 45, life in prison without the possibility of parole, under a relatively new trafficking law targeting people who transport young victims for sexual purposes. Full Article
Read MoreOrange County Upcoming Parks Ban Repeal Hearings
Huntington Beach (May 19, 2014) Consideration is requested whether to repeal Ordinance No. 3926 prohibiting registered sex offenders from entering City parks due to a Court of Appeal decision invalidating an identical ordinance. Meeting Agenda Summary of Parks Restrictions in Orange County as of 4/29/2014 Fullerton (May 20, 2014) At the May 6, 2014 meeting, the City Council directed staff to receive and analyze recommendations from a Fullerton citizen. Staff and the City Attorney have been in communication and received recommendations from this citizen. After reviewing the recommendations, it is…
Read MoreFL: Sex offender sentenced to 20 years in prison
SARASOTA COUNTY – A Sarasota sex offender was sentenced to 20 years in prison after using unregistered email addresses to contact teenagers on a social networking website. Full Article
Read MoreFlorida sex offender granted asylum in Canada
A Florida sex offender, who claimed asylum in Saskatchewan, has been granted protected person status. In 2008, ____ ____ was convicted of having unlawful sex with a minor. According to American media reports, the boy was 16-years-old and played on her son’s baseball team. ____ fled to Canada in 2010 before she could be sent to prison. She was sentenced to 30 years in jail and is still wanted in the United States. ____ claimed her sentence was cruel and unusual punishment and after arriving in Saskatchewan, she asked for asylum. Full…
Read MoreRancho Santa Margarita repeals ban on sex offenders in parks
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – The City Council voted to repeal an ordinance that bans registered sex offenders from entering city parks without permission from the city’s chief of police. The move comes after a state appeals court in January struck down similar bans in Irvine and at county recreational areas. The state Supreme Court in April declined to review the lower court’s decision. Full Article
Read MoreJury awards 3.4M to victims of sex offender websites
Victims targeted for harassment on sex-offender websites pleaded with a Maricopa County jury to financially punish the owner and take away his ability to continue operating. Full Article Also see: USA Today
Read MoreNH: Sex Offender Registration (Editorial)
It’s hard to think of a class of people more reviled in America than sex offenders. This is due to both the appalling nature of the offense and the belief that they are at high risk to reoffend. Thus society imposes burdens and disabilities on them that not even murderers or drug dealers are subject to. In a few cases, these include being held beyond the completion of their prison sentences, but much more frequently involve restrictions on where they can live and requirements to register with authorities to be…
Read MoreNY: County Outsources The Job Of Monitoring Sex Offenders
A suburban county on Long Island, N.Y., is taking a novel approach to monitoring sex offenders: It’s giving the job to a victims’ advocacy group. The measure was approved unanimously earlier this year; lawmakers call it a cost-effective way to keep citizens safe. But a local lawyer calls it a “vigilante exercise,” and convicted sex offenders are organizing to challenge the legislation. Full Article
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