Author: R H

ACSOL Board Members Meet in Four Congressional D. C. Offices

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ACSOL Board Members Janice Bellucci and Roger Hunnicutt met today in four Congressional offices to voice ACSOL’s opposition to three bills recently introduced in Congress.  Each of those bills, if enacted into law, would significantly harm up to one million registrants and their families. One of the four meetings was in the office of Rep. Greg Steube (Republican, Florida) regarding HR 7453.  If that bill were passed, registrants would be blocked from receiving Medicaid benefits even if they were otherwise qualified recipients.  Another of the four meetings was in the…

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CA: Nonprofit vows to fight proposed California ban on sex offenders in public office

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Source: fresnobee.com 3/4/26 An advocacy group is threatening to file a lawsuit challenging a proposal to ban registered sex offenders from running for public office in California with the intent to block a Fresno City Council candidate’s campaign. Spurred by the crowded District 7 race that includes Rene Campos, a registered sex offender, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria said she will amend an existing bill, AB 2753, to include language prohibiting any registered sex offender in California from running for state or local office. Five Fresno City Council members also said last…

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CA: Asm. Soria Plans to Amend AB 2753 Preventing Registered Sex Offenders from Running for Public Office in California

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Source: yahoo.com for ABC30 3/4/26 Candidate hopeful Rene Campos, a registered sex offender who was convicted of possession of child sex abuse material in 2018, finds himself at the center of yet another legislative push for stricter laws. Tuesday, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria of Merced introduced a bill that would block registered sex offenders from running or holding any local or state public office. “It was very disturbing to hear the news that we would have in the City of Fresno, the fifth largest city in the State of California, have…

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NC: Ex-inmate buys prison to offer housing and job training for others

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Source: goodnewsinstead.com  At just 18, Kerwin Pittman found himself facing the challenges of life behind bars due to a conspiracy to commit murder. However, after spending 11 and a half years incarcerated, including a year in solitary confinement, he emerged with a renewed sense of purpose. Now, eight years after his release, he is making history as the first former inmate to purchase a prison in the United States. Following his release, Pittman dedicated himself to advocating for social justice, establishing the Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services, Inc. (RREPS), a…

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CA: California school files police report after sex offender, city hall candidate, holds event near campus

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Source: desertsun.com 3/3/26 Officials at a Fresno elementary school filed a police report after a City Council candidate who is a registered sex offender held a news conference across the street from the campus during weekday afternoon hours, raising questions about public safety and who is legally allowed to run for and serve in public office in California. Rene Campos, 41, a candidate in Fresno’s District 7 City Council race, held the press conference Friday afternoon outside Saint John’s Cathedral in downtown Fresno, according to reporting by The Fresno Bee. The church sits directly…

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WA: Proposed registered sex offender housing site in Kennewick vandalized again

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Source: nbcrightnow.com 3/2/26 KENNEWICK, Wash. – The site of the proposed less restrictive alternative (LRA) housing facility for registered sex offenders in Kennewick was vandalized overnight on Monday, according to Kennewick Police Department officer Jair Ealy-Thomas.  The site, on West 8th Avenue, has been the source of controversy in recent weeks and faced opposition from the Kennewick City Council and Kennewick School District.  Watch the video  

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FL: Bill upping prison time for child sexual predators heading to Senate floor

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Source: floridapolitics.com 3/2/26 The legislation comes as Attorney General James Uthmeier has stepped up action against child sexual predators. A bill designed to increase prison sentences for child sex offenders is now heading to the Senate floor. The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee has advanced the measure, completing the Committee review process in the upper chamber. “This bill increases penalties and creates mandatory prison sentences for the most serious sex crimes, especially those involving children,” said Sen. Jonathan Martin, a Fort Myers Republican who sponsored the bill (SB 1750). “This deals with child pornography…

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GA: Georgia “One Strike Act”: Even More Life Sentences, Even Less Parole

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Source: filtermag.org 3/2/26 In late February, senators in Georgia introduced a bill known as the One Strike Act. Though the name—a riff of sorts on the better-known “three strikes” approach—and marketing imply mandatory life sentences on first-time convictions of the most serious felonies, the bill is primarily about lengthening sentences and removing parole for any and all felonies. Senate Bill 592 is cosponsored by State Senator Steve Gooch (R), a former senate majority leader and current candidate for lieutenant governor. Gooch, a noted proponent of mass incarceration, was also a cosponsor…

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CA: Public Safety Committee Approves AB 1568 Despite Lack of Support

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Source: ACSOL The CA Assembly’s Public Safety Committee today approved AB 1568 despite a lack of support for that bill.  In direct contrast, 24 people including ACSOL leaders and members as well as leaders of other organizations voiced their opposition to the bill. “The petitioning process under the Tiered Registry Bill is not broken and therefore it does not to be fixed,” ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci testified.  “The petitioning process is working well as evidenced by the fact that about 12,000 petitions have been filed so far.  Of that…

