After a critical hearing in New York, a spotlight is taking shape on the utility of “therapeutic polygraphs,” a treatment the U.S. probation system has used for decades on sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreYear: 2017
Hearing Dates Set for AB 558 and SB 421
Hearing dates have been set for Assembly Bill 558 (AB 558) and Senate Bill 421 (SB 421) by the Public Safety Committees. Specifically, the Senate Public Safety Committee is scheduled to hear AB 558 on June 27 and the Assembly Public Safety Committee is scheduled to hear SB 421 on July 11. “The best opportunity to stop AB 558 from becoming law is to speak against it during the Public Safety Committee hearing on June 27,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “In addition, it is important to send letters and make…
Read MoreAR: Salesville, resident at impasse over sex offender sign, Nazi flags
A large sign identifying a sex offender — and apparently the controversial flags the resident has reportedly displayed in protest — will not be coming down, Mayor Tim Mayfield told a concerned businessman Tuesday night. The sign, maintained by the city and sitting in front of the Salesville Fire Department, identifies Charles Wade Floyd as a Level 4 sex offender and lists his address. Floyd, reportedly as a form of protest against the sign, has three Nazi flags and two Confederate flags displayed on his property along AR Hwy. 177…
Read MoreOne Strike and You’re Out: Is Redemption Possible for Luke Heimlich?
Luke Heimlich made this week after a missed registration deadline presented the Oregonian with an opportunity to revisit his past misdeed. Until his past was dredged up, Luke, a rising college baseball player, was slated to be a first day pick for the major league amateur draft. Predictably, there was immediate backlash with people crucifying Luke for his supposed duplicity and calling for more punishment. Then on Friday, Luke released a statement in which he excused himself from playing in the super regionals. The extremely harsh public reaction to Luke’s…
Read MoreFL: Bill requires moving companies disclose employed sex offenders
When a mover comes to your house, do you know who you’re inviting in? A new Florida law wants to make sure you’re notified if a sex offender is working for the moving company you hire. Full Article
Read MoreNY: Murphy Lauds Bill That Bans Lifetime Sex Offenders From Internet
The State Senate approved, 59-2, legislation prohibiting Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders from using the internet for social networking or for accessing pornographic sites involving sexual relation with minors for life. Full Article
Read MoreHuman trafficking: As easy as ordering a pizza
“It’s just as easy as ordering a pizza, to order a person.” These haunting words, spoken by an undercover Dayton detective, encapsulate a fragment of both the horror and pervasiveness of the human trafficking crisis facing our country in the digital age. “It’s everywhere because of the online environment,” the detective said. “There’s no boundaries or limitations.” Full Article
Read MoreWill More Kids Be Branded Sex Offenders for Life?
On May 22, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Federal Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act of 2017. The House’s judiciary subcommittee on crime, terrorism, homeland security and investigations worked to reauthorize the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, the only federal law that requires states, tribes and other jurisdictions to register children who have committed sexual offenses. Full Article
Read MoreIN: Child abuse database launched
A person’s name will appear in the search results if they’ve been convicted of child neglect, battery or sexual assault against a child or child selling — crimes that statistics show are being reported more regularly throughout the state. Full Article
Read MoreLA: Here’s why some sex offenders eligible for early release have to stay in prison
More than 400 Louisiana prisoners who are otherwise eligible for early release can’t leave correctional facilities because they are unable to find an approved place to live that complies with the state’s sex offender requirements. Full Article
Read MoreRoman Polanski’s Rape Victim Takes His Side In Court
A woman who was the teenage victim in Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski’s 1977 sex case is expected to appear in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Friday for a hearing in the fugitive filmmaker’s case. Full Article
Read MoreUPDATED: 50-State Comparison Relief from Sex Offender Registration Obligations
Prepared for the NACDL Restoration of Rights Project. List Permanent Link
Read MoreTwo Barstow Men Arrested for Threatening Rumored Child Molester
Two Barstow men were arrested for threatening a man who they believed was a sexual predator from Las Vegas, Nevada who was attempting to lure children into his car. Full Article
Read MoreAre Geek Squad agents spying for the FBI?
Yes, they carry badges and drive black-and-white vehicles. But some Geek Squad agents appear to have taken the “agent” part of their titles a bit too literally. Best Buy, the consumer-electronics giant that owns the on-call computer-repair service, recently admitted that four employees took money from the FBI after the agency received information from the agents about customers suspected of possessing child pornography. As a result, the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco is suing the Justice Department to disclose the extent of the FBI’s relationship with Best Buy. Full…
Read MoreVA: Child porn producers should be “shot,” federal judge suggests in a Norfolk courtroom
From the bench this week, a federal judge unafraid of offering blunt opinions suggested anyone who produces child pornography should be shot. An exact quote of what Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Doumar said Tuesday during a case involving the collection of child porn was not available, but in an interview Thursday, the octogenarian reiterated the comment multiple times. “I said it. I said that they should be shot,” said Doumar, whom President Ronald Reagan nominated to the bench more than 35 years ago. Full Article
Read MoreCanada: Justin Trudeau accuses Conservatives of crass political games over sex-offender registry demands
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the safety of children is a priority, but he won’t say whether his government will move ahead with a public registry for high-risk child sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreCanada: Polygraph for pedophiles – how virtual reality is used to assess sex offenders
In a maximum security mental health facility in Montreal is a “cave-like” virtual reality vault that’s used to show images of child sexual abuse to sex offenders. Patients sit inside the vault with devices placed around their penises to measure signs of arousal as they are shown computer-generated animations of naked children. Full Article
Read MoreATSA Position Statement re. HR 1761
The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) makes the following statement regarding the May 25, 2017, passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of HR 1761, the Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act of 2017: We applaud the intent of this bill to strengthen statutes prohibiting the production and distribution of child pornography. Child sexual abuse is a horrific crime that can cause long-term trauma and harm to those who are abused. Unfortunately, this bill, as passed, creates the unintended consequence of criminalizing all transmissions of sexual images of minors. This…
Read More