CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED INFORMATION (as of 4/16/24) Source: kcra.com 4/13/24 SACRAMENTO, Calif. —California lawmakers next week are set to debate a proposal that would ramp up the consequences for consumers of the child sex trafficking industry. Under California law, purchasing or soliciting a child for sex is a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of up to a year in jail, or a minimum of two days in jail, and a $10,000 fine. Republican State Sen. Shannon Grove is trying to change that with SB 1414, which would classify…
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NE: Nebraska lawmakers pass a bill to restore voting rights to newly released felons
Source: apnews.com 4/12/24 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Thursday to restore the voting rights of those convicted of felonies upon the completion of their sentences, including prison and parole time. The bill, introduced for years by Omaha state Sen. Justin Wayne, passed by a wide margin in the last year of Wayne’s second term. He is barred by term limits from running this year for a third term. Currently, a person who has been convicted of a felony must wait two years after completing all the…
Read MoreMA: Former Mass. city councilor accused of having explicit images of a child apparently joined Russian army
Source: wbur.org 4/11/24 A U.S. Air Force veteran who fled a charge of possessing sexually explicit images of a child told his lawyer he joined Russia’s army, and video appears to show him signing documents in a military enlistment office in Siberia. Wilmer Puello-Mota, a former elected official in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was expected to enter a guilty plea in Rhode Island in early January, but did not show up to court, according to prosecutors. Last week, video surfaced that appears to show the 28-year-old in Russia and expressing support for…
Read MoreFL: Sexual assault survivor demands change as federal data shows rise in cases aboard cruise ships
Source: news4jax.com 4/7/24 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A sexual assault survivor is demanding cruise lines do more to protect their customers as new federal data shows sexual assaults rose on cruise ships in 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported more than 100 sex crimes on ships embarking and disembarking in the U.S. In February 2006, Laurie Dishman said her life changed forever after booking a cruise from California to Mexico with her best friend Michelle. “We had boarded the ship and didn’t know what awaited us, we just thought we…
Read MoreNH: Former teacher pleads guilty to sexually assaulting an adult student in 2021
Source: wmur.com 4/2/24 [ACSOL is posting this showing a new law where the victim’s age not a factor] BRENTWOOD, N.H. —A New Hampshire teacher of the year finalist pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexual assault charges involving a student at a school where she worked. Former Sanborn Regional High School teacher Bridgette _____, 40, admitted sexually assaulting an 18-year-old student in April and May 2021. The case involves a relatively new law in which the age of the victim isn’t a factor, even if the student is an adult. The law…
Read MoreCO: Neighbors protest facility run by Colorado mental health agency over sex offender claims
Source: cbsnews.com 4/6/24 Northglenn neighbors were out in their community to voice their opposition to a mental health facility run by the state of Colorado. which is set to open in a residential area. They say their biggest concern is that there may be sex offenders housed near families’ homes and schools. “If places like this are going to be coming into our communities, the people who live here need to know about it, and we want to have a say in it,” said Danielle Luciano. Read the full article (Write and…
Read MoreIL: Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Law Limiting Where Child Sex Offenders Can Live
Source: wttw.com 4/6/24 SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that a state law restricting where previously convicted child sex offenders can live is constitutional, although it left open the possibility that it was improperly applied to one individual. In a 6-0 decision, the court found the residency restriction “does not infringe upon a child sex offender’s fundamental rights” and that there was a “rational basis” for the state to restrict where a person convicted of such a crime can live. “The legislature has a legitimate interest in protecting…
Read MoreLA: Proposal to make vasectomy mandatory for convicted sex offenders advances to the House
Source: wdsu.com 4/5/24 BATON ROUGE, La. —The mandatory vasectomy bill passed committee at the state capitol Thursday. HB 166 would require convicted sex offenders to undergo a mandatory vasectomy procedure. The author of the bill, Rep. Delisha Boyd, says this is a measure to help protect women. Rep. Boyd also wrote a bill to reduce penalties for possession or use of marijuana drug paraphernalia, proposing the offender should not be fined more than $100. Read the full article
Read MoreWI: Gov. Tony Evers signs law requiring more sex offenders to be placed on registry for life
Source: jsonline.com 4/2/24 MADISON – Wisconsinites convicted of multiple counts of a sex offense will be required to register as sex offenders for life even if the counts were part of the same incident, under a bill signed by Gov. Tony Evers. The law effectively nullifies a 2023 state Supreme Court ruling holding that multiple convictions stemming from the same criminal complaint do not necessarily classify someone as a repeat offender. The governor’s signature brings resolution to a question officials have debated for years. In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled…
Read MoreMO: St. Louis City firefighter found dead after charges filed
