[floridaactioncommittee.org – 8/14/19] The order was issued by the 4th District Court of Appeals today so it’s being posted prior to our adding commentary in an effort to share this as quickly as possible. The court voided Senator Lauren Book’s restraining order against Once Fallen’s Derek Logue. We all knew it was bogus, now the court’s agree! Logue v. Book UPDATE: All the credit MUST go to attorney Gary Edinger, of Benjamin, Aaronson, Edinger & Patanzo for writing an incredible appellate brief. Lots of appreciation to Gary, Jamie Benjamin and…
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WI: Rhinelander Common Council approves new sex offenders ordinance
[starjournalnow.com – 8/13/19] The Rhinelander Common Council met Monday and held the final public hearing for the new sex offender ordinance. No concerns or questions regarding the ordinance were brought forth at the public hearing, and the council approved the new ordinance unanimously. The sex offender ordinance limits registered sex offender housing and activity areas within proximity to places where children are present such as schools, playgrounds and parks. It also limits holiday events in which sex offenders can participate such as disallowing handing out candy to trick-or-treaters or dressing…
Read MoreA Critical (Non-Dershowitz) Look at Statutory Rape Laws
[verdict.justia.com – 8/13/19] Last week, Jeffrey Epstein died in jail, apparently a suicide. The prior month, he was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges related to his and other men’s conduct with girls as young as fourteen. Most spectators to the very public humiliation that might have driven him to suicide, judged him very harshly. Epstein, in his mid-60s, had apparently slept with young girls and procured their services for some of his rich (and old) friends as well, allegedly including Epstein’s former lawyer, Harvard Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz (currently…
Read MoreApplication of Packingham – Internet Access
[floridaactioncommittee.org – 8/12/19] We often get questions from people who are confused by the application of Packingham (the SCOTUS decision that said Government cannot restrict access to social media) to their situation. To simplify: Packingham benefits people NOT ON PROBATION/SUPERVISED RELEASE. If you are on probation, a restriction on social media/internet access CAN be imposed. Packingham DOES NOT prevent a private business (ie: Social Media platform) from restricting your access to their platform. Read the full Florida Action Committee article
Read MoreACSOL Meeting in San Diego on Saturday, August 17, 2019
ACSOL’s upcoming meeting in San Diego is as follows Saturday, August 17 10 am 350 Cedar Street Lecture Hall #2 San Diego, CA 92101 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 MoreHow Social Media Shapes Our Identity
[newyorker.com – 8/8/19] The Internet constantly confronts us with evidence of our past. Are we losing the chance to remake ourselves? … Humans have always tried to cope with the difficulty of memory, to turn it “from an intolerable horror to something which is reassuringly innocuous and familiar.” Social media just makes us more adept at it. On the other hand, Eichhorn writes, such media can prevent those who wish to break with their past from doing so cleanly. … This is of particular import for those who yearn to…
Read MoreSex Offender Registries: Are they keeping our children safe?
[psychologytoday.com – 8/9/19] Sex offender registries have been in the news lately as media outlets have been questioning why billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a minor female, was able to largely elude the penalty of being on a sex offender registry by maintaining residences in states that did not require him to register. This then begs the bigger question – what do these sex registries accomplish and do they work to keep our children safe? … Do sex offender registries prevent sex abuse? As with most…
Read MoreAK: Without guidance, Alaska judges to ‘muddle through’ sex offender registry removal decisions
[ktuu.com – 8/9/19] ANCHORAGE (KTUU) – Without guidance, Alaska Superior Court judges will have to “muddle their way through” decisions over how a person can apply to be removed from the sex offender registry, says John Skidmore, the director of the criminal division with the Department of Law. In June, the Alaska Supreme Court determined that people on the sex offender registry had a right to due process, effectively meaning they could apply to be removed from the registry if they can prove they are no longer dangerous. Currently, there…
Read MoreWI: Students can face fines for sexting in Pewaukee
[cbs58.com – 8/9/19] PEWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) – The Village of Pewaukee is taking action to address the prevalence of sexting among minors by enacting an ordinance that allows police to issue citations for those caught exchanging nude photos or videos through electronic devices. “The whole idea is to change children’s behavior,” said Chief Timothy Heier of the Pewaukee Police Department. “Get them to stop and make better choices in life.” Sexting is not unique to the Village of Pewaukee. A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association…
Read MoreKat’s Blog: Law Enforcement Denies Registrants Full Access to AA Meetings
