Alissa R. Ackerman Jul 15 Moral panic occurs when people react to a societal problem with intense fear or outrage toward something they perceive as a threat to their values or safety. Moral panics can happen whether a perceived threat is real or exaggerated. Media accounts fuel and amplify our emotions, and our feelings then turn certain people into villains or monsters. Nowhere is this phenomenon more prevalent than in the study of sex crimes and the people who commit them. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were…
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Publishing Private Phone Number May Be Tortious, Says Court in Case Brought by Shark Tank’s Mr. Wonderful (Kevin O’Leary)
Defendant had 100K X followers, and as a result O’Leary “was flooded with unwanted communications.” Reason: Eugene Volokh | 7.14.2025 5:01 PM From Judge Beth Bloom’s order today granting default judgment in O’Leary v. Armstrong: Defendant posted on X Plaintiff’s private cell phone number and encouraged the public to harass Plaintiff, stating “[h]ave you ever wanted to call a real life murderer?! You can NOW! @kevinoleartyv is waiting for your call.” Following the post, Plaintiff began receiving communications from strangers who had obtained his number directly from Defendant’s post. On March 20, 2025…
Read MoreTucker Carlson Says He Doesn’t Own a Computer Because the CIA Plants ‘Kiddie Porn’
Source: gizmodo.com 7/11/25 Tucker Carlson consistently ranks among the top 20 podcasts on platforms like Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. But the far-right influencer made a rather bizarre admission about technology on his show this past Tuesday. The former Fox News host claims he doesn’t own a computer. Why? Carlson says he doesn’t want the CIA to plant “kiddie porn” on it. The topic came up when Carlson was speaking with his guest, MAGA commentator Saagar Enjeti, about Jefferey Epstein and the Department of Justice’s insistence that there was nothing more to release…
Read MoreConfining sexually violent persons in the mental health system
Source: mhanational.org (Mental Health America) Summary Sexual crimes are an unspeakable tragedy and among the most serious forms of violence imaginable. This is especially true when the victims are children. In response, at least twenty states and the Federal government have enacted “sexually violent persons” legislation.1 These laws provide for indefinite commitment of persons who have committed sex offenses after they have completed prison terms for these same crimes.2 We currently confine more than 6,300 people as sexually violent persons.3 Mental Health America supports using the criminal justice system to convict persons…
Read MoreTX: Texas Lawmakers Consider Legislation to Ban Minors From Social Media
Source: Gizmodo.com 5/25/25 Texas is set to lead the nation in restrictive legislation. Under a proposed bill, minors would be banned from social media, while platforms would also be required to introduce age verification methods. While supporters say the change would make children safer, critics argue that such legislation may do the exact opposite. Introduced in November, House Bill 186 would prevent minors from creating accounts on social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and more. Platforms would be required to use “public or private transactional data” to verify that account holders are…
Read MoreBirthright citizenship case at Supreme Court reveals deeper questions about judicial authority to halt unlawful policies
Source: theconversation.com 5/15/25 When one judge blocks a president’s policies nationwide, alarm bells ring. Should a single judge wield this much power? Can they halt policies across the entire country after just a quick first look at whether they might be illegal? The Supreme Court now faces these critical questions. In a lively session on May 15, 2025, filled with justices’ questions that at times interrupted the attorneys appearing before them, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case stemming from President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship, the…
Read MoreThe Federal Government’s 175,000 Pages of Regulations Turn the Rule of Law Into a Cruel Joke
Source: reason.com 5/14/25 [ACSOL is posting this because, although not specific to registrants, registrants as well as members of their families would likely agree with its contents] After mountain runner Michelino Sunseri ascended and descended Grand Teton in record time last fall, his corporate sponsor, The North Face, heralded his achievement as “an impossible dream—come true.” Then came the nightmare: Federal prosecutors charged Sunseri with a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail for using a trail that the National Park Service described as closed, although it had never bothered to clearly inform the…
Read MoreOperation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown
Source: justice.gov 5/12/25 May 12, 2025 – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country. Two…
Read MoreWhich U.S. ZIP Codes Have the Most Registered Prior Sex Offenders per Capita?
