Source: spectrumlocalnews.com 4/7/26 As New York increasingly relies on hotels to house families experiencing homelessness, a Spectrum News 1 review found in some counties those families may live next door to registered level two and level three sex offenders. Broome County, in the Southern Tier, was found to have three hotels in such a situation. Through a Freedom of Information Law request, Spectrum News 1 used payment records from the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to confirm which hotels Broome County uses as temporary housing for families. In comparing the hotel address with publicly available addresses of registered sex offenders, as of March 31, four registered sex offenders are living at the Knights Inn in Endicott. New York…
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CA: Court Overturns Former El Cajon Teacher’s Sex Crimes Conviction
Source: nationaltoday.com 3/30/26 Appellate panel reverses charges against Gerald Lopez, says evidence was insufficient to support child pornography conviction. A state appellate court panel has vacated sexual misconduct charges against a former Granite Hills High School teacher, Gerald Lopez, who was accused of engaging with a minor student in 2022. The court reversed Lopez’s conviction on a child sex abuse material possession charge and a charge of child molestation, but said he can be retried for child molestation. Why it matters This case highlights the complexities around prosecuting teacher-student…
Read MoreCA: Auburn man’s decades-long child porn sentence vacated on appeal
Source: fingerlakes1.com 4/5/26 A decades-long prison sentence for an Auburn man tied to a massive child pornography case just got wiped away on appeal, according to The Citizen. Darryl M. Overstreet, had been serving time after a 50-count indictment. An appeals court vacated his sentence last month, citing a legal error during sentencing. … Read the full article
Read MoreFL: DeSantis tells Florida House to impeach Tallahassee judge who released sex offender on bond
Source: floridaphoenix.com 3/31/26 Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling on the Florida House to impeach a Tallahassee judge who briefly released a sex offender onto the streets, resulting in the killing of the man’s 5-year-old stepdaughter. “To my friends in the Florida House of Representatives, I don’t think what you’ve done is enough,” DeSantis said during a Tampa press conference on Tuesday. “You have the power, and you have sufficient numbers in your chamber, to impeach this judge, Tiffany Baker-Carper. “Until you start holding these judges accountable, they are gonna continue…
Read MoreNY: Sign On to Support A More Evidence-Based Assessment Process in New York: Action Needed by April 8 @ 5pm ET
Source: Restorative Action Alliance I’m reaching out to invite you to join RAA and its partners to sign onto a support letter asking for targeted amendment to New York legislation A8930 | S3201. Thank you if you have already taken action and please share with others you feel might also want to support. This legislation seeks to update the process used to assign registry risk levels in New York which have been based on an unvalidated Risk Assessment Instrument (RAI) for almost 30 years. While we do not support the use of…
Read MoreWrong Target, Wrong Tool: Why the Registry Fails to Prevent Sexual Harm
Source: Florida Action Committee 4/2/26 The sex offender registry is supposed to keep kids safe, right? That’s the idea. In reality, across the United States the registry has grown into a massive database with nearly a million names, photos, vehicle descriptions, and an ever-growing list of details the public is expected to somehow sift through and memorize in the name of “safety.” On top of that, there are laws that restrict registrants from living near or even going to places like schools, parks, and other so-called “places where children congregate.”…
Read MoreFL: DeSantis signs Missy’s law requiring bond revocation for convicted offenders
Source: mysuncoast.com 3/31/26 SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two Florida bills aimed at increasing penalties in child sexual abuse cases and requiring custody for certain convicted defendants before sentencing. Speaking at the Tampa Bay Regional Operational Center at FDLE, DeSantis said the laws are meant to strengthen protections for children and prevent offenders from remaining free after conviction. One of the measures, House Bill 445, is known as “Missy’s Law.” DeSantis said the bill requires judges to remand certain convicted defendants to custody pending sentencing. DeSantis tied…
Read MoreCA: State finds ‘systemic’ failures in how a California school district handles sex abuse allegations
Source: calmatters.org 3/20/26 A Southern California school district agreed to sweeping reforms Friday in settling a state attorney general investigation into how it handled allegations staff sexually abused students. The wide-ranging stipulated judgment with the El Monte Union High School District draws to a close an 18-month investigation, which found “systemic shortfalls in the district’s response to allegations and complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students.” The investigation was spurred by a 2023 article in Business Insider, The Predators’ Playground, which documented decades of sexual misconduct by teachers, coaches and other…
Read MoreFL: Florida’s new sex offender registrant restrictions will not improve public safety
Source: reason.org 4/30/26 Making it impossible for people to find a place to live after serving their sentences is harsh and counterproductive to preventing further crimes. Florida lawmakers are preparing to add new restrictions on where certain registered sex offenders are allowed to live, blocking them from housing near public pools, which include splash pads and a variety of water recreation attractions. While presented as a way of protecting children from predators, in truth, these new rules would push registrants farther into the shadows, into homelessness, and in some…
