Source: malwarebytes.com 4/22/25 [ACSOL note: We registrants can be fearful of law enforcement and this scam plays on our fears.] Cybercriminals are abusing Google’s infrastructure, creating emails that appear to come from Google in order to persuade people into handing over their Google account credentials. This attack, first flagged by Nick Johnson, the lead developer of the Ethereum Name Service (ENS), a blockchain equivalent of the popular internet naming convention known as the Domain Name System (DNS). Nick received a very official looking security alert about a subpoena allegedly issued to…
Read MoreAuthor: R H
AZ: ‘I wanted to kill them all’: Inmate admits to targeting child sex offenders in prison killings
Source: azmirror.com 2/28/25 [ACSOL note: Registrants both in and out of custody need to know about those who pose a danger, such as skinheads. Ignorance of these dangers makes it more likely to become a victim] Ricky Wassenaar, already serving 16 life sentences, says his only regret is “not killing more” Ricky Wassenaar killed three men at an Arizona State Prison near Tucson on April 4. Two were serving life sentences for sexual conduct with a minor. The third had raped and killed a 15-year-old girl. Wassenaar’s only regret…
Read MoreOH: U.S. Supreme Court paves way for proposed Ohio state constitutional amendment to end qualified immunity to move forward after 2 years of being blocked
Source: wkyc.com 4/24/25 CLEVELAND — Legal analysis: The United States Supreme Court has ruled against Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, regarding his review over citizens’ ballot initiatives. Legally Speaking, this ruling effectively ends a two-year hold-up on a proposed change to the state constitution that would make it easier to sue police officers. With 3 sentences, the highest court in the land protected Ohioans’ right to propose changes to our state constitution… by rejecting Yost’s request to put a pause on a lower court’s order. … For this proposed amendment,…
Read MoreAL: Win in AL: 11th Circuit deems Alabama sex offender restrictions too harsh
Source: courthousenews.com 4/23/25 The appellate panel said prohibiting parents who have been convicted of sex offenses from cohabitating with their minor children violates the Fourteenth Amendment. Alabama cannot completely prohibit convicted sex offenders from cohabitating with minors, according to an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Wednesday. After being convicted of one count of possession of child pornography in 2013 and serving his sentence for the crime, Bruce Henry married and his wife gave birth to a son, but state law prohibits sex offenders from residing together or…
Read MoreTX: Texas city passes residency restriction to banish registrants
Source: abc7amarillo.com 4/23/25 HEREFORD, Texas (KVII) — The Hereford City Commission has enacted a new ordinance that restricts where registered sex offenders can reside, prohibiting them from living within 2,000 feet of schools, parks, pools, arcades, movie theatres, and other areas where children gather. The ordinance, passed on Monday, imposes a fine of up to $500 per day for violations. Chief Landon Swan of the Hereford Police Department explained the rationale behind the ordinance, stating, “What we’ve found is if we utilize all these different locations with the 2,000-foot radius, it actually…
Read MoreMO: Missouri bill to void NDAs in child sex abuse cases approved by House
Source: missouriindependent.com 4/22/25 Legislation that would void non-disclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases received unanimous approval from Missouri’s House on Tuesday afternoon. The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Brian Seitz from Branson, now heads to the Missouri Senate. Non-disclosure agreements are “legal mechanisms that were created to protect trade secrets, not trauma secrets,” Seitz said last week during House debate. “We must clarify the law on use of the NDAs in civil child sexual abuse settlements, so that survivors of such horrors who already feel shamed and silenced are also not…
Read MoreIL: Nowhere to go People with sex offense convictions struggle to find housing in Illinois.
