[New York Times] The recent surge in accusations of sexual harassment and assault has prompted some admitted offenders to seek professional help for the emotional or personality distortions that underlie their behavior. “My journey now will be to learn about myself and conquer my demons,” the producer Harvey Weinstein said in a statement in October. The actor Kevin Spacey announced that he would be “taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment.” Whatever mix of damage control and contrition they represent, pledges like these suggest that there are standard…
Read MoreAuthor: R H
The Police Who Prey on Victims [opinion]
[cato.org] Although much of the press has been focused, of late, on the incidents of sexual assault in the entertainment and media industries, it is also among the most pernicious and likely under-reported varieties of on-duty police misconduct. The police are viewed by the majority of the public as among the most trusted institutions in society, behind the military and small business. Many of the people who come into contact with police, though, suffer the stigma of criminal records, tenuous immigration status, mental illness, intoxication or substance addiction, or some…
Read MoreFL: Florida bill would declare porn a public health crisis: causes ‘unhealthy brain development’
[lifesitenews.com] FLORIDA, November 22, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – The state of Florida may declare pornography a public health crisis because of the myriad health and brain problems it causes. Rep. Ross Spano, who represents House District 59, introduced a resolution acknowledging “pornography is creating a public health crisis and contributing to the hypersexualization of children and teens.” If the resolution passes, the declaration that pornography is a public health crisis will mean the government “acknowledges the need for education, prevention, research, and policy change to protect the citizens of this state.”…
Read MoreAZ: Buckeye Police create registry program for individuals with autism, other disabilities
[abc15.com] The Buckeye Police Department has launched a registry and identification program for individuals with autism and other conditions after a city officer mistook an autistic teen for a drug user earlier this year. Buckeye officials said the voluntary program will help officers better manage calls and interactions. But experts and civil rights leaders worry about its implementation. Read more
Read MoreWhat Rape Reform Needs: More Convictions, Less Punishment [opinion]
[thecrimereport.org] In what is being called the “Post-Weinstein era,” victims of sexual assault and harassment are finally being believed. This no doubt is overdue, but in the context of rape, believing the victim will not be enough. Three reforms are essential to how we convict and punish rapists. First, the way states currently define the crime of rape does not target the conduct of unwanted sex. In the United States, rape was initially defined by unwanted sex accompanied by an element of force. The proof of force was and continues…
Read MoreCA: Child porn case against California doctor dismissed
[pressherald.com] The child pornography case against a California doctor whose computer was searched after he submitted it to Best Buy’s Geek Squad for repair has been dismissed after a judge ruled that an FBI agent made “several false or misleading statements or omissions … with reckless disregard for the truth” in a search warrant affidavit. The case against oncologist _____ attracted national attention because it revealed that technicians at the Geek Squad’s central repair facility in Kentucky had been paid by the FBI and would tip off the FBI field…
Read MoreTX: Jefferson Co. D.A.: Zero tolerance for sex offenders
[KFDM.com] Jefferson County District Attorney Bob Wortham tells KFDM News that his office has zero tolerance for sex offenders and will not support a sentence of probation for anyone convicted of a sex offense. Wortham said the holiday season is a time when sex crimes often increase. He says 90 percent of the offenders know their victims. In fact, he said, of the 150 cases set for trial in Jefferson County, all but one are cases in which the offender knows the victim. Wortham urges parents to talk with their…
Read MoreThe Relationship Between Juvenile Sex Offender Registration and Depression in Adulthood [research paper]
[Walden University Dissertations and Doctoral Studies] Abstract: Accounts of sexual abuse appear daily in the media. Rightfully, this issue demands attention. Juveniles may be victims; they may also be offenders who are subject to sex offender registration and notification (SORN) policies. Growing research finds that SORN policies fail to achieve intended public policy outcomes. Little is known, however, about the unintended consequences of SORN for juvenile offenders. This study contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of these policies on this population. Merton’s concept of manifest and latent…
Read MoreFinally! The Naked Congressman Principle! [opinion]
[ethicsalarms.com] I’m sure Democrats will be thankful for this. Ultra-conservative Texas Congressman Joe Barton, in his fourth decade in the House, has a nude selfie circulating on the web. As I note above, ew. There are some material distinctions from the Weiner debacle: Joe was separated when he sent them; he wasn’t showing his man-things to cyber-pal he had never met, and most important of all, he didn’t lie about it, immediately confirming that the selfie was indeed his. which, unfortunately, means that he is also copping to sexting the…
