Nearly 20 years ago, Congress passed a law requiring people convicted of certain sex offenses to register with their states. But Congress also left it entirely up to the U.S. Department of Justice, a part of the executive branch, to write the rules governing who must register, how often, what information they must provide, and when they have broken the law. But the DOJ’s job is also to criminally prosecute people who fail to follow the same rules the agency has written. It is unconstitutional for the nation’s chief prosecutor…
Read MoreYear: 2022
CA: San Jose teen’s death hours after scam is part of troubling increase in ‘sextortion’ cases, FBI says
Source: abc7news.com 5/21/22 SAN JOSE, Calif. — Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor or visit the NSPL site. Ryan Last received a message on a school night in February from someone he believed to be a girl. Within hours, the 17-year-old, straight-A student and Boy Scout had died by suicide, CNN reported. “Somebody reached out to him pretending to be a girl, and they started…
Read MoreSouthern Baptists Refused to Act on Abuse, Despite Secret List of Pastors
UPDATED 5/24/22: Southern Baptist leaders say they will release list of alleged sex abusers [washingtonpost.com] Source: christianitytoday.com 5/22/22 Armed with a secret list of more than 700 abusive pastors, Southern Baptist leaders chose to protect the denomination from lawsuits rather than protect the people in their churches from further abuse. Survivors, advocates, and some Southern Baptists themselves spent more than 15 years calling for ways to keep sexual predators from moving quietly from one flock to another. The men who controlled the Executive Committee (EC)—which runs day-to-day operations of the…
Read MoreEliminating licensing barriers–except for registrants–opens new pathways to economic opportunities
Source: oklahoman.com 5/22/22 Amid growing labor shortages, once overlooked barriers to entry are finally getting their due. Today, one of the biggest obstacles to economic opportunity in Oklahoma is occupational licensing, which affects almost one-fifth of the state’s workforce. Worse, many licenses come with hefty requirements. On average, a license for lower- and middle-income occupations forces Oklahomans to complete nearly 400 days of training and experience, pay $234 in fees, and pass two exams. Licensing laws are particularly daunting for people with criminal records, who face a dramatically higher unemployment rate. And without a steady…
Read MoreAt least 135 teachers, aides charged with child sex crimes this year alone
Source: foxnews.com 5/19/22 At least 135 teachers and teachers’ aides have been arrested so far this year on child sex-related crimes in the U.S., ranging from child pornography to raping students. An analysis conducted by Fox News Digital looked at local news stories week by week featuring arrests of teachers and teachers’ aides on child sex-related crimes in school districts across the country. Arrests that weren’t publicized were not counted in the analysis, meaning the true number may well be higher. The analysis found that at least 135 teachers and…
Read MoreNamibia: A Sex Offender Register for Namibia? … Right Idea, Wrong Solution
Source: namibian.com.na 5/19/22 IN 2017, hundreds of people gathered outside a house in Katutura after hearing reports that a man living there was abducting children and dismembering their bodies. According to news reports, police deployed 20 police vehicles and a helicopter, and ended up having to use tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. At least two people were injured in the chaos, and several police vehicles were damaged. The rumours that led to the riot were entirely untrue. This was not an isolated incident of vigilante action.…
Read MoreSex offender registration continues for ranch manager near Idyllwild
A judge ruled Keith Harper, 72, must register until at least 2025. MOUNTAIN CENTER, Calif. — The former boyfriend of Dia Abrams, the woman who went missing almost two years ago from her ranch near Idyllwild, will have to continue to register as a sex offender. Keith Harper represented himself in court Tuesday in San Juan County, Colorado, where he was convicted 10 years ago of misdemeanor sexual contact for groping two women on snowmobile tours. “I did a year in jail. Misdemeanors are not meant to be a life…
Read MoreLA: Louisiana Senate committee passes bill to roll back early release for multiple felony convictions except sex offenses
Source: thecentersquare.com 5/18/22 (The Center Square) — Legislation to roll back some criminal justice reforms implemented in 2017 in regards to repeat nonviolent felony offenders cleared a Senate Committee on Judiciary on Tuesday. House Bill 544, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner, would roll back calculations for early release adopted through the Louisiana Justice Reinvestment Package of 2017 for non-violent offenders convicted of four or more felony offenses. Current law allows for a convicted felon who has served at least 25% of the sentence imposed to become eligible for parole…
Read MoreRegisterants address county commission after rule changed to allow them
Registered sex offenders had their day to be heard before Brevard County commissioners and explain how an ordinance banning them from certain locations in the county has negatively affected them. In their statements to commissioners on Tuesday, petitioners pleaded with the commission to reverse an amendment to an ordinance passed in 2020, barring them from entering within 1,000 feet of businesses where children typically congregate. Their comments included examples of barriers they face because of the county regulation, and the negative impact that is having for their families and other loved…
