Author: R H

CA: Wheatland man guilty of murder: Influenced by conspiracy theories, Banks had ‘hit list’ of potential victims

R H

Source: appeal-democrat.com 11/3/22 As the spread of conspiracy theories and disinformation continues to creep into every corner of American life, the consequences of movements such as QAnon have shown to be fatal – the most recent well-covered example being the attack on Paul Pelosi at his home allegedly by a man who fell deep into the conspiracy rabbit hole. On Oct. 28, a Wheatland man, 44-year-old Rory Banks, who also seemed to be affected by misinformation online, was found guilty by a Yuba County jury for the May 12, 2021,…

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MI: Washtenaw County’s sheriff criticizes those attacking former felons program

R H

Source: wemu.org 11/7/22 Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton is calling out some people with political interests who are questioning county-funded programs that use former criminals to help prevent future crimes. One group in particular called “Supreme Felons” was targeted by some for having a registered child sex offender in the group, even though records show that individual was eliminated from the program before the partnership with the county began. In a recorded video, Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton questioned these individuals’ commitment to restorative justice and to proven crime intervention…

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Canada: Jamie Sarkonak: What counts as a sex crime is too broad and it’s ruining people’s lives

R H

Source: nationalpost.com 11/7/22 If some sex crimes are of such low significance that it’s considered a civil rights violation to put convicts’ addresses in a database for police eyes only, Parliament should re-examine its approach to sex-related offences as a whole. The recent Supreme Court decision in which it was declared unconstitutional to order all sex offenders onto a national registry upon conviction highlights a problem, not with the registry itself, but with the ever-widening scope of what constitutes a sex crime. It’s a sign that Parliament should return to deciding the…

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MO: Police: Registered sex offender arrested after handing out Halloween candy in Hazelwood

R H

Source: fox2now.com 11/4/22 Police arrested a registered sex offender Friday accused of violating state law and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween in Hazelwood. Prosecutors have charged Thomas ____ with one count of “failure to comply with Halloween related restrictions for sex offenders.” As part of Missouri state law, registered sex offenders cannot go outside to interact with children, cannot have outside lights on and are required to post a sign stating no candy or treats are available at the home on Halloween night. Read the full article  

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CA: Viewer tip leads to arrest of ‘most wanted’ high-risk sex offender

R H

Source: kget.com 11/5/22 A tip from a viewer led to the arrest of a convicted sex offender featured on Golden Empire Most Wanted last month. Officials said Eric ____ was arrested Wednesday. ____was a high-risk sex offender and parolee at-large wanted for failing to report to the Bakersfield parole office after his release from prison in October. Read the full article  

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MA: Boston doctor arrested in child sex trafficking sting, told officer he wasn’t ‘in mood’ to get caught: report

R H

Source: 11/4/22 foxnews.com A Boston doctor who unknowingly told an undercover officer he was “just not in the mood to get arrested today” has been detained in a federal child sex trafficking sting, a report says.  Sadeq ____, an anesthesiologist at Tufts Medical Center, is now facing a charge of attempted sex trafficking of a child after allegedly agreeing to pay $250 to have sex with an imaginary underage girl, according to WFXT.  “When we learned today of the disturbing allegations made against Dr. ____, we immediately suspended his medical staff…

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ACSOL, Foundation Board Members Identify 2023 Priorities

R H

Members of both ACSOL and Family Safety Foundation (FSF) boards of directors conducted their annual face-to-face meeting yesterday to discuss challenges facing registrants and their families.  During that meeting, the boards identified two top priorities for the year 2023: improvements to the Tiered Registry Law and suing the CA Department of Justice for its expected failure to assign tiers to all registrants. ACSOL will lead the challenge of improving the Tiered Registry because it will require lobbying the state legislature in Sacramento.  Proposed improvements include reduced tier reductions for those…

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WA: Washington high court says convicted sex offender can practice law

R H

Source: reuters.com 11/3/22 A sharply divided Washington Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a man who was previously convicted of a sex offense and other crimes can be licensed as an attorney. The 5-4 decision clears the way for Zachary LeRoy Stevens, who graduated from Arizona State University’s law school in 2018, to practice law in Washington. The opinion said Stevens had a difficult childhood in Utah and sought refuge online, where in 2006 he sent pornographic images of minors to a detective posing as a 14-year-old. He was charged…

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TX: Man jailed on sex offender charges found unresponsive, dies in cell at Bexar County Jail