Source: firstalert4.com 3/28/24 [ACSOL is posting this to show how violation of trust by a person in public service can be especially devastating on multiple levels] ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – A St. Louis City firefighter accused of possessing videos of child sexual abuse material was found dead Thursday, investigators said. Prosecutors charged 50-year-old Jarret ____ on Thursday with two counts of possessing more than 20 photos or videos of child pornography, a class B felony. … St. Charles City police confirmed on Friday that Jarret was found…
Read MoreCA Dept. of Justice Agrees to Reduce Some Tier Assignments
Source: ACSOL The California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) has agreed to reduce tier assignments for individuals convicted of an attempted offense. That agreement has been formalized in an order issued by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge this week. “This is a significant victory for those convicted of an attempted offense,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “In the past, CA DOJ assigned those people to the same tier as if they had completed their offense. As a result, thousands of registrants became ineligible to petition for removal from…
Read MoreOR: Sentenced to life without parole (LWOP) for the crime of public indecency
Source: law.justia.com 3/28/24 [ACSOL is posting this as an example of extreme sentencing] In a case before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the petitioner, Terry Eugene Iversen, appealed the district court’s denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Iversen had been sentenced to life without parole (LWOP) for the crime of public indecency under Oregon’s sex offender recidivism statute due to his extensive criminal history, which included prior convictions for public indecency, rape, and sodomy. Iversen argued that…
Read MoreFL: Convicted sex offender who hacked jumbotron at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ stadium gets 220 years
Source: ajc.com 3/26/24 [ACSOL is showing you this pay-only article as an example of extreme sentencing] JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A convicted child molester has been sentenced to 220 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and hacking the jumbotron at the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium after the team learned he was a registered sex offender and fired him. A federal judge in Jacksonville sentenced 53-year-old Samuel Arthur Thompson, of St. Augustine, on Monday, according to court records. He was convicted in November of producing, receiving and possessing…
Read MoreMO: Louisiana Bill SB371 to allow judges to sentence child sex offender with surgical castration advances
Source: louisianaradionetwork.com 3/26/24 A bill SB371 to give judges the discretion to punish individuals who sexually assault a child with surgical castration advances from Senate Judiciary C. Baton Rouge Senator Regina Barrow’s bill allows for the sentencing of surgical castration if the victim is under the age of 13. “This would allow a judge to impose a sentencing that may require them to be surgically castrated. And this would actually happen before they are released from prison,” said Barrow. Lake Charles Senator Mark Abraham said he has a problem with…
Read MoreMO: Conviction of certain sex crimes could land perpetrators on Missouri’s sex offender registry permanently (SB 656)
Source: missourinet.com 3/27/24 The state Senate is looking at a bill (SB 656) sponsored by Sen. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, that would modify Missouri’s sex offender registry. Certain tier one offenders who are convicted of abusing kids would be moved to a tier three, classified as the most severe sex crimes, and would be on the list for life. “This is a change in the sexual offender registry language in our state statutes moving some tier one offenders into tier three, specifically around abusing kids and the several provisions in…
Read MoreCA: Woodland serial sex offender receives multiple life sentences
Source: kcra.com 3/26/24 [ACSOL is posting this as an example of extreme sentences] A Woodland man received multiple life sentences for the sexual assaults of four minor female victims, according to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. On Monday, 30-year-old Miguel ___ was sentenced to two indeterminate life sentences in state prison, totaling 30 years, with an additional term of 10 years after his life sentence is served. In January, Miguel pled guilty to three counts of committing a lewd or lascivious act upon a child under 14 for three…
Read MoreCA: Victim was carjacked, kidnapped, assaulted in Central California by registered sex offender, police say
Source: cbsnews.com 3/21/24 [ACSOL is posting this article to show how the actions of one registrant can negatively impact our efforts for justice] ELK GROVE – A person of interest in a kidnapping case out of Madera has been arrested in Elk Grove, police announced Wednesday. City of Madera police were looking for 54-year-old Otis McKinzy, a parolee and registered sex offender. Police say McKinzy was living out of his car in Madera and was staying on the streets near the victim’s home near Yosemite Avenue and L Street. Early…
Read MoreFilming your front porch without a warrant is now fair game for the feds
Source: qz.com 3/20/24 A federal court says privacy rights are diminished due to the proliferation of video cameras throughout society Law enforcement in Kansas recorded the front of a man’s home for 68 days straight, 15 hours a day, and obtained evidence to prove him guilty on 16 charges. The officers did not have a search warrant, using a camera on a pole positioned across the street to capture Bruce Hay’s home. A federal court ruled on Tuesday that it was fine for law enforcement to do so, in what’s…
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