As the year 2025 comes to an end, it is time to reflect upon a significant but unspoken factor that has influenced the registrant community this year. That factor is the Epstein Shadow.
What do I mean by that term? Throughout this year, information regarding Jeffrey Epstein has been shared and continues to be shared with the public. The flow of that information has been erratic at best.
That is because some of the information is being released by Congress, the legislative branch of the government. And some of the information is being released as the result of orders issued by courts, the judicial branch of the government.
The source of the information about Epstein is not as important as the information itself. And yet the most important part of the information released is the effect it has had upon the public as well as elected officials.
Let me be clear. The information released regarding Jeffrey Epstein portrays a picture of a true sexual predator. A person who may have sexually abused dozens of young women over more than a decade. If true, Epstein’s actions were despicable and he deserved to be punished in accordance with the law.
As stated earlier, the most important part of the information released is the effect it has had upon the public as well as elected officials. The public has reacted by repeating myths published by the media for many years. For example, many members of the public have recently expressed their belief that every person convicted of a sex offense is likely to commit another sex offense.
And elected officials, including state legislators, have recently demonstrated they are afraid to do anything that could be interpreted as support for registrants even in a non-election year. For example, legislators in California have refused to improve the state’s Tiered Registry Law despite the fact that the board they established – The California Sex Offender Management Board – has formally recommended several changes to that law that would significantly increase the number of people eligible to petition for removal from the registry..
I view the release of information about Epstein as a large shadow that has been cast upon the registrant community. Given that additional information about Epstein is likely to be released next year, I believe that shadow will continue and could grow.
Members of the registrant community must decide their course of action. We can sit in the shadow and be afraid. Or we can bring light to the public and elected officials through efforts such as stopping Etsy and other merchants from selling anti-registrant goods and participating in efforts such as a vigil before the U.S. Supreme Court and lobbying elected officials.
I look forward to your participation in some or perhaps all of those efforts.
One who tried to help, whether intended to or not, was a media figure who is a former atty that made the distinction to what his preference was and was not. They were lambasted for that distinction publicly across the nation. Sadly, it showed the lack of critical thinking others have when it comes to the important distinction of the three classes of “phile” related to those who take interest in those under 18. Emotional reactions have no place in critical thinking.
That is not condoning or minimizing what allegedly happened by the gent in question, but does show the masses are not ready or willing to consider the real facts of the matter (whether here or just overall by class) instead of just broad strokes of the worse “phile” PFRs are labeled with, whether justified or not.
Have to hope (and help) society will stop looking at everyone as a Boo Radley and start seeing the individuals therein and their situation individually.
To the empty pantsuits and suits in Washington DC and in capital buildings across these fruity plains and those wearing robes to uphold the Constitution and laws. Most of the human beings on the registry are not Larry Nasar, Jerry Sandusky, Jeff Epstein, and the others who engaged in heinous crimes. If you care so much about victims of human trafficking you would release the names of those who exploited young girls decades ago and wouldn’t support another form of human trafficking, which is supporting the sex offense registry and the minefields of restrictions that come with being blacklisted.
Ma’am:
You said that “The information released regarding Jeffrey Epstein portrays a picture of a true sexual pr*dator. ” (sic)
I would kindly ask you to stop using the word “pr*dator” when you are talking about human beings. I understand that the term is, unfortunately, a factual legal designation. But, I believe that the word, when used outside of a factual, legal designation is a dehumanizing and hateful moniker. It is akin to calling someone a “cockroach” or an “animal” or a “non-human”.
It is abhorrent in the extreme, as it eases the path to hatred, vigilantism, and indeed, crimes against humanity! It does so by removing the obstacle of a person’s humanity. The rhetorical word intends to strip a person of their very soul!
Also, if a person is a “pr*dator” because they are a p*d*phile; and if a p*d*phile is mentally ill, then aren’t we stirring up revenge and hatred against the mentally ill?
We in Missouri are in the process of bringing up an education organization,Missouri Organization for Registry Education (M.O.R.E.). There are a number of academic studies that have laid the groundwork for educating not only our people but the public and media alike. The other organization, Missouri Alliance for Family Restoration (MOAFR) had a successful 2025 legislative year have already funded 2026 and are now working on donations for the 2027 legislative year. Lobbyists are our cryptonite!
Laws are made for elections not people.
The unfortunate truth is that politicians use newsworthy events to propose legislation that will energize their campaign or opinion polls or some such other nonsense that has nothing to do with protecting the public.
I have railed for years that the recidivism of sex crimes is substantially lower than almost any other violent crime! People argue about under-reporting and other straw man arguments but the clear re-arrest and prosecution data is available for all crimes and it is steady among all the classes of crimes.
Punishing those who have paid for their crimes through time, money and reparations should not be continually punished by new or continued poor legislation much less public shaming and victimization.
I believe that here in California if an individual declares to other individuals that a certain person is a registrant, that individual could be charged with a misdemeanor as the declaration could result in physical harm to the registrant. Now, the State of California has created the registry system and have made it accessible to the public. Recently, there has been two registrants that have been attacked on two separate occasions by different perpetrators. One lost his life and the perpetrators admitted to killing a [Person Forced to Register (PFR)]. The other was a woman who broke into a residence and shot a PFR who survived. In my thinking. The State of California has constructively declared to all individuals separately and to the People of the State of California every person possessing the duty to register. As the above attacks are of the result of the declarations discussed (the registry) and such declarations are made by the State legislature, all persons from the legislature to the Governor should be held responsible, be charged with a misdemeanor, and made to answer. The United States Supreme Court states that the registry is not punitive. The Court should now be made to answer, is losing a life because of the registry punitive?
