Steve Blow Is Right About Sex Offender Laws, and Dallas Should Pay Attention

The debate about media sensationalism and moral panic concerning sex offenders is always a tough one for me, mainly because I think most news media chase the public’s interest in stories more than we create it. Our rule usually is that the biggest story is the one the most people will read. In that sense readers tell us what to write more than we tell them what to read. But, yeah, that is what I would say, isn’t it? When I see somebody else in my craft bringing a sound…

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City of Orange Eliminates Presence Restrictions and Stops Enforcement of Residency Restrictions

In a vote of 4 to 1, the City Council for the City of Orange agreed on August 12 to eliminate all presence restrictions that prohibited registered citizens from visiting public libraries, parks, bus stops, schools and restaurants with playgrounds. The City Council also agreed to stop enforcement of its residency restrictions which prohibited more than one registered citizen staying in a local hotel or motel until the California Supreme Court determines whether residency restrictions are constitutional. The dissenting vote cast on this issue during the August 12 meeting was…

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AZ: Kindergartner is a sex offender? Really?

As we begin another school year, it is reassuring to know that Arizona’s educators are on the prowl, ever on the lookout for sexual predators who may be lurking among our children. The perverts, the flashers, the five years olds …Wait … what? It seems a five-year-old Surprise boy was on the playground last spring when suddenly he pulled his pants down. The kid was hauled to the office and forced to sign a form that essentially labeled him a budding sex fiend. Full Article

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The Ridiculous Laws That Put People on the Sex Offender List

On his 18th birthday, ____ ____ and his 14-year-old girlfriend of one year, Misty, decided to have sex. Because of their ages, that meant ____ committed the crime of statutory rape. When Misty told her father months later, after finding out that _____ had cheated on her, he went to the police. In 1994, ____ struck a deal with prosecutors, pleading no contest to lewd and lascivious behavior. He avoided prison, but as part of the deal, he had to register as a sex offender. Full Article

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Op-Ed: Sex Offender Laws Have Gone Too Far

Our draconian policies about sex offenses reflect our ignorance of them. … The upshot, experts say, is that the United States has the most draconian sex registration laws in the world. As a result, the number of registrants across the nation has swelled—doubling and then doubling again to 750,000—in the two decades since Jacob’s Law passed, according to data collected by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Full Article

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Mexico: 53 denied entry in PV for pedophilia records

Immigration authorities in Puerto Vallarta turned away 53 foreign visitors between January and July when it was found they had a criminal record for acts of pedophilia. The National Immigration Institute (INM) began implementing a program call Angel Guardian in December of last year. Anyone entering the country who has a record for pederasty is denied entry. Full Article

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FL: Officers accused of bending rules on sex sting arrests

BARTOW, Fla. — In the decade since Dateline NBC’s To Catch a Predator segments popularized Internet sex stings, more than 1,200 men in Florida have been arrested, accused of preying on underage teens and children for sex. But as the stings put more and more men behind bars, detectives are working harder and harder to keep up their arrest numbers. And the tactics they’re using to put alleged sexual offenders in jail are sweeping up large numbers of law-abiding men, too. Full Article

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Orange Joins Cities Changing Sex Offender Bans

The city of Orange is set to join a growing list of cities revising bans on registered sex offenders in parks in the wake of recent state appeals court rulings. … Orange has already been served with a lawsuit, Lindsay v. City of Orange, challenging its laws banning sex offenders in parks. The suit alleges the entire ordinance must be repealed, but the city attorney is recommending only one section pertaining to parks be removed. Full Article

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TX: Research won’t support Dallas proposal that amounts to housing ban for sex offenders

In saner times, what Josh Gravens did would be called “playing doctor” or “adolescent curiosity.” General embarrassment and a stern talking-to would have followed. And that would have been the end of it. But in this age of hysteria, the childhood misdeed will never end for Josh. And now the city of Dallas considers making it worse by declaring a great majority of the city off limits for him to live. By extension, that would mean his wife and five children, too. Full Opinion Piece From the same author: Kids are…

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Congress Proposes to Fix Restitution for Child Pornography Victims

Faced with a draconian decision by the United States Supreme Court in late April which all but eliminated meaningful restitution for child pornography victims, U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) spearheaded a comprehensive legislative fix (S. 2301) which addresses the concerns outlined by the Court in United States v. Paroline. The Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2014 was introduced exactly two weeks after the Supreme Court’s decision. Full Article

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FL: Officers bend rules to boost sex sting arrest totals

POLK COUNTY, Florida – In the decade since Chris Hansen and “To Catch a Predator” popularized Internet sex stings, more than 1,200 men in Florida alone have been arrested, accused of preying on underage teens and children for sex. But as the stings put more and more men behind bars, detectives are working harder and harder to keep up their arrest numbers. And the tactics they’re using to put alleged sexual offenders in jail are sweeping up large numbers of law-abiding men, too. Full Article

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City of Carson Fails to Repeal or Revise Ordinance [updated with CC Video]

The Carson City Council failed to repeal or revise its sex offender ordinance during its meeting on August 5 despite recommendations to do so from both the City Manager and City Attorney. According to a staff report dated August 5, the City’s ordinance is inconsistent with state law due to presence restrictions which limit where registered citizens may visit. The City’s ordinance also includes residency restrictions which limit where registered citizens may live. Residency restrictions are currently under review by the California Supreme Court. “The City of Carson acted unwisely…

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WI: De Pere, Allouez take different paths on sex offenders

One issue, but two outcomes. Elected leaders in two Green Bay area communities Tuesday night took distinctively different positions on where convicted sex offenders can live. Major restrictions are now official in Allouez, but just to the south in De Pere leaders turned down a proposed rule on the same issue. While leaders in both communities have different views on the issue, they agree the state should set a common standard. Full Article Related http://www.wbay.com/story/26207456/2014/08/05/update-communities-differ-on-sex-offender-ordinances http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/2014/08/06/de-pere-rejects-sex-offender-residency-ordinance/13660239/ http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/local/2014/08/05/allouez-moves-block-sex-offenders/13652389/

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NY: New Law – Sex Offenders Need Not Apply

A new law prohibiting anyone with previous sex offense convictions from becoming a volunteer firefighter is an important advancement, but will not drastically change the firefighter vetting process, several area fire chiefs said Tuesday. The legislation prevents registered sex offenders from joining or remaining members of volunteer fire and ambulance companies by requiring applicants to submit to background checks for prior sex offense convictions, according to a Monday announcement from State Sen. John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope, who sponsored the bill. Full Article

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Hesperia City Council Modifies Existing Sex Offender Ordinance

In a vote of 4 to 1, the Hesperia City Council approved significant modifications to its sex offender ordinance by reducing both presence and residency restrictions. Specifically, the Council voted to end provisions that prohibited registered citizens from loitering within 500 feet of public places and replaced them with restrictions from being present at schools or public places where children gather. The Council also voted to reduce residency restrictions from 4,000 to 2,000 feet from schools and parks. The new law, when in effect, will be consistent with current state…

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