Read MoreOK: Oklahoma woman busted for planting lewd images on husband’s phone
Over the years, we’ve criticized cops for disregarding the rights of innocent people. But it’s equally important to applaud cops for doing the right thing and remembering that they are supposed to protect the innocent, not punish the guilty. One such example comes from Wynnewood, Oklahoma, where a woman reported her husband for having hundreds of child sex abuse images on his phone. But her story didn’t pass the smell test with police and Garvin County sheriff’s deputies. After further investigation, the woman is now in jail herself, and faces charges that could…
Read MoreLA: Hire of convicted rapist causes business to close, Shreveport discusses violence
Source: shreveporttimes.com 5/16/22 The Shreveport City Council voted unanimously to uphold a license revocation against a local taxi cab service that admitted to hiring a convicted rapist. The company, VIP Taxi Services LLC, spoke before the City Council on Monday in an attempt to appeal the Shreveport Police Department’s order that it suspend services immediately. SPD revoked the company’s license after discovering VIP allowed registered sex offender Ontario Samuels to drive, despite his third-degree rape conviction. Read the full article
Read MoreVA: Chiropractor accused of sex crimes against patients will be allowed to attend son’s graduation
Source: wtvr.com 5/16/22 RICHMOND, Va. — A chiropractor accused of sexually assaulting multiple patients went before a judge Monday morning for what was supposed to be a plea agreement hearing, but instead his attorneys asked that the hearing be pushed back so he can attend his son’s high school graduation. Dr. Michael ____ entered an Alford plea that will take affect June 10. Part of that plea requires him to register as a sex offender. Because of that, he would not have been allowed on school property for his son’s…
Read MoreAK: Data shows Arkansas 3rd highest rate of registered sex offenders in U.S.
Source: 5newsonline.com 5/16/22 ARKANSAS, USA — There are 767,000 registered sex offenders across the nation and 18,000 of those live in Arkansas. The data says that just under 600 registered sex offenders per 100-thousand residents. This data comes from safehome.org. Senior industry analyst, Corie Colliton says since there is no national sex offender registry, they’ve been compiling the data from each state since 2019. “Arkansas does have a high number of child sex abuse victims per 100,000 minors in the state. It was higher than any other state. Almost…
Read MoreIN: Out-of-state sex offender registration requirement does not violate Indiana Constitution
Source: theindianalawyer.com 5/16/22 The Court of Appeals of Indiana has upheld a finding that the retroactive application of the state’s sex offender registration requirements does not violate the Indiana Constitution’s ex post facto clause. Tracey Williams Crowley petitioned the St. Joseph Circuit Court in 2021 to have his name removed from the Indiana Sex and Violent Offender Registry. He had been convicted in Michigan of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony, in 1988. In 2004, Crowley moved to Indiana. As he was required to do in Michigan, he registered as…
Read MoreCA: San Jose police officer arrested over allegation he masturbated in a family’s home
Source: mercurynews.com 5112/22 A San Jose police officer was arrested Thursday and charged with indecent exposure after he allegedly was caught masturbating in a family’s home while he was responding to a disturbance call. Officer Matthew ____, 32, was arrested Thursday and will be arraigned on a misdemeanor indecent exposure charge on June 22 at 9 a.m. in the Hall of Justice, according to a Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office news release. If convicted, Matthew could face a year in jail and be placed on the sexual offender list…
Read MoreJanice Files Lawsuit that Challenges Denial of Military Base Access to Registrant Retirees
Source: ACSOL A lawsuit was filed today in a federal district court in California challenging the denial of access to a military base of a military retiree solely because he is required to register. The lawsuit claims that the military retiree’s right to due process was violated when he was denied access without prior notice in November 2021 to Vandenberg Air Force Base which is located near Santa Barbara, California. The lawsuit asks the court to require the commander of Vandenberg Air Force base to allow the plaintiff access so…
Read MoreSOLPRC’s Guide for Practitioners to New Federal SORNA Regulations Effective January 7, 2022
Source: mitchellhamline.edu 5/2/22 On December 8, 2021, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) published regulations regarding the implementation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). The new regulations are notable for their emphasis on the responsibility of individuals with prior sex offense convictions to ensure compliance with Federal SORNA even where relevant state registration schemes maintain different requirements. In light of the new regulations, and with the assistance of a number of attorneys and academics working in this area, SOLPRC has prepared a short guide to assist legal practitioners…
Read MoreCA: Outrage over sex offender placement plan in Menifee [video]
Source: youtube.com KTLA5, 5/10/22 Senior with 1970’s conviction can’t find housing in desert community because of hysteria caused by him being designated SVP.
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