You’re a registrant on parole with an alcohol/substance abuse problem. You want to help yourself by attending AA, NA or some other supportive type group meetings. Your PO thinks it’s a fine idea, however, you may be prevented from fully participating in the AA program and it’s not AA who’s preventing it, it may be your PO. It’s not only in real estate where “location” is everything. Due to the endless boundary lines or buffer zones that registrants must navigate, wanting to attend an AA meeting can become a logistical…
Read MoreCommittee to Consider SB 145 on August 14
The Appropriations Committee of the California Assembly will consider Senate Bill 145 (SB 145) on August 14. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. in Room 4202 of the State Capitol. “During that hearing, the Appropriations Committee will consider more than 100 bills,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “Because the hearing will not include public testimony, ACSOL is not requesting registrants and their supporters to attend this hearing.” The Appropriations Committee will consider the most recent version of SB 145, approved by the Public Safety Committee, which no longer…
Read MoreBrian Banks Review: A Harrowing True Story of False Accusation
[movieweb.com – 7/30/19] The story of Brian Banks is especially pertinent in the #MeToo era. A high school football player in Long Beach, California, Banks was falsely accused of rape by a classmate. He was railroaded into a plea deal by the district attorney, then stunned by a lengthy jail sentence for a crime he did not commit. A promising athlete’s life was destroyed by flimsy he said, she said evidence. The film Brian Banks recounts the incident, his time in prison, and the extraordinary lengths he went to clear…
Read MoreMalaysia: Applications to use sex offender registry still low – Hannah Yeoh
[malaysiakini.com – 8/6/19] Only 92 applications to check 1,497 names have been received for the sex offenders registry (e-DKK) which was launched by the Women. Family and Community Development Ministry in March. Its deputy minister Hannah Yeoh (photo, above) said the number of applicants using the registry from April to July was still low due to the lack of awareness in society, especially nursery operators when hiring caregivers or new workers. Read more
Read MorePentagon launches Catch program to identify serial sex offenders in the military
[stripes.com – 8/5/19] WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has launched a new program that aims to find serial sex offenders in the military by compiling information into a database submitted by sexual-assault survivors. The program, called Catch a Serial Offender, or Catch, allows survivors of sexual assault who are submitting a restricted report to provide information confidentially about the sexual assault incident as well as the accused offender to military investigators so they can try to identify serial offenders, according to the Pentagon announcement released Monday. The program was first announced…
Read MoreChina to build child sex offender database
[china.org.cn – 8/3/19] China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) announced Friday that a national database of child sex offenders will be established. The SPP will also promote the building of relevant inquiry and restriction mechanisms for candidates seeking employment related to minors, said Shi Weizhong, a senior prosecutor with the SPP, at a video conference on inter-agency protection of rural left-behind children and children living in difficulties. Over 3,600 suspects have been prosecuted for criminal offenses against rural left-behind children since 2018, according to Shi. In the following phase, the procuratorate…
Read MoreFL shaming: Could your real estate agent be a sex offender? You likely would never know
[palmbeachpost.com – 3/2/19] Maureen Stilwell had a bad feeling about the property manager in her Wellington neighborhood. He didn’t fit in well with the close-knit community. Folks didn’t like him, said Stilwell, who was on the board of her homeowner’s association at the time. Stilwell did a little digging. She quickly discovered that her community property manager was a registered sex offender. “I was amazed it came right up on Google,” she said. “I emailed the rest of the board and said, ‘We have to get rid of this guy…
Read MoreFL: Convicted sex offender drowned in Duval County jail cell toilet after beating
[firstcoastnews.com – 8/1/19] JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The inmate killed inside his Duval County Jail cell Tuesday was drowned in his jail cell toilet in addition to being beaten by his cellmate, First Coast News learned Wednesday. Paul Dixon, 43, was charged with 2nd-degree murder after police say he killed cellmate _, 56, on the fifth floor of the Duval County jail. Multiple sources tell First Coast News that ____, a convicted sex offender, was beaten by Dixon who then drowned him in his jail cell toilet. The official cause of…
Read MoreNigeria: NAPTIP Launches Sex Offenders Register To Name And Shame Rapists
[channelstv.com – 7/28/19] The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP) has announced plans to launch a sex offender register to name and shame rapists and offenders of other forms of violence against persons. According to the Director General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah, the implementation of the register is aimed at putting an end to all forms of violence against persons in private and public life, and to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders. “The spate of this mindless abuse of…
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