TX: 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…

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Birthright 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…

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The 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…

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Operation 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…

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Which 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…

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WA: 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…

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I 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…

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Former 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…

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Survey 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…

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CA 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…

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Criminal – 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…

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MO: 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…

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Action 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…

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FAC 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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SD: Sentence reduced for man convicted of possession of child porn

Source: keloland.com 12/2/24 SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A jury found Michael ______ guilty in September of 2020. Monday a judge heard arguments for and against a lighter sentence. Investigators found more than a million images on Michael’s phone and computer hard drive in 2018. A jury decided 15 of them were child pornography. A different judge sentenced him to 10 years with six years suspended. That was four years ago, which means Michael could be out of Mike Durfee State prison but according to today’s testimony the Department of…

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SORNA Case Advances in Federal Court; PLF Files Motion for Summary Judgment

The Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) filed a motion for summary judgment on November 18 in its pending case that challenges current federal SORNA regulations.  The U.S. Department of Justice is required to file its opposing brief to this motion no later than December 23.  The PLF will have a final opportunity to support its motion in a response due no later than January 24, 2025.  A hearing on the motion is scheduled to be held on March 10, 2025. In its motion, the PLF argued that the SORNA regulations are…

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FL:What’s behind the recent uptick in local child predator arrests?

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — This week, we have seen an alarming number of child predators arrested. Is that because there are more cases out there, or is law enforcement getting better at catching these criminals? Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers credits that success largely to social media sites and app developers, that are helping to weed out bad actors.   “A lot of these platforms have really complied, not just with our requests for subpoenas, but really been somewhat voluntary with us,” he told CBS12 News. “These companies have…

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ACSOL CA Good News Alert: Senate Bill 1128 Stopped in Committee Hearing

CA Senate Bill 1128 was stopped today during a hearing conducted by the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee.  The committee did not provide a reason for stopping the bill, but it has been reported that strong opposition to the bill by ACSOL and its leaders was an important part of that decision.   “ACSOL thanks every person who showed up at the committee hearing on July 2, who sent a letter to the committee and who called committee members,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci.  “You made a difference by showing up,…

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