Category: California

Sex offender registration continues for ranch manager near Idyllwild

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A judge ruled Keith Harper, 72, must register until at least 2025. MOUNTAIN CENTER, Calif. — The former boyfriend of Dia Abrams, the woman who went missing almost two years ago from her ranch near Idyllwild, will have to continue to register as a sex offender. Keith Harper represented himself in court Tuesday in San Juan County, Colorado, where he was convicted 10 years ago of misdemeanor sexual contact for groping two women on snowmobile tours. “I did a year in jail. Misdemeanors are not meant to be a life…

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CA: San Jose police officer arrested over allegation he masturbated in a family’s home

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Source: mercurynews.com 5112/22 A San Jose police officer was arrested Thursday and charged with indecent exposure after he allegedly was caught masturbating in a family’s home while he was responding to a disturbance call. Officer Matthew ____, 32, was arrested Thursday and will be arraigned on a misdemeanor indecent exposure charge on June 22 at 9 a.m. in the Hall of Justice, according to a Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office news release. If convicted, Matthew could face a year in jail and be placed on the sexual offender list…

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Janice Files Lawsuit that Challenges Denial of Military Base Access to Registrant Retirees

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Source: ACSOL A lawsuit was filed today in a federal district court in California challenging the denial of access to a military base of a military retiree solely because he is required to register.  The lawsuit claims that the military retiree’s right to due process was violated when he was denied access without prior notice in November 2021 to Vandenberg Air Force Base which is located near Santa Barbara, California.  The lawsuit asks the court to require the commander of Vandenberg Air Force base to allow the plaintiff access so…

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CA: Families protest halfway house for sexual offenders in Fairfield

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Source: dailyrepublic.com 4/24/22 FAIRFIELD — Parents and residents near B. Gale Wilson Elementary School and K.I. Jones Elementary School are outraged to find a halfway house for sexual offenders is right in the middle of the neighborhood where their children go to school. About 25 parents came out Saturday to B. Gale Wilson to march to the halfway house, protesting all the way. Richard Creighton and his wife Evelyn have two little boys and they were stunned to find out about the halfway house. “We live right across the street…

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CA: Court Grants Contested Tiered Registry Petition

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Source: ACSOL In the first known case involving a contested petition, California Placer County Superior Court granted the petition of a registrant convicted of PC 288(a) who had registered for more than 25 years.  The Placer County District Attorney asked the court to deny the petition in order to significantly enhance public safety. In this case, the court ruled that the DA’s office “failed to meet their burden that the community safety would be significantly enhanced by the petitioner’s continued registration.”  The court went on to explain that its decision…

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CA: Please tell us your experience working with an America’s Job Center of California to gain employment

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Source: Friends Outside of Los Angeles County Friends Outside of Los Angeles County would like to talk with persons who have a sex offense and who are working with an America’s Job Center of California (AJCC) to gain employment. The purpose is to gain information about your job-seeking experience through a 60-75 minute phone or zoom interview. All information is confidential and anonymous. Our overall purpose is to conduct research about promising practices for helping registrants obtain employment. You will be given $500 gift card for your time. Contact Arthur…

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CA: Senior Anaheim Police Detective Says Sergeant Tampered With Sex Offender Database to Sabotage Her

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Source: voiceofoc.org 3/18/22 A male Anaheim Police Dept. supervisor tampered with a sex offender database to sabotage a female senior detective, Laura Lomeli, whom he had singled out and retaliated against after she complained, according to a lawsuit Lomeli filed against the City of Anaheim last month. Lomeli’s supervisor, which the lawsuit identifies as Anaheim Police Sgt. Jeff Dodd, also denied her the vacation time she earned and certain training opportunities despite being “the most senior detective in the unit,” her lawsuit alleges.  In her lawsuit, Lomeli also alleges that…

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CA Stops Registration of Juvenile Offenders

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The State of California has stopped the registration of juvenile offenders, according to the CA Sex Offender Management Board.  This change applies to individuals tried as a juvenile, not as an adult, who were convicted of a sex offense or sentenced for a sex offense on or after July 1, 2021.  The change does not apply to individuals convicted or sentenced of a sex offense prior to July 1, 2021, however those individuals may petition for removal from the registry after 5 years or 10 years depending upon the convictions…

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Number of CA Registrant Continues to Decline