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Florida registrants: Please help with research on your experience on Florida’s registry

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Source: School of Psychology at Fielding Graduate University A doctoral research study through the School of Psychology at Fielding Graduate University is seeking participants to explore the lived experiences of individuals on Florida’s Sexual Offender Registry. The purpose of this study is to better understand how being on the registry impacts daily life. Participation involves taking part in a confidential interview that will last approximately 60 minutes. Participation is completely voluntary, and participants can withdraw at any time. Participants will be compensated $50 for their participation. No identifying information will…

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CA: Thousands brace for fallout from unreported LA County criminal convictions

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Source: dailynews.com 3/1/26 More than 100,000 felonies may not have appeared during background checks with the state Department of Justice Nearly 330,000 people whose convictions in Los Angeles County went unreported for decades will soon have their rap sheets updated and, potentially, their employers notified for the first time. Some could lose their jobs if the conviction would have disqualified them from the position they have, while others may have professional licenses revoked or firearms confiscated, experts say. The massive update to criminal histories follows the discovery of an error…

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ACSOL Board Members to Meet in Legislators’ D.C. Offices

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ACSOL Board Members Janice Bellucci and Roger Hunnicutt will meet in the offices of four members of Congress on March 6.  Two of the four meetings will be in the D.C. offices of Congressional members Greg Steube and Nancy Mace who recently introduced legislation harmful to registrants.  The remaining meetings will be in the offices of the Congressional members who represent the two board members. “It is important to meet in the offices of Congressional members who introduce legislation that could significantly those required to register,” stated ACSOL Executive Director…

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CA: Two Large Organizations Join ACSOL in Opposing AB 1568

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Source: ACSOL In addition to ACSOL, two large organizations have formally filed their opposition to AB 1568 which, if passed, could block thousands of registrants from petitioning for removal from the registry.  The organizations are California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ) and Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC). Letters from both organizations are similar (see them at the bottom of this article), but not the same as, the opposition letter filed by ACSOL.  According to CACJ, passage of SB 1568 would set a dangerous legislative precedent that other elected…

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Mace continues her crusade by introducing bill allowing federal death penalty for child sex crimes

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Source: abcnews4.com 2/26/26 UPDATE: Below you can read ACSOL’s letter to Nancy Mace WASHINGTON D.C (WCIV) — Rep. Nancy Mace introduced legislation Thursday that would allow the federal government to impose the death penalty on people convicted of raping or sexually assaulting children. The bill, titled the Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act, is intended to expand capital punishment eligibility to several federal child sex crime statutes and to the rape of a child under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to the press release. “We have zero mercy for…

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CA: Fresno leaders plan to block registered sex offender from serving on City Council

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Source: fresnobee.com 2/26/26 Related article: “‘I felt attacked’: Sex offender running for Fresno council seat speaks out after councilmember comments” [2/27/26 yourcentralvalley.com] Some members of the Fresno City Council said they plan to introduce legislation to block registered sex offenders from serving on the council in an effort to disqualify a candidate in the crowded race for the District 7 seat. The City Council primary race gained national attention this month after The Bee reported on Rene Campos, a registered sex offender who plans to run for the council seat…

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TX: NARSOL Sues Texas for Excluding Federal Convictions from State Registry Removal

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Source: floridaactioncommittee.org 2/26/26 NARSOL has filed suit on behalf of registrants in Texas who were convicted of a sexual offense in federal court, claiming the state’s process for petitioning for removal from the registry excludes them, because they were not convicted by a Texas court (a requirement for removal). The class action complaint alleges, “Article 62.404 provides a mechanism for early termination of registration. Under that provision, an eligible registrant may seek relief after completing the minimum required registration period and undergoing an individualized risk assessment conducted by CSOT. If…

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WI: Wisconsin Supreme Court OKs warrantless searches of potential child porn

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Source: courthousenews.com 2/24/26 Social platforms like Google Photos that voluntarily scan for child sexual abuse materials are not acting as agents of the government and the search is private, according to the state’s top court.   MADISON, Wis. (CN) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously held that Google’s voluntary scan for child sexual abuse materials is constitutional. Andreas Rauch Sharak stored child sexual abuse materials in his Google Photos account in violation of the terms of service, which warned such materials would be removed if detected and reported…

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CA: After parole granted to convicted child kidnapper and molester

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Source: abc10.com 2/23/26 SACRAMENTO, Calif — Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper on Monday criticized the parole of David Allen Funston, a 64-year-old man convicted of kidnapping and molesting children in 1995 and 1996, after state records show he was granted parole under California’s elderly parole program. “A judge in Sacramento described him… as the monster parents fear most, yet today the parole board decided he is suitable for release,” Cooper said during a press conference at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office… Read the full article  

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