Epstine was ‘hiding in plain sight’ and nobody quesioned it. Have you ever wondered where those girls parents thought they were while at his mansion or island. Did they think it was their BFF’s sleepover??? I have not read one interview with a parent.
Hello:
You wrote the following: “Let me be clear. The information released regarding Jeffrey Epstein portrays a picture of a true sexual predator.”
Although I realize that the word “predator” is used in a legal sense as a descriptor for persons with a certain status, I would respectfully ask that you stop using it as a general term to describe a person who has committed sex crimes.
The word is dehumanizing. Dehumanizing language tends to strip away a person’s very humanity!
Thank you for letting me speak on this forum!
I was physically attacked twice this year. One time followed to my car and the second time blindsided from the back by multiple people. Since this was part of the protest community in part protesting against Epstein I fully agree that this year was and next year will continue to be very difficult years for all of us effected by the registry.
Sandy is just scratching the surface with the Epstein thing..He just falls under the umbrella of a cross pollination in an even bigger issue towards those forced to register.
It all stems from society’s current morbid obsession with TRUE CRIME slop.
The public’s interest in this subject has created a market for all those boogeyman documentaries which are never-ending and increasing all the time.
It’s everywhere in all mediums. You can’t watch Netflex, the media or visit a book store without being bombarded with Brady this or Dahmer that – along with DIDDY, BTK, Menendez brothers and a countless myraid of others who’s crimes shock the public’s conscience. It would be pointless to list more examples becasue Epstein is the current monster of the week and that outrage has been normalized and weaponized towards everyone with this label. We are the perfect scapegoats to be hated because we’re the next best thing to go after since Epstein will never face justice. We’re unfailrly being targeted with a “guilt by association” campaign that law enforcement and the media both profit from.
It’s all part of the outrage economy. Outrage and mordid curiosity produces coverage and ratings. With each new batch of pictures released by congress, everything gets amplified and magnified all over again because they know by time-releasing these little tid-bits and crumbs, it ensures the smoke never clears and keeps people engaged on this outrage-inducing topic.
Yes, despite how much fun it’s been to watch Trump twist in the wind over the Epstein files, I’ve been concerned for some time about the inevitable public backlash against registered people that will come afterward. I am especially concerned that when the time eventually comes for liberal feminists to have their retribution against Trump for all of his sexual misdeeds he will no longer be available do to death or whatever, and they will turn their ire against the next closest retribution target – which is anyone on any registry anywhere.
Truly, I’m very worried about this possibility, so I’m very happy that you have brought this subject up. We all need to get prepared and have a plan for the social devastation to come.
It seems that a key factor has been lost in all the back and forth over all of this: There was a law passed a month ago by Congress, the Senate, and even the President, that required the DOJ to release all the information. All of it. With a couple of exceptions for protection of victims, witnesses, and for the protection of national security. Of course, the DOJ broke the law on Friday, December 19th, 2025……By not releasing all of it. And over 90% of what they did release is redacted. I don’t think it’s rocket surgery to figure out why so much information is redacted. The President, the Speaker of the House, and many other prominent individuals in government have publicly and privately stated that “important people would be hurt” if this information were released. In other words, the people who created all of these unconstitutional laws don’t want to be subjected to the consequences of those laws. But, it’s no worse than registering at Sam’s Club, right? I see this as an opportunity to point out staggering hypocrisy and force them to acknowledge that registered people are subjected to astounding amounts of danger and damage. The amount of effort that has been put into protecting a certain class of people leaves absolutely no room for interpretation. They know what the consequences for these types of crimes are. They know exactly what the consequences of having one’s entire life and reputation destroyed are. They know precisely what registration does to the registrants and any person who stand with them. And they are willing to break federal law in order to avoid those consequences.
Epstein hasn’t been about sexual abuse for yrs. Sure, certain media outlets key in on the women affected for purposes of emotional outrage while other outlets refuse to even mention any news about it, but this has been about power and protecting the powerful ever since his 1st indictment. Even the arguments given focus on the process and not the actual crime. Would I like to see the entire thing exposed? sure. Will I lose sleep if it isn’t? not a wink. Do I have empathy for the women? of course. Do I expect ANY form of justice? Does anyone…………..really?
Thank you so much for naming this. I’ve been feeling the shadow daily–every time a new story about Epstein and the others working with him or using his “services” comes up. Every time my son moved from the county jail to his first CDCr placement–reception at Wasco and then again when he moved to his endorsed facility–LAC. I worried/worry for his safety because people ignorantly rank [people who committed a sex offense as the worst of the worst. As a survivor of more than one sexual assault, I can say, I’m glad I wasn’t murdered, I’m glad I wasn’t beaten badly enough to be put in a hospital. My sexual assaults were not particularly violent–no weapons involved, the time endured relatively short. I am strong and alive.
Ranking harms is just wrong and each case and each victim has a different experience and needs different things to heal. There are people who have serious bike accidents who never ride again and those who get right back on as soon as they physically can. This is the nature of trauma. That’s also why I agree with Janice about bringing light to legislators and others. This can be done through telling our stories. More stories about people on the registry, especially women, for very minor offenses, need to be highlighted. I also agree that we need to stop using the term predator–how about just [person who committed a sexual offense or person who committed sexual offenses]? The term (label) is dehumanizing and doesn’t help us see more clearly the actual [crimes] and harmful behavior. I’m also 100% down for a vigil. The family members of those incarcerated and given overly long sentences, as well as the family members of those on the registry, are harmed too.