On Thursday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at HSI’s new Angel Watch Center (AWC) in Fairfax, Virginia. As part of the ceremony, ICE Acting Director Matthew Albence explained that HSI special agents initiated more than 4,200 child exploitation cases in fiscal year 2019, resulting in approximately 3,771 criminal arrests, an increase of 18 percent compared to fiscal year 2018. … “If only a fraction of notifications to foreign countries save a child from having to carry the lasting scars of sexual…
Read MoreYear: 2019
Data shows upswing in child exploitation cases
Homeland Security investigators who uncover child exploitation initiated more than 4,000 cases around the world in the 2019 budget year, resulting in thousands of arrests and the identification of more than 1,000 victims, according to new data obtained by The Associated Press. … On Thursday, officials plan to unveil a new center based at ICE’s Washington headquarters tasked with alerting other countries when U.S. sex offenders are traveling there. The new center will include representatives from the U.S. Marshals office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Full Article
Read MoreInvitation to participate in study on adults and youth with sex offenses
Note by Janice: This is a legitimate study being conducted by a legitimate organization in Los Angeles county. While some of the language used in the request may be overly sensitive it is up to each individual to make a decision whether to participate. [LBCplus.org] My name is Luis and I am a researcher and the purpose of this is to inform you about a research project focused on “Improving Workforce Development Outcomes for Adults and Youth with Sex Offenses.” As part of California’s Workforce Accelerator Fund (WAF), Friends Outside in Los Angeles…
Read MoreFL: Florida Sheriff’s Association says Halloween initiative targeting sex offenders was a success
[wtsp.com – 11/12/19] LARGO, Fla. — The Florida Sheriff’s Association is happy with the Halloween initiative to keep kids safe during trick or treating and related events. The operation involved 18 counties that targeted sexual offenders and predators to ensure that they followed the law. This involved a three-day operation that included physical checks on every sexual offender/predator to ensure they are properly registered and in compliance. … Hours dedicated to this operation: 774 hours Read how they were successful [in huge overtime pay]
Read MoreCanada: Calls for public sex offender registry in Canada [video]
[ctvnews.ca – 11/11/19] Why isn’t Canada’s sex offender registry viewable by the public like in the U.S.? Watch the video
Read MoreCA: Sex crimes by cops an outgrowth of their ‘power and coercive authority,’ expert says
[ocregister.com – 11/12/19] LAPD officers who took advantage of their power imbalance to commit sexual assaults fit national trends, says prominent criminologist. LAPD officers Luis Valenzuela and James C. Nichols sexually assaulted a woman at this McDonald’s parking lot, located at 405 N Alvarado St. at W. Temple St. in Los Angeles. They were on duty using a black Jetta. Photographed on Monday, Sept. 23, 2019. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) By Olga Grigoryants | ogrigoryants@scng.com and Sarah Favot | Los Angeles Daily News PUBLISHED: November 12, 2019 at…
Read MoreCA: Registrants Challenge Jury Pool Exclusion
Five registrants have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court challenging a new state law that allows all felons, except those convicted of a sex offense, to serve as jurors. According to the lawsuit, the new law violates the equal protection clause of the state’s constitution. The new law, which began as Senate Bill 310, did not initially exclude registrants from jury service. That version of the bill passed the Senate, however, the bill was later amended to exclude registrants in the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee. “There is absolutely no…
Read MoreNM: Sex offenders say New Mexico depriving them of due process
[lcsun-news.com – 11/11/19] The question of whether sex offenders must register in New Mexico for crimes they committed in other states is making its way through the courts again. Eight plaintiffs, each listed as “John Doe,” have filed a petition in U.S. District Court in New Mexico, alleging the state Department of Public Safety and five county sheriffs failed to provide them due process in determining whether their out-of-state offense is “equivalent” to a New Mexico crime that would require them to register in this state. Albuquerque-based lawyers Susan Burgess-Farrell…
Read MoreVA: Convicted Sex Offender Elected to Virginia Senate
[theohiostar.com – 11/11/19] One of the many Democrats elected to the Virginia Senate on Tuesday is a convicted sex offender and disbarred lawyer, according to Breitbart. Joe Morrissey was jailed and lost his license to practice law after being convicted of having sex with his 17-year-old secretary. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor in the ensuing court case and served for only three months in a “work-release term.” He was also forced to resign from his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, but then ran again in the special…
Read MoreLA: Man removed ‘sex offender’ from his ID, and a judge dismissed the case. Why?
