Are Sex Offender Registries Effective?

MARYLAND – It gives a sense of security for many parents – having access to the state’s sex offender registry. “It’s a way for us to be safe as parents for our children. I use an app to find out if there’s any in the neighborhood. That’s what my sister and I did before, and we actually found some. So we would know to keep an eye out, especially for my daughter that I’m worried about,” Christie Sarminto said. Full Article

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Va: Teen Could be Jailed for “Sexting” Girlfriend

A Virginia teen is facing two felony charges after he was caught sexting with his girlfriend. If he’s convicted, he could be forced to register as a sex offender and spend time in jail. Full Article Related: Manassas Virginia 17 Year Old (a minor) Who “Sexted” His 15 year old Girlfriend is Forced by a Warrant to Allow the Virginia Authorities to Take Photos of His Genitalia

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AL: ACLU – Law banning sex offender camp might violate Alabama’s constitution

CLANTON, Alabama — A new law used to shut down a church-affiliated camp for convicted sex offenders in rural Alabama violates a state constitutional amendment designed to protect religious liberty, the American Civil Liberties Union said Thursday. Randall Marshall, legal director of the ACLU’s Alabama office, said the law that went into effect this week is in apparent conflict with the Alabama Religious Freedom Amendment, passed in 1998 to make it tougher for government to infringe on religious rights. Full Article

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Sex Offenders Cannot Even Be Garbage Men?

Anyone that is a registered citizen or has a loved one or friend who is, knows first-hand how difficult it is for a registrant to find employment. First, there are restrictions on where a registrant can work; not only geographically but also in which positions. Second, there is the stigma of hiring a registrant and the potential social and economic backlash that might come when clients or customers of that business learn of the employee’s history. Now, some recent articles have exposed a third challenge… employers can be liable for…

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Sex offenders sue over ordinances that ban them from places

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) – Wasco and Taft are among a group of California cities being sued by a civil rights group that advocates on behalf of sex offenders. In 2006, state voters approved Jessica’s Law, which bars sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park. Shortly after, numerous cities adopted much more restrictive local laws that prohibit sex offenders from being present in any “children’s facility,” such as a public library, school bus stop, or “any location that facilitates on their property classes or group activities…

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