National RSOL: International Travel Group

If you or someone you know was denied entry into another country as a consequence of registration, we want to hear from you. A new group, supported by RSOL National, is examining the issues related to registered citizens traveling, including the practice of the US Government notifying receiving countries that a registrant is traveling there. A representative of FAC will serve on the board of this new group. We want to make sure that your experiences areincluded in our efforts to enable registrants to travel freely and unmolested. Please send any information you have concerning yourself, another registrant or yourself (if you were traveling with a registrant) with details including dates, where you traveled to, whether you were detained, whether you were denied entry, and other information to Paul Rigney, rigneypa@yahoo.com, who is based out of Dallas, TX and chairs the group. National RSOL International Travel

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Great I’m sure hope this very big problem get solved soon I would love to be able to go on cruises again. It’s the cheapest way to have a very nice vacation

As a successful businessman, my business is hampered by my inability to travel and meet with potential new supplier and discover new supply chains. It affects the success of my entire company and all my employees. I was never accused of traveling internationally to hurt anyone nor ever did. A 20+ year old conviction locally and still being punished.

Flying to Paris next month. Got my fingers crossed. This is no way to travel, hoping and not knowing if you will be allowed to enter another country when you arrive.

Maybe 50 RSO should show up at the USA/Mexico Boarder. What could happen?

I am a bit at a loss here. The crime was committed on US soil, locally, domestically; there was no international crime denoted. The US cannot restrict travel as it is a constitutional right. The US already does hamper movement by forcing registrants to tell every local municipality when he/she is leaving as well as when he/she is arriving. That alone is unconstitutional as it unwarranted search by requiring the registrant to give up said information when he/she has not been a factor of a new crime to induce such a “search upon a person”. Yet, it doesn’t necessarily restrict travel, but it does hamper it tremendously – such as in a form of harassment.

Now, from reading so many international news of countries BANNING registrants, how do those countries know that a registrant is coming into their country? Simple. The US Government is providing the list. In providing the list to other countries and those countries decide to BAN registrants, then the US Government is an accomplice in the restriction of travel, in this case, international travel. While the US Government doesn’t control what other countries do, the US Government does control the dissemination of the registry list.

For what purpose is the dissemination of said registry list? To protect children from the likelihood of a “frightening and high” re-offense rate of sex offenders. Yet, utilizing empirical evidence with credible sources that have been vetted, Prof. Ira Ellman has debunked the “frightening and high” rate of 80% recidivism by proving that sex offenders have one of the lowest rates of re-offending. Over 95% of sex offenders do not re-offend for sex crimes.

Very recently, the CDCR, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations, has founded through its research that only 0.8% of registrant parolees re-offend for another sex crime. In other words, over 99% of registrants do not re-offend for another sex crime when under parole.

Yet, none of us see neither the Prof Ellman’s empirical debunking of the myth of re-offense rate upon which the Supreme Court used in its ruling (which is ruling upon false facts and needs to be re-visited via Writ of Error Coram Nobis) or the recent 2014 CDCR report that OVER 99% of registrants do not re-offend for another sex crime information be disseminated. Empirical evidence disproves the “frightening and high” re-offense rate and, in fact, proves that registrants are among the lowest classifications of not re-offending. So the theory of protecting the children is a myth that has been debunked scientifically and empirically. But the US Government remains complicit in disseminating the registry list to the world, thereby, restricting travel to a registrant.

If that US Government feels that disseminating information is not hampering restriction and it is those other countries that are doing the restriction, then let us use the inverse statement to disprove otherwise.

Statement: If the US Govt disseminates the registrant list to other countries, then there is a possibility that a registrant is banned from travelling to a foreign country.

Inverse: If the US Govt DOES NOT disseminate the registrant list to other countries, then there IS NOT a possibility that a registrant is banned from travelling to a foreign country.

The statement is vague on the culpability of the US Govt restricting travel and probably quite a burden to prove. The inverse is quite precise upon the culpability of the US Govt restricting travel to a registrant – which is unconstitutional as it is a form of punishment.

A registrant needs just one country with a restriction ban as proof of restriction. I believe that is why National RSOL is trying to collect registrants’ experiences of being detained or not allowed into another country as EVIDENCE of proof that the US Govt is, in fact, directly culpable in the restricting and harassment of registrants travelling abroad. The more proof National RSOL has, the more difficult the US Govt has to get out from under the rock called the Constitution.

The US government will continue sending sex offender alerts to foreign countries until this practice is challenged in a court of law. The cause for being deported from a foreign country is the US police alert. If this has happened to you, please share the details with RSOL.

I just stumbled across this requirement for registered sex offenders to notify the U.S. Marshalls Service of upcoming international travel 21 days prior to departure. I have a European trip coming up and because of this and stories about people being turned away by foreign nations, I am going to cancel my trip, Hope the travel insurance covers it.