Source: chicagoreader.com 4/23/25 ll Ed Cetwinski could think was, “God, I’m out of prison. I can live my life a little bit.” He had just been released from Taylorville Correctional Center after five years behind bars. But even though he’s free from his prison cell, he’s still not free. Most criminal convictions in Illinois include a period of mandatory supervised release (MSR). It’s like parole, but it’s served as part of a prison sentence rather than in lieu of it. People on MSR must adhere to a litany of conditions,…
Read MoreFL: ‘Not welcome here’: Clewiston passes law to keep sex offenders farther away from schools
Source: fox4now.com 4/22/25 CLEWISTON, Fla. — Clewiston passed a new ordinance to push sex offenders farther away from schools. On Monday, city council passed an ordinance requiring sex offenders to live at least 2,500 feet from schools, parks, and playgrounds. Until now, offenders only had to live 1,000 feet away – the minimum state requirement. Clewiston Police Chief Tom Lewis said the city needed to act after seeing more offenders move in – taking advantage of Clewiston’s less strict rules. He said this change brings Clewiston in line with nearby…
Read MorePlease consider being a member of their newly formed Sentence Impact Advisory Group (SIAG)
Source: United States Sentencing Commission [Janice asks you to seriously consider being a member to have an impact on sentencing] The Commission has a number of existing advisory groups that provide important stakeholder perspective on issues relating to federal sentencing. Most recently, the Commission added an advisory group named the Sentence Impact Advisory Group (SIAG) to bring the perspectives of individuals affected by federal sentencing into the Commission’s work. Click here to go to the list of advisory groups. Scroll down to Sentence Impact Advisory Group to read more Click…
Read MoreCA: Elderly Parole Program Exclusions AB 47 Approved by Assembly Committee
Source: ACSOL The Assembly Public Safety Committee today approved Assembly Bill 47, which if passed, would exclude many people convicted of a sex offense from the Elderly Parole Program. That program currently allows individuals who have spent at least 20 consecutive years in prison and are at least 50 years old an opportunity to be considered for release from prison. No one is automatically released from prison because of the Elderly Parole program. Instead, they must participate in a hearing led by representatives from CDCR. “More than 20 people testified…
Read MoreUPDATE: SORNA Hearing is now July 14
Source: ACSOL A hearing is scheduled on Monday, July 14 at 9 a.m., in federal district court regarding the ongoing challenge to the federal SORNA regulations. Below is Zoom information that can be used to view and/or hear the hearing virtually: Click here for the zoom link Telephone: (669) 254-5252 Webinar ID: 160 816 0971 Passcode: 311094 Important Notice: Recording Is Strictly Prohibited. The hearing is scheduled to be held in: U.S. District Court of California, County of Riverside 3470 12th St Riverside, CA 92501 Judge Jesus Bernal will preside in Courtroom 1. …
Read MoreIN: New Indiana law tightens restrictions on sex offender relocation
Source: wfft.com 4/21/25 An Indiana bill aimed at strengthening safeguards on where sex offenders can live has been signed into law by the governor. The legislation was authored by state Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn. House Enrolled Act 1687 reinforces probation requirements for sex offenders who want to move to another county. It also adds new factors for judges to consider before approving a relocation. Those factors include whether the offender has close family ties—such as a spouse, parent, or adult child—in the area, along with stable housing and employment opportunities.…
Read MoreThey Served Their Time. But They May Still Die in State Custody.
Source: theappeal.org 4/21/25 In half the country, sex offense civil commitment incarcerates people after they complete their prison sentences. Eliseo Padrón is a 50-year-old Mexican American man from St. Paul, Minnesota. Padrón told The Appeal he grew up surrounded by gang culture. He spent his early adulthood in and out of prison. “Living that lifestyle led to me doing a lot of things that I regret,” Padrón says. He was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1995. After he violated his parole terms by returning late to the halfway…
Read MoreMN: More sex offenders reside in Brooklyn Park than other suburbs. The city may limit where they live.
Source: startribune.com 4/20/25 Officials question whether residency restrictions in other cities are pushing more registered offenders to Brooklyn Park. Matt Rabe, an inspector with the Brooklyn Park Police Department, answered a call that sparked a lot of questions. Rabe said the caller was trying to place a registered predatory offender in Brooklyn Park after a neighboring suburb had turned them down due to their city’s residency restrictions. Brooklyn Park doesn’t have an ordinance limiting where convicted sex offenders are allowed to live, but is surrounded by suburbs that do. The…
Read MoreACSOL Online Meeting May 17, 2025
You are invited to join ACSOL Executive Director and civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci and an ACSOL board member for our next meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday May 17 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. Within…
Read MoreAction Alert: Registrants and supporters please take this survey on the effects of the registry and your unmet support needs
Source: restorativeactionalliance.org [Please consider taking this survey – Janice] We at the Restorative Action Alliance (RAA) request that registrants and eligible loved ones take our Reentry Needs Survey. We are an advocacy and support organization working to end cycles of sexual harm without relying on over-criminalization, inhumane incarceration practices, or the counterproductive registry regime. This Reentry Needs Survey is open to individuals who are: 18 years of age or older, and Have experienced reentry after being convicted for a sexual offense or are currently required to register Participation is completely…
Read MoreGuilty by Association: How Our Convictions Affect Our Families
Source: prisonjournalismproject.org 4/15/25 When a person is convicted, it is easy to forget they are more than a felon. They are someone’s son or daughter. They might even be someone’s father or mother. They are also someone’s friend. A person might be sitting alone at the defendant’s table, but there are more people involved in the aftermath of a verdict. The conviction process affects everyone in a person’s social circle. In October 2021, I pleaded guilty to a sex crime — one count of possession of child pornography. I was…
Read MoreEurope: ETIAS 2026? Start of European Travel Authorization System Delayed Again
Source: natlawreview.com 4/10/25 Implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) has been delayed again. Initially expected to be operational in 2022, ETIAS is now scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026. This delay allows more time for the Entry/Exit System (EES) to be fully implemented, which is expected to become operational in October 2025. ETIAS will be a requirement for non-EU nationals from visa-exempt countries, including the United States, for short-term stays in the Schengen Area. ETIAS is not a visa. Americans will maintain their visa-free…
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