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The number of persons required to register in California continues to decrease according to a report from the CA Department of Justice (CA DOJ) presented during today’s meeting of the CA Sex Offender Management Board.   Specifically, the number of registrants has decreased by 108 persons during the month of February to a new total of 108,432.   “Although the reason for the smaller number of persons required to register was not disclosed during the meeting, it is believed that the decrease is due to an increase in the number of petitions…

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CA: Wasco State Prison: Sex offender killed in cell

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Source: bakersfield.com 3/16/22 Wasco State Prison officials reported a convicted sex offender was killed in his cell on Tuesday, according to a news release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Scott ____, 59, is believed to be the victim of a homicide, according to the release, after he was found unresponsive in his cell shortly after 5 p.m. Prison officials identified his cellmate Eugene Stroud, 44, as the suspect. Gunter, who came to Wasco from San Diego County, began serving a two-year sentence Feb. 23 for failing to…

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CA: Contra Costa County Grants Registrant’s Petition

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Source: ACSOL Contra Costa County granted yesterday a petition filed on behalf of a registrant convicted of PC 288(a) in 1986.  This is the second known petition granted by Contra Costa county so far.  The first petition granted in Contra Costa county took place on December 2, 2021, for a different registrant convicted of the same offense.  In both cases, the District Attorney did not object to the petitions. “Many courts in California are granting petitions filed by or on behalf of eligible registrants,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. …

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CA: Tiered Registry Law Presentation Focus of CASOMB Meeting

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Source: ACSOL The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) today listened to a lengthy, in-depth presentation regarding the Tiered Registry Law and its implementation.  The presentation was delivered by attorneys Michele Kumaus of the San Diego Public Defenders Office and Ana Santiago of the San Diego District Attorneys Office. According to the attorneys, a total of 143 petitions for removal from the registry have been filed on behalf of registrants in San Diego County.  Of that total, 69 have been granted and 11 have been denied.  The remaining petitions are…

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CA: Residents in ‘shock’ after convicted sex offender moves into Poway neighborhood

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Source: fox5sandiego.com 2/12/22 SAN DIEGO — Residents in the Arbolito neighborhood are concerned for their children’s safety after a convicted sex offender moved into their neighborhood without any notice to the community. Convicted sex offender, Spicer ____, was sentenced to eight years in state prison in 2017 for kidnapping, contact with a minor to commit a sexual offense and unlawful possession of an assault rifle. A concerned parent, who did not want to be identified due to safety concerns, told FOX 5 Spicer ____is living with his mother on Poway…

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Lawsuit Challenges Tiered Registry Law Provision

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A lawsuit was filed this week in Sacramento Superior Court challenging the application of a tiered registry law provision that has resulted in individuals being assigned to Tier 3, the highest tier, even though their felony conviction was reduced to a misdemeanor.  Specifically, the lawsuit is seeking relief for an individual convicted of a felony violation of Penal Code Section 288.2 that was later reduced to a misdemeanor. According to the lawsuit, the individual should not have been assigned to Tier 3 or to any tier, but instead should have…

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CA: California domestic violence advocates ask Gov. Newsom to spend more on prevention programs

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Source: fresnobee.com 2/14/22 A coalition of 100-plus crisis intervention agencies is once again appealing to the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to set aside funding in next year’s budget to pay for programming found to prevent sexual and domestic violence. Although California has a budget surplus, Newsom did not set aside money for this work in his January budget proposal, something that did not sit well with coalition leaders. “Despite significant investments in policing and criminalization as a response to rising concerns about public safety, the governor’s budget ignores…

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CASOMB Issues Annual Report for 2021

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Source: ACSOL The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) today issued its annual report for calendar year 2021.  The report is more than 30 pages long yet devotes less than one page to implementation of the Tiered Registry Law which became effective on January 1, 2021.  According to the report, the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) “has diligently worked to ensure that the (agency)…is sufficiently staffed to handle the increase in terminations that result from granted petitions.”  This assertion, however, is inconsistent with the experience of registrants whose petitions…

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CA: California Senate aims to limit ‘junk science’ in courtrooms

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Source: apnews.com 1/27/22 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers on Wednesday moved to deter the use of what a legislator called “junk science” in the courtroom and give those convicted with questionable expert testimony a way out of prison. Senators approved changing the state’s definition of false testimony to include expert court opinions based on flawed scientific research or outdated technology, or where a reasonable scientific dispute has emerged over its validity. Expert opinions that aren’t based on bona fide research, peer-reviewed studies or other science would not satisfy the…

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