Source: ACSOL In addition to ACSOL, two large organizations have formally filed their opposition to AB 1568 which, if passed, could block thousands of registrants from petitioning for removal from the registry. The organizations are California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ) and Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC). Letters from both organizations are similar (see them at the bottom of this article), but not the same as, the opposition letter filed by ACSOL. According to CACJ, passage of SB 1568 would set a dangerous legislative precedent that other elected…
Read MoreMonth: February 2026
Mace continues her crusade by introducing bill allowing federal death penalty for child sex crimes
Source: abcnews4.com 2/26/26 UPDATE: Below you can read ACSOL’s letter to Nancy Mace WASHINGTON D.C (WCIV) — Rep. Nancy Mace introduced legislation Thursday that would allow the federal government to impose the death penalty on people convicted of raping or sexually assaulting children. The bill, titled the Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act, is intended to expand capital punishment eligibility to several federal child sex crime statutes and to the rape of a child under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to the press release. “We have zero mercy for…
Read MoreCA: Fresno leaders plan to block registered sex offender from serving on City Council
Source: fresnobee.com 2/26/26 Related article: “‘I felt attacked’: Sex offender running for Fresno council seat speaks out after councilmember comments” [2/27/26 yourcentralvalley.com] Some members of the Fresno City Council said they plan to introduce legislation to block registered sex offenders from serving on the council in an effort to disqualify a candidate in the crowded race for the District 7 seat. The City Council primary race gained national attention this month after The Bee reported on Rene Campos, a registered sex offender who plans to run for the council seat…
Read MoreTX: NARSOL Sues Texas for Excluding Federal Convictions from State Registry Removal
Source: floridaactioncommittee.org 2/26/26 NARSOL has filed suit on behalf of registrants in Texas who were convicted of a sexual offense in federal court, claiming the state’s process for petitioning for removal from the registry excludes them, because they were not convicted by a Texas court (a requirement for removal). The class action complaint alleges, “Article 62.404 provides a mechanism for early termination of registration. Under that provision, an eligible registrant may seek relief after completing the minimum required registration period and undergoing an individualized risk assessment conducted by CSOT. If…
Read MoreWI: Wisconsin Supreme Court OKs warrantless searches of potential child porn
Source: courthousenews.com 2/24/26 Social platforms like Google Photos that voluntarily scan for child sexual abuse materials are not acting as agents of the government and the search is private, according to the state’s top court. MADISON, Wis. (CN) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously held that Google’s voluntary scan for child sexual abuse materials is constitutional. Andreas Rauch Sharak stored child sexual abuse materials in his Google Photos account in violation of the terms of service, which warned such materials would be removed if detected and reported…
Read MoreCA: After parole granted to convicted child kidnapper and molester
Source: abc10.com 2/23/26 SACRAMENTO, Calif — Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper on Monday criticized the parole of David Allen Funston, a 64-year-old man convicted of kidnapping and molesting children in 1995 and 1996, after state records show he was granted parole under California’s elderly parole program. “A judge in Sacramento described him… as the monster parents fear most, yet today the parole board decided he is suitable for release,” Cooper said during a press conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office… Read the full article
Read MoreIA: Man arrested after allegedly admitting during law enforcement employment application lie detector test he viewed child pornography on dark web
Source: whsv.com 2/23/26 WARREN COUNTY, Iowa. (Gray News) – An Iowa man was arrested after allegedly admitting during a lie detector test that he viewed child pornography on the dark web. According to a search warrant application, 35-year-old Gregory _____ had applied to be a deputy with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, KCCI reported. While taking a pre-employment lie detector test in November, the tester said Gregory admitted to viewing child pornography on the dark web. Investigators said while searching Gregory’s phone, they found what appeared to be AI-generated images…
Read MoreACSOL Online Meeting March 21, 2026
You are invited to join ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci and President attorney Elie Miller to our next meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday, March 21 online on Zoom beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 PM Eastern, and will last at least two hours. You can use the Zoom app or you can call in using a Zoom phone number. There is no registration needed for this meeting. No government officials are allowed to attend the meetings. This meeting will be recorded and posted within a couple…
Read MoreCA Action Alert: Call Committee Members to Stop AB 1568
As reported yesterday, the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee will consider AB 1568 next week on Tuesday, March 3. If that bill is enacted into law, it will block many registrants from petitioning for removal from the registry. Please call the nine members of that committee today or any day prior to the hearing to let them know that you oppose AB 1568 and want them to vote “no” during the hearing. Each call will take one minute or less and is very important because without opposition, the bill is likely…