R H

Source: ktsa.com/ 10/31/22 SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — A 65 year old inmate at the Bexar County Jail found unresponsive in his cell Monday morning has died. It was just after 2 A.M when the inmate was found in his cell by a Deputy conducting face to face checks. Medical staff from University Hospital responded to the call for help and began life saving measures on the man but he was pronounced dead at 30 minutes later. At this point it appears the inmate suffered an episode brought on by…

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Sign the change.org petition: Public Sex Offender Registration is Violation of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

R H

Source: Florida Action Committee (FAC) started this petition To: The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Office of the United Nations, Complaint Procedure Unit, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland  Petition to Declare Public Sex Offender Registration in the United States a Violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) The Florida Action Committee, Inc. (FAC) is a 2,500+ member non-profit public safety organization that advocates for the rights of all persons. Included in our membership are people forced to register as sexual offenders in the United States. Today, approximately one-million people in the United States…

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PA: Appeals court rules private housing development cannot bar sex offenders

R H

Source: mdjonline.com 10/31/22 A state appellate court ruled a private housing development does not have the right to entirely ban registered sex offenders from living within their community. Ruling in a Monroe County case, the state Commonwealth Court said a 2016 restrictive covenant in the Lake Naomi housing community in Tobyhanna Twp. runs afoul of a state regulations that control where registered sex offenders can reside. The case has statewide implications because it marks the first time a state appellate court has addressed whether private homeowner communities must abide by…

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IA: Sheriff spreads lies about why registrants have lower recidivism rate

R H

Source: qctimes.com 10/29/22 Compliance checks on Scott County registered sex offenders were held Oct. 23, 24, 25 and 26 that led to the arrest of 10 people for registration violations and investigations into seven others, Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane said. … “The ultimate goal of the registry is to eliminate recidivism,” he added. “The recidivism rate for sex offenders is actually lower than it is for other crimes. I attribute that to the hard work of the Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Department of Corrections.” Read the full article…

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On Halloween, some states take extra safety measures to keep sex offenders away from kids

R H

Source: cnn.com 10/30/22 As people stock up on Halloween candy, some cities and states are imposing extra measures to make sure sex offenders don’t answer when little ghouls and goblins knock on their doors. In several states, including Georgia and California, some supervised sex offenders are not allowed to have contact with kids under 18. With that in mind, law enforcement agencies are taking steps on Halloween to ensure sex offenders don’t come near trick-or-treaters. “I don’t let my kids roam the neighborhood alone on Halloween for many reasons,” said…

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NV: Las Vegas police partner with smartphone app to show sex offenders in neighborhoods ahead of Halloween

R H

Source: foxnews.com 10/28/22 Parents can view registered sex offenders’ addresses on the Offender Watch app, which partnered with Las Vegas police The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) has partnered with an app that show residents where sex offenders live in their neighborhoods ahead of Halloween. The free app called Offender Watch says on its website that it allows parents to “track your children, map offenders nearby, get alerts if your child is contacted or lingers near an offender’s residence, safety tips, and more.” LVMPD partnered with the app so…

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Canada: Supreme Court rules mandatory sex offender registry is unconstitutional

R H

Source: nationalpost.com 10/28/22 Mandatory listing on Canada’s sex offender registry is, for some offenders, an unjustified infringement on their liberty that is not rationally connected to the goal of investigating or preventing sexual crimes, the Supreme Court ruled Friday. Automatic lifetime listing in the case of multiple sexual offences is similarly “overbroad,” the court decided in striking down both laws to permit discretion by sentencing judges. … Imposing those automatically, with no regard to an offender’s circumstances or risk of re-offending, is not justified by any rational connection to the…

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UT: TRICK OR RETREAT: Why doesn’t Utah have sex offender laws for Halloween?

R H

Source: abc4.com 10/27/22 SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Several states across the country have different laws limiting what sex offenders can do around children on Halloween. This includes not being allowed to pass out candy, display decorations, dress up in a costume or answer the door to trick-or-treaters on Halloween.   However, Utah does not have any of those laws.   … ABC4 News asked multiple police agencies in Utah how often they see registered sex offenders creating problems on Halloween. Both the West Jordan Police Department and Unified Police…

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NY: Misleading article title stokes Halloween hysteria

R H

Source: hudsonvalleypost.com 10/28/22 Close to 100 New York sex offenders won’t be on the streets as Hudson Valley children try to enjoy Halloween. Westchester County is trying to make sure local sex offenders are off the streets while children trick-or-treat in the region this Halloween. “When it comes time for trick-or-treaters to knock on doors this Halloween, local sex offenders will once again be attending an Anti-Sexual Abuse Victim Impact Program, designed to keep sex offenders off the streets. The annual program is run by the Westchester County Department of…

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