Source: theconversation.com 5/15/25 When one judge blocks a president’s policies nationwide, alarm bells ring. Should a single judge wield this much power? Can they halt policies across the entire country after just a quick first look at whether they might be illegal? The Supreme Court now faces these critical questions. In a lively session on May 15, 2025, filled with justices’ questions that at times interrupted the attorneys appearing before them, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case stemming from President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, the…
Read MoreAuthor: R H
The Federal Government’s 175,000 Pages of Regulations Turn the Rule of Law Into a Cruel Joke
Source: reason.com 5/14/25 [ACSOL is posting this because, although not specific to registrants, registrants as well as members of their families would likely agree with its contents] After mountain runner Michelino Sunseri ascended and descended Grand Teton in record time last fall, his corporate sponsor, The North Face, heralded his achievement as “an impossible dream—come true.” Then came the nightmare: Federal prosecutors charged Sunseri with a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail for using a trail that the National Park Service described as closed, although it had never bothered to clearly inform the…
Read MoreBias in Sentencing Men for Sexual Offenses Against Minors: Male Victims Bring More Punitive Sentences Than Female Victims
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com 5/24/25 ABSTRACT Prior theoretical and empirical research examining the influence of sex on sentencing has been primarily concerned with the sex of the offender, as opposed to the victim. The present study drew on a convenience sample of males (n = 1190) in state and federal correctional facilities across the country, examining minimum sentences in relation to crime type. The analysis focused on individuals convicted of contact or enticement sexual offenses against minors (n = 380), finding that adult male offenders were sentenced to longer sentences when involved with male versus female…
Read MoreAirport Human-Trafficking Posters Are Overstating the Risks to Young People
Source: reason.com 5/13/25 “That guy isn’t being trafficked by anyone,” says sociologist Emily Horowitz. If you’ve recently been to a U.S. airport, you might have seen posters depicting an attractive, unsmiling young person. These posters are accompanied by sensationalist, hyperbolic claims that young people are at risk of predation from human traffickers. They include a contact number to report suspected trafficking. The posters are part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign, “a national public awareness campaign designed to educate the public, law enforcement, and other industry partners to recognize…
Read MoreFL: Florida Ban on “Depict[ing] or Simulat[ing] … Lewd Conduct” in Performances Where Children Are Present Struck Down
Source: reason.com 5/13/25 A short excerpt from the long opinion today in HM Florida-ORL, LLC v. Governor, decided by Judge Robin Rosenbaum, joined by Judge Nancy Abudu: Justice Potter Stewart famously offered a non-definition of obscenity: “I know it when I see it.” Jacobellis v. Ohio (Stewart, J., concurring). Many know Justice Stewart’s quip. But it’s not, in fact, the law. The Constitution demands specificity when the state restricts speech. Requiring clarity in speech regulations shields us from the whims of government censors. And the need for clarity is especially strong when the…
Read MoreIndian student arrested in US, conned elderly couple of $50K with child-porn ruse
Source: indiatoday.in 5/13/25 An Indian student in the US who scammed a Michigan couple of $50,000 by claiming their credit card was used to purchase child pornography, was arrested. The police suspect the money has been routed to India. This is the fourth such arrest in three weeks, as Indian students have been arrested for targeting elderly Americans in fraud schemes. Read the full article
Read MoreWI: Lake Geneva repeals sex offender ordinance that has been deemed unconstitutional
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, City Council members have repealed an ordinance which prohibited registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a child safety zone because it was found to be unconstitutional. No link to available free news exists
Read MoreOperation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown
Source: justice.gov 5/12/25 May 12, 2025 – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country. Two…
Read MoreGOP Senator Introduces Bill to Make All Porn a Federal Crime, Following Project 2025 Playbook
Source: gizmodo.com 5/12/25 ‘Mike Lee wants to deliver a death knell to PornHub. Last year, the rightwing think-tank the Heritage Foundation launched Project 2025, which laid out much of the policy blueprint for the current Trump administration. One of the project’s espoused goals was to permanently criminalize all pornography. Now, a Republican senator with kind words for Trump has introduced a bill that would do just that. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) recently introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA), which would effectively criminalize all pornography nationwide by legally redefining what it means to be obscene.…
Read MoreWhich U.S. ZIP Codes Have the Most Registered Prior Sex Offenders per Capita?