Source gelmanlawfirm.com Public discussion about registered prior sex offenders often sparks strong opinions, but the reality is more complex than many people realize. The United States maintains one of the most stringent registry systems in the world, with an estimated 800,000 individuals. While the registry is intended to support law enforcement and promote transparency, it is important to understand the legal, social, and economic context behind these numbers. In this report from Gelman Law Firm, we used national and state data to discover which 50 counties have the highest per capita number of…
Read MoreWA: Catholic Church To Excommunicate Priests for Following New State Law
The Catholic Church has issued a warning to its clergy in Washington state: Any priest who complies with a new law requiring the reporting of child abuse confessions to authorities will be excommunicated. The new law, which will take effect on July 27, eliminates the long-standing confidentiality of the confessional, forcing Catholic leaders and lawmakers into a highly charged standoff over religious liberty and child protection. However, the Archdiocese of Seattle and several bishops argue that the law not only contravenes church doctrine but crosses constitutional lines, while supporters maintain…
Read MoreI Saw a Neighbor on the Sex-Offense Registry. Should I Tell Others?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on whether to disclose information about a neighbor on the sex-offense registry. I recently reneged on an offer to buy a house because I discovered that a registered person lived across the street. I found this information on a public website that is available for our state and county. This discovery raised many questions for me. First, the sales contract of the home specifically said the seller and seller’s agent are not obligated to divulge information about any nearby neighbors on the sex-offense registry. It’s unclear…
Read MoreFormer teacher of the year sentenced for sex crimes with students
CHULA VISTA, Calif. — A San Diego judge sentenced former ‘teacher of the year’ ____ to 30 years to life of prison Friday. ____ broke down in tears as she read a prepared statement in a Chula Vista courtroom, admitting to sex crimes against two former students at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City “I shamed the title of teacher,” she said, sobbing as her family members watched from the courtroom gallery. San Diego Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena said ____ was able to groom the 11 and 12-year-old…
Read MoreSurvey Responses Suggest Few U.S. Jails Use Screenings and Assessments for Behavioral Health Diversion
Just 33% of facilities queried said they deploy these tools to divert people with substance use and mental health issues to non-jail settings By: Alexandra Duncan & Julie Wertheimer A survey of administrators at U.S. jails shows that only about one-third of facilities use information from behavioral health screening and assessment tools to divert people from jail. Most facilities do conduct screenings and assessments, but few use them for diversion purposes. That represents a significant missed opportunity to connect people to the care they may need. The Pew Charitable Trusts invited more than…
Read MoreCA SB 286: The bill excluding violent sex offenders from elderly parole
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — (KBAK/FOX58) California State Senator Brian Jones, the Senate Minority Leader, has voiced strong support for Senate Bill 286, which seeks to exclude some violent sex offenders from being eligible from elderly parole. Jones suggested that the bill should not even require debate, stating, “We should not have to have a Senate bill for this because it should have never been passed in the first place.” Jones emphasized the significance of the legislation, saying, “This is such a major policy change that affects the entire state.” He expressed surprise…
Read MoreCriminal – Downward variance – Child pornography – Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
Source: masslawyersweekly.com 4/11/25 Where a defendant who pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography was sentenced to time served (21 days) and seven years of supervised release, the defendant must be resentenced because the district court did not adequately explain its basis for granting such an extraordinary downward variance. “Defendant Carlos Vázquez-Narvaez (‘Vázquez’) pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2252A(a)(5)(B). For that offense, the probation office calculated a guideline sentencing range of fifty-one to sixty-three months of imprisonment…
Read MoreMO: Guy Hamilton Smith: Nine Families from Missouri
By Guy Hamilton Smith April 1, 2025 Nine Families from Missouri Two things happened this past week that have been in process for years. Most important first: we went to trial. Nine pseudonymous plaintiffs in a civil rights lawsuit offered evidence in a federal trial in Jefferson City, Missouri about the impact that the sex offense registry has had on them. This case, like many others like it around the country, has largely centered on the question of whether or not the registry is punishment. Amongst the claims that survived…
Read MoreAction Alert for CA! Call and Write Now, then Show Up to Committee April 8 Hearing on Senate Bill 680 That Could Add 30,000 People to Registry
The CA Senate Public Safety Committee is scheduled to conduct a hearing April 8 regarding Senate Bill 680 that could add up to 30,000 people to the registry! “We must stop this bill in order to prevent the addition of thousands of people to the California registry,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “A similar bill (Senate Bill 1218) was introduced last year and ACSOL as well as other organizations were able to stop it due to our strong opposition.” (1) SEND A LETTER: Please send a…
Read MoreFAC Launches New PSA Videos on YouTube Shorts & Social Media – Watch, Share, & Support!
Source: Florida Action Committee 3/26/25 The Florida Action Committee (FAC) is excited to announce the release of our latest public service announcement (PSA) videos, now available on YouTube Shorts and social media! These impactful videos are designed to educate the public on the facts vs. myths surrounding the registry, helping to drive awareness and positive change. Watch the videos and give support
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