Read MoreVA: Sex offenders in emergency shelters; notification registration (SB24)
[Richmond Sunlight] Sex offenders in emergency shelters; notification registration. Provides that a registered sex offender who enters an emergency shelter designated by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof and operated in response to a declared state or local emergency shall, as soon as practicable after entry, notify a member of the shelter’s staff who is responsible for providing security of such person’s status as a registered sex offender. The bill provides that the shelter’s staff may access the publicly available information on the Sex Offender and Crimes Against…
Read MoreAK: Personal rights and stigma: when and where can sex offenders participate in the community? (Opinion)
[KBBI Alaska] Towns across Alaska have to grapple with what to do once a known sex offender returns to the community after serving their punishment. Though there are clear limits in some areas, there are massive gray zones, as well. Residents in Homer are struggling to balance fairness with safety ahead of one of the Kenai Peninsula’s biggest celebrations. Read more
Read MoreOK: Former Oklahoma state senator pleads guilty to child sex trafficking charge
[thehill.com] A former Oklahoma state senator has pleaded guilty to a child sex trafficking charge, The Oklahoman reported Saturday. Former state Sen. ______, a Republican, had been accused of offering to pay a 17-year-old boy for sexual “stuff” earlier this year. Federal prosecutors will drop three additional child pornography charges against him in exchange for his guilty plea. “It is in my best interest and in the best interest of my family,” the former state senator wrote in plea deal paperwork signed this week, according to the Oklahoman. Read more…
Read MoreMA: Springfield Schools Athletic Hall of Fame changes mind, decides against inducting convicted sex offender
[masslive.com] SPRINGFIELD – A Springfield Public Schools committee announced Thursday it will not induct a former basketball star into its Athletic Hall of Fame after parents protested over the player being a convicted sex offender. The decision to withdraw the nomination of ______comes two days before the annual induction ceremony on Saturday in the Central High School Gym. Mike Martin, the school department’s director of athletics, issued a statement that said the committee, “upon reflection,” decided to take back both the nomination and induction of _____. Read more
Read MoreCA: Recall effort for Brock Turner judge gaining momentum
[ABC 10] The campaign to recall the judge who sentenced former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner to six months in jail for sexually assaulting a woman appears to be gaining momentum. Stanford law professor Michele Dauber, who’s behind the effort to recall Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky, told ABC10 that they now have more than 70,000 petition signatures. “When Judge Persky gave Brock Turner only six months in jail for three felony sex crimes, he gave Turner the same kind of privilege that Harvey Weinstein and others have received…
Read MoreCA: California Men Sue Over Gay Sex Stings
[Florida Action Committee] Five California Men are Suing the City of San Jose after being arrested in a “gay sex sting.” The charges against them were eventually dismissed, but undoubtedly much damage was done regardless. The men claim their Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated when they were arrested for “loitering” during a 17-month operation conducted beginning 2014 at a park known to be a meeting place for Gay and Bisexuals. In total, during the 17 months, only 19 men were arrested. Six fought the charges and ultimately got…
Read MoreSexting creating legal minefield for teenagers — and the Australian courts system
[Australian ABC News] When young people find themselves caught up in the criminal justice system on serious charges relating to sexting practices, it’s often a conundrum for sentencing judges. In some cases judges have expressed concern about the trend, and have exercised their discretion not to record convictions against young people charged with serious child pornography offences, for sharing sexually explicit photos of themselves. A South Australian Youth Court judge last week spared a 16-year-old boy a conviction for producing child pornography for taking a photo of his own genitals…
Read MoreMother Behind Megan’s Law Speaks out Against Branding ‘Sexting’ Children as Child Pornographers
[Associated Press as quoted by Huffington Post] The current insane trend of charging young people (usually girls) with various forms of child pornography for posting or texting sexual images of themselves has reached such a nadir that the very woman who brought about Megan’s Law (which forces convicted sex offenders to register their address with the state every ninety days) is now against it. The case that has caused such outcry involves a fourteen-year old girl who is being charged with ‘distribution of child pornography’ for posting 30 explicit images…
Read MoreI Shot a Sex Offender
[Jewish Journal] I frequently write about the importance of listening to the other side on tough issues, but are some positions so odious that they never deserve a hearing? A couple of years ago, an Australian friend was directing a documentary about a difficult subject: child sex-abuse in his Jewish community. One of the interviewees was a former abuser who had gone on to live a normal family life for decades. My friend had filmed a conversation between this man and a well-known sex-abuse survivor who had become a whistleblower.…
Read More