Read MoreConsider volunteering to participate in research on “Understanding the Treatment Needs of Women Required to Attend Sex Offense Treatment”
Source: barry.edu Women registrants, you are invited to participate in a voluntary research study titled “Understanding the Treatment Needs of Women Required to Attend Sex Offense Treatment.” This study is being conducted by Dr. Jill Levenson and co-researchers at Barry University. The study has been approved by the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The purpose of the study is to better understand women’s experiences in mandated treatment in order to improve services and clinical practice. You are eligible to participate if you are over the age of 18, identify as female…
Read MoreCanada: Convicted child pornography designated a long-term offender
Source: globalnews.ca 3/17/26 Convicted child pornography designated a long-term offender. Repeat child pornography offender Shane _______ has been designated a long-term offender. On Thursday morning, judge Richard Danyliuk accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence for a seven-year prison sentence and a 10-year supervision order Watch the video
Read MoreOR: Oregon Supreme Court reverses child sex abuse conviction on privacy grounds
Source: philomathnews.com 3/29/26 The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a Lane County man’s conviction for encouraging child sex abuse, ruling that local authorities subjected him to a warrantless search when monitoring his use of a restaurant’s free wireless internet network. In 2018 and 2019, Oakridge resident Randall De Witt Simons had accessed an A&W restaurant’s wireless internet network which extended into the range of his own home in Lane County. The network required a terms of service agreement, which noted that the restaurant chain may cooperate with legal authorities…
Read MoreCA: Sacramento sheriff launches ballot plan to block early release of sex predators
Source: msn.com 3/25/26 Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper announced a new ballot initiative that would revise Proposition 57 to prohibit sexually violent predators from being eligible for early parole. Saying the state’s independent parole board has “too much unfettered power,” Cooper said the “only way to reform Prop. 57 is to take it back to the voters. That’s why we’re choosing a ballot initiative.” Cooper, who was elected to the post in 2022 after 8 years in the Assembly, said he aims to qualify the measure, “Protect Our Kids: Reform…
Read MoreMI: Scammers posing as Michigan State Police to contact employers of people on sex offender registry
Source: fox2detroit.com 3/25/26 Scammers pretending to be with Michigan State Police are preying on people on the state’s sex offender registry. According to MSP, the scammers are calling employers of people who are on the registry, which are listed on offenders’ registry profiles. These scammers are trying to get personal information and payment for outstanding warrants and … Click here to read the full article Click here to read on FAC’s website how this is happening in Florida also ACSOL reminds you that different kinds of scams like this can occur in ANY…
Read MoreUT: Utah Court of Appeals Upholds Dismissal of Child Sexual Abuse Accusations
Source: reason.com 3/25/26 An excerpt from the detailed discussion in State v. Murphy, decided Thursday by the Utah Court of Appeals (Judge David Mortensen, joined by Judges Gregory Orme and Ryan Harris): … Murphy was charged with aggravated sexual abuse and sodomy on a child for incidents that had occurred many years prior involving the son (Jonathan) of one of Murphy’s former close friends (Mother). The magistrate, citing lack of evidence at a preliminary hearing to establish probable cause that Murphy committed the alleged abuse, declined to bind Murphy over for…
Read MoreCA: Animal Abusers Will Go On Public Offender List Under Proposed CA Law
Source: patch.com 3/25/26 The proposed bill aims to protect vulnerable animals by establishing a public registry for individuals convicted of felony animal abuse. A new bill would establish a public registry for people convicted of felony animal abuse in California. The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Matt Haney (D–San Francisco) on Tuesday, and similar to the Megan’s Law website for registered sex offenders, AB 2344 would create a California Animal Abuse Registry for adults convicted of felony animal abuse. It would be run by the state’s Department of Justice.…
Read MoreACSOL Conducts Successful Lobby Day in Sacramento
More than 50 registrants, family members and supporters participated in this year’s Lobby Day on March 24. Members of that group lobbied during 39 scheduled meetings as well as an additional 30 unscheduled meetings with legislators and legislative staff who work on public safety issues. “Thanks to every person who participated in Lobby Day this year,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “We truly appreciate the sacrifices you made to arrive in Sacramento and then join ACSOL in delivering important messages to the legislature.” The primary focus of this year’s…
Read MoreSupreme Court rules for absconding defendant in dispute over supervised release term
Source: sentencinglawandpolicy.wordpress.com 3/25/26 The US Supreme Court handed down one criminal law opinion this morning, Rico v. United States, No. 24–1056 (S. Ct. March 25, 2026), and it is a notable statutory win for a federal criminal defendant who absconded with on supervised release. The facts and issue are a bit complicated, but Justice Gorsuch’s opinion for the Court sets up the circuit conflict that was before the Justices and how it was resolved: Some circuits, like the Ninth, hold that a defendant’s failure to report doesn’t just amount to a…
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