Is anyone familiar with this Federal requirement?

http://ojp.gov/smart/smartwatch/12_spring/resources-2.html

California is a non-AWA state. If you are not on probation or parole, you are technically free to travel without providing any sort of notice. Please note that federal authorities lack any sort of registration office; they rely on local authorities to manage registration.

When I traveled out of the country, I went through the effort of notifying my registration unit. The deputy literally told me to have a nice time. No issue at all.

Doest anyone have any recent info about getting into China? Applying for early release of probation this month here in CA, then applying for a passport and will need to go to Shenzhen China to my company’s mfg. factory asap.
Thanks!

@ commentor1

First, thank you for your post. But I am wondering why traveling to the UK would be an issue. I have friends there and would like to visit, if I can. Thank you!

@ Robert

Oh gosh. Ok. Thank you very much for your input.

Received this email today. Hope it helps someone.
*****
Hello,

I am a registered sex offender in the state of California, with a single misdemeanor conviction of 647.6, sentenced to 3 years summary probation, convicted in November 2014. I am not on Megan’s List. I am aware that Green Notices are issued to countries for certain serious traveling sex offenders who are likely to reoffend. I would like to travel to XXX with my wife and children, and spoke to the embassy who referred me to your office to see if indeed a Green Notice would be issued.

Any information would be most helpful.

Thank you in advance,

****

Thank you for contacting the National Sex Offender Targeting Center. While the USMS has the authority to communicate U.S. sex offender registration information to foreign governments through INTERPOL and otherwise, the USMS does not recommend admission or denial of entry based on criminal history with regard to the lawful travel of a U.S. citizen to any foreign country. Notifications are made based on the requirement to register as a sex offender, regardless of the underlying offense. Please be aware that sovereign governments decide to whom they will allow entry, and to whom entry will be denied. Denials can be for any reason, including, but not limited to, previous criminal history. It is recommended that you check with the appropriate foreign Embassy or Consulate before you travel, specifically discussing with them any possible individual exclusions you may have based on your particular criminal history. The (country’s) authorities would be best able to answer your query regarding their entry requirements.

Thanks,
NSOTC Team

Because a person is registered, no matter the actual threat, USMS will send an alert. And then place blame or responsibility upon the foreign country for the denial of entry. There is no due process here.

So, Just to be clear. I am hoping to pursue my career in audio engineering and music, upon completion of my parole in about 9 months. If I wish to travel to another country to work, I may not be able to? So all facets are prohibitive, including work related?

In the past , I have been to , sent employees and Drilling equipment to Africa, Haties , and Mexico . on Humanitarian water well drilling projects .
They won’t have to worry about me going there now !

Janice ,

Are there any movements towards a lawsuit regarding international travel ? I would be willing to donate financially to this cause.

I also think is might be useful to start a discussion area for donations , how much you receive now , how much you need to receive to make more of a difference , how many individuals frequent the site , etc.

I know that China has strict laws but has anyone traveled to Hong Kong?

I’m about to take a Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas this coming April 2016. of course, I’m an RSO. Does anyone have experience or know for sure what the laws are or restrictions regarding taking such a cruise? Would I be able to get off the ship…. or even cruise in that matter?

Janice, would you mind giving me your input as well?

Everyone talks and talks and talks. Must be nice not to have anything to do but complain about stuff that will never change!

HR 1515 was renamed to mention other sex crimes than sex trafficking and taken out the part about reducing the demand for sex trafficking which proved ineffective in its objective because registrants have been denied travel for 2 years or so and the reduction in the demand for sex trafficking hasn’t materializerd or we would have heard about it and the success in reducing the demand would be attributed to the defacto version of IML.

Well said, Craig.

“Copy and paste this and send it to all of us”
God bless you!
—————–
Alert act now!
The U.S. Senate passed International Megan’s Law with amendments and sent it back to the U.S. House of Representatives for approval.
The Senate passed HR 515 formerly known as “International Megan’s Law” with another NEW title “InternationalMegan’s Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders” and added a section about passports.

Essentially, all current passports for folks CONVICTED of a sex offense/s MUST be reissued, with the words “SEX OFFENDER” prominently displayed on the passport. And all new passports for folks convicted of sex offenses will be issued with same wording.

The Senate also added a section for appropriating funding ($6,000,000) for each of these years (2017-2019) to implement International Megan’s Law.

Advocates and their families and others need to immediately contact their U.S. House Representatives and object to the entire IML bill (and concept), and any other similar bills that may arise.
————————

Will be taking a trip to HK in a few months. I have been to Hong Kong this past year without issues. I was wondering if i will have problems TRANSITING through China.

Has anyone had recent experience with travel to Norway. I need to go there for a week. The NYS Registry has no problem with my travel. I am a level 2 offender with a felony. Any help would be appreciated. I am aware of the free travel within western European countries and away that re-entry back into the USA can be horrible.