Source gelmanlawfirm.com Public discussion about registered prior sex offenders often sparks strong opinions, but the reality is more complex than many people realize. The United States maintains one of the most stringent registry systems in the world, with an estimated 800,000 individuals. While the registry is intended to support law enforcement and promote transparency, it is important to understand the legal, social, and economic context behind these numbers. In this report from Gelman Law Firm, we used national and state data to discover which 50 counties have the highest per capita number of…
Read MoreCO: Longmont weighs ‘arbitrary’ sex offender residency restrictions
Source: boulderweekly.com 5/7/25 Data shows little efficacy for an approach that could open the door to lawsuits A weeks-long effort to create legislation that will limit where — and with whom — registered sex offenders can live in the city of Longmont came to a head Tuesday night. City council voted 6-1 to move a bill forward that would prohibit registered sex offenders from living within 500 feet of schools, daycares and public and private parks, and prohibit more than three offenders from living together. Council will hold a…
Read MoreCA: The Financial Fallout Over Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuits in California
Source: nytimes.com 5/9/25 The law set off a wave of child sex abuse litigation that has pushed some public institutions to the brink of financial crisis. School districts face up to $3 billion in claims. In 2018, an anonymous tip led the authorities in California to Eric Uller, who for decades had volunteered at an after-school program associated with the Santa Monica Police Department. An investigation revealed Mr. Uller, 50, had molested at least four boys on the city’s watch. Allegations from dozens of others soon emerged, dating to the…
Read MoreA law seeks to protect children from sex offenders − 20 years later, the jury is still out
Source: theconversation.com Before his sentencing in March 2025, a convicted child rapist asked for a judgment that would have set him free in 2027. The Kansas resident received 25 years with no chance of parole. The reason? Jessica’s Law, which Kansas lawmakers passed in 2006. Kansas was one of the first states to follow Florida’s initial enactment of Jessica’s Law 20 years ago in response to the rape and murder of 9-year-old Jessica “Jessie” Lunsford in Homosassa, Florida. Forty-four other states have followed, altering how America polices, punishes and paroles pedophiles. Although the law differs…
Read MoreCA: In a break from other Democrats on AB 379, Newsom says soliciting older minors for sex should be a felony
Source: yahoo.com 4/29/25 Democrats in the California Legislature drew national attention this week when they refused to advance legislation that sought to increase the punishment to a potential felony for soliciting a 16- or 17-year-old for sex, inspiring a rare public rebuke from Gov. Gavin Newsom. The move by lawmakers to strip the felony charge from the bill created a firestorm of criticism on social media and raised questions about priorities of lawmakers elected to the California Statehouse. To some, the refusal to stiffen the penalty became a glaring example…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Registrants Have Rights
Registrants have rights. Rights that are protected by the U.S. Constitution as well as state constitutions. This fact is often overlooked or misunderstood. For example, a police officer recently told me that it was lawful that he and a fellow officer climbed over a four-foot locked gate outside a registrant’s home and then used a public address system to identify a registrant during a compliance check. The officer attempted to justify his actions stating that the registrant had no constitutional rights. The officer’s statement was false. The registrant, who is…
Read MoreACSOL In-Person Meeting in Pasadena on June 7, 2025
ACSOL will conduct an in person meeting in Pasadena: Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m Flintridge Retreat Center 236 West Mountain Street Suite 117, Pasadena CA There is no cost to attend the meeting which will include discussions of interest to registrants and their families including the Tiered Registry Law, domestic and overseas travel as well as the pending lawsuit that challenges SORNA regulations. Refreshments will be served and it is not necessary to sign up in advance. “ACSOL looks forward to returning to Pasadena on June 7,” stated ACSOL…
Read MoreUK: Migrants convicted of sex crimes to be denied asylum
Source: thetimes.com/uk/ 4/29/25 Migrants convicted of sexual offences will be barred from claiming asylum under new rules announced by the government, although they could still use human rights law to block their removal. Refugees already granted asylum will be stripped of their right to remain in the UK if they are convicted of sex offences. They will also be made eligible for deportation even if their sentence is below 12 months, the current cut-off point for removals. The move is the latest measure by Sir Keir Starmer’s government to tackle…
Read MoreSex Offenders: An Overlooked but Significant Subpopulation of the Homeless [paper]
Source: ciceroinstitute.org 4/28/25 Executive Summary The homeless population in the United States is very diverse. Over the last decade, scholars have made considerable progress in advancing our understanding of the various subpopulations and the myriad drivers of homelessness that are associated with each. But even as researchers have found a history of criminal offending in a sizeable proportion of homeless people, analyses of criminal history and homelessness remain simplistic and underdeveloped. Homeless sex offenders present a special case of interest within this subpopulation because of their unique set of social…
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