When a Lafayette Parish man removed the words “sex offender” from his state-issued ID, law enforcement officers said Louisiana law had been broken. A local judge saw things differently. Full Article
Read MoreNJ: New Jersey could soon compensate those wrongfully put on sex offender list
[nj.com – 11/7/19] Dion Harrell spent two decades on New Jersey’s sex offender registry. He had trouble finding a job. He couldn’t be alone with his kids. For a time, he was homeless. But when a DNA test finally proved his innocence, the state had nothing to offer him for those years. “I was surprised I wouldn’t get compensation,” Harrell said at a hearing in Trenton Thursday. If you can prove that you were wrongfully imprisoned in New Jersey, you can receive up to $50,000 for every year spent behind…
Read MoreKat’s Blog: Will Vagueness Take Down the Registry?
It’s well known, nothing is clear cut when it comes to the registry. The rules and regulations may vary slightly from state to state, but the vagueness with which these regulations were conceived and are enforced, is the same all over. Take Halloween for instance. In my neck of the woods, every year registrants were given letters by their P.O.’s or sent letters from the registry office outlining the do’s and don’ts of Halloween. Some years there were curfews and restrictions on outside Fall Decorations. There were warnings to keep…
Read MoreAR: New sex offender laws now in effect in Arkansas
[ky3.com/ – 11/6/19 – NOTE that they linked to ACSOL at the bottom!] HARRISON, Ark. — Harrison Police Detective Ted Schaeffer makes sure sex offenders in his city are registered. “It’s almost a daily basis,” he said. Right now, he said there are more than 30 offenders Harrison. ASecureLife.com listed Arkansas as having the second-highest number of sex offenders per capita in the nation. “Arkansas has had a problem with multiple sex offenders not registering like they’re supposed to,” Schaeffer said. So in April, the state amended a law that…
Read MoreACSOL Emotional Support Group Meetings Available: Sat, Nov 23 in L.A.; Most Thursdays in Sac; Monthly on the phone
Emotional Support Group meetings will be held for those convicted of a sex offense and their loved ones. This meeting, which is based upon the format of 12 Step meetings, provides registrants and their loved ones with an opportunity to discuss personal challenges and share their experiences, strengths and hopes, with each other. Attendance is limited to individuals required to register, family members, and friends. Media, law enforcement, parole, etc. are not allowed to attend meetings. There is no cost to attend. No reservations are required. Face-to-face and phone emotional…
Read MoreACSOL Meeting November 16 in West Sacramento
Please mark your calendars for ACSOL’s upcoming meeting: Saturday, November 16 10 a.m. 1275 Starboard Drive West Sacramento, CA Registrants, friends and family and interested service providers are invited to attend these free meetings. There will be no law enforcement or media present in order to protect everyone’s privacy. The meetings start at 10 am and last about 2-3 hours. Topics of conversation include information about ACSOL’s advocacy as well as current topics and pending legal action. Please Show up, Stand up, and Speak up!
Read MoreNEW Scam targeting registrants: Extortion letter
[floridaactioncommittee.org – 11/6/19] Courtesy of our affiliates at Texas Voices, we are learning of a new scam targeting persons on the registry. People are receiving letters in the mail with no return address, but personalized to them. The letter demands payment of money via bitcoin or they will notify all their neighbors of their status, their employers, their family members’ associates, church congregation, etc. Read the details on the Florida Action Committee website
Read MoreGeneral Comments November 2019
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of November 2019. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil. This section is not intended for posting links to news articles without additional relevant comment.
Read MoreAustralia: Police to review policies as footage emerges of bikie attacking child sex offender in watch house
[abc.net.au – 11/4/19] SA Police is reviewing its security practices as CCTV footage of a bikie attacking a child sex offender at the Adelaide City Watch House is posted online. Rebels bikie member Bradley Daniele posted the footage to social media of him allegedly attacking child sex offender _______. Police this morning confirmed a 26-year-old man from Mawson Lakes had been reported for the assault which took place at the Adelaide City Watch House in April. In the footage, a man can be seen showering in a cubicle before he…
Read More