Read MoreNJ: Out-of-state sex offenders can challenge registration requirement, court rules
Source: newjerseymonitor.com 2/23/26 Authorities must weigh whether a sex offender convicted in other states committed a crime similar to a Megan’s Law offense before forcing them to register under the law in New Jersey, an appellate court found Monday. The ruling, which ordered two cases in Secaucus and Union City reopened motions to dismiss and reversed a conviction in the Secaucus case, says authorities in both cases failed to perform an analysis required by law before charging the two men with failing to notify authorities that they had moved. “Indicting…
Read MoreSC: Rep. Nancy Mace introduces hateful new bill to block registrants from entering federally funded shelters
Source: counton2.com 2/20/26 CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Congresswoman Nancy Mace introduced a bill Friday that would prohibit individuals who are registered on the National Sex Offender Registry from entering or receiving services at federally funded domestic violence and homeless shelters. The introduced bill is called the ‘Safe Shelters for Survivors Act of 2026’ and would block federally funded shelters from housing those who are required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry, or lose their federal funding. South Carolina is sixth in the nation for domestic violence, and many…
Read MoreWhy laws named after tragedies win public support
Source: phys.org 2/23/26 When lawmakers name bills after victims of tragedy—such as Megan’s Law or the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993—public support surges, but this emotional boost may come at the expense of sound policymaking, according to research published in the journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. Experiments testing victim-named legislation The study examined whether eponymous bills—those named for victims—receive more public backing than identical bills without a name or story. Across three experiments, the answer was clear: They do. “Our research shows that adding a victim’s name and story…
Read MoreCA Action Alert: Join us March 3 to stop AB 1568 that blocks registrants from petitioning
The California Assembly Public Safety Committee is scheduled to consider Assembly Bill 1568 that, if that bill becomes law, would block thousands of people from petitioning for removal from the registry, including everyone assigned to Tier 2. We must stop one of the worst bills we have ever fought! Click here to see how to call Committee Members to Stop AB 1568 We know it may be inconvenient for you to come, but please make the sacrifice to join us to stop thousands from being on the registry for life:…
Read MoreCanada: Ontario Court Ruling on Child Pornography Sentencing Raises Concerns
Source: ullaw.ca 2/21/26 In a significant decision from Ontario’s Court of Appeal, a man from Vaughan was spared prison time despite possessing a large collection of child pornography. Matthew Elias, who lived with his parents near Steeles Avenue and Hurontario Street, was originally sentenced to house arrest for two years less a day and probation for three years. The Crown had appealed for a harsher sentence, but the appeal court decided that incarceration would not serve justice, as Elias was already halfway through his conditional sentence. This ruling has sparked…
Read MoreLegislation Senate Bill 3077 Would Reduce Federal Supervision Terms
Source: ACSOL Four members of Congress have reintroduced a bill that, if enacted into law, would reduce the amount of time a registrant spends on federal supervision. The bill number is S. 3077 and its name is The Safer Supervision Act. According to the bill, there are more than 110,000 people on federal supervision. The bill also finds that many federal probation officers have more than 100 cases on which to work. The bill recommends better tailoring as to when and how supervised release is imposed, encouraging early termination when…
Read MoreACSOL In-Person Conference Will Be on October 2 and 3, 2026 in Los Angeles
ACSOL is pleased to announce that its annual conference will be held this year on October 2 and 3 in Los Angeles. This year’s conference will take place at a hotel near the LAX airport. Additional details regarding the conference and its location will be available soon. Save the date!
Read MoreAL: Alabama Senate Bill 199 would put more restrictions on sex offenders, limit Internet access
Source: aldailynews.com 2/19/26 [Alabama residents start calling, writing, and showing up now] A bill moving through the Legislature could put new restrictions on sex offenders convicted of crimes against children, including preventing them from access to the Internet. Senate Bill 199 was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday with sponsor Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, agreeing that additional work on the bill may be needed. The bill says any adult convicted of a sex offense involving a child “may be restricted by his or her parole or…
Read MoreSecurity Clearance Denied for Past Child Porn Downloading
Source: reason.com 2/18/26 “Applicant believed she was pre-adolescent or during adolescence when she was downloading images of children on her computer in 2013 to 2014 even though she was chronologically about 30 years old.” From a very long security clearance opinion released Jan. 30 by the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA), but just posted on Westlaw (note that the guidelines having to do with denying security clearances based on sexual behavior list as a mitigating factor that “the behavior occurred prior to or during adolescence and there is…
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