[altoonamirror.com] HARRISBURG — A bill seeking to deliver a legislative fix to Megan’s Law for sexual assault offenders was positioned for a Senate floor vote after a key senator gave a green light Monday. Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery, repeated his strong objections to the House-passed legislation, House Bill 1952, at the start of a two-hour hearing Monday morning on the Judiciary Committee, which Greenleaf chairs. Following the hearing, Greenleaf voted with colleagues to approve the bill, which addresses concerns the Pennsylvania Supreme Court raised about Pennsylvania’s sex offender registry. The…
Read MoreCategory: General News
Thousands of Users Shared A Child Pornography Video on Facebook Messenger
Police departments and local news stations across the nation are reporting that a child pornography video depicting a young girl and adult man began spreading to thousands of Facebook messenger inboxes late last week, BuzzFeed reports. The disturbing pornography’s wide circulation on the platform was propelled by a message accompanying the video entreating people to forward it to others as part of a campaign to find the perpetrator and his victim. Full Article Related: In Denmark, Viral Video Sparks Wave Of Child Pornography Prosecutions
Read MoreState Department Revokes Registrant’s Passport
The State Department has revoked the passport of a registrant who was convicted in and resides in California. This is the first known passport revocation following passage of the International Megan’s Law (IML) in February 2016. According to a letter from that federal agency, the registrant’s passport was revoked because it did not include the “unique identifier” required by the IML. The letter stated that the registrant’s passport “remains the property of the U.S. Government, and must be surrendered upon demand.” The letter also stated that the registrant must “immediately…
Read MoreLifeTimes Magazine: A positive magazine for registrants
[lifeonlist.org] When it comes to America’s sex-offense registry regime, there’s a lot to get outraged about. Indignation over its everyday cruelties serves a function when it moves us to action. But bad news isn’t everything. There’s a lot of good to point to among those living under the system. I learn that every time I meet a registrant or one of their family members who’s running a thriving business, started a support group, or spending every week visiting legislators. Last month the first issue of a new magazine came out…
Read MoreGeneral Comments February 2018
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of February 2018. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read More‘Glee’ Star Mark Salling Dead of Apparent Suicide
[yahoo.com] Mark Salling has reportedly died in an apparent suicide weeks before being sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography. He was 35. TMZ, The Blast and E! all reported his death. LAPD PIO told PEOPLE that officers responded to a death investigation at the 11900 block of Big Tujunga Cyn Road Tuesday morning at 8:50 a.m. but could not identify Salling. The Glee star pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor Oct. 4, 2017. After striking a plea deal in December, he was due…
Read MoreRecidivism: The Great Lie of “Frightening and High”
[oncefallen.com] Derek W. Logue of OnceFallen.com January 15, 2018 “In so many instances these individuals should never ever be allowed out for a second chance, they’re ticking time bombs, its not a questions if they a re-offend, it’s a question of when they re-offend.” – Lauren Book, Current FL State Senator and victim industry advocate [1] “There is a 90 percent likelihood of recidivism for sexual crimes against children. Ninety percent. That is the standard. That is their record. That is the likelihood. Ninety percent.” – Disgraced former Florida senator…
Read MoreNew potential scam “Correctional Services Network of America” targeting sex offenders
[floridaactioncommittee.org] Members are reporting receiving post cards from a Nevada based LLC called “Correctional Services Network of America” in the same style as “ClearMyCase”. The company is using the Florida Sex Offender’s Registry as a marketing list to solicit vulnerable individuals, offering a “review” of their registration status for $299… a “savings” of $500 off their regular price of $899.00. Read more
Read MoreWearing our scarlet letters [opinion]
[sosen.org] When I was 18, I joined the military. The first stop for an enlisted member is, of course, Boot Camp!! At boot camp, for the first time, I saw some impressive men and women who had a unique job of breaking down 100 18-30 year olds and building them into a unique group of young men and women. It is, of course, deeper than that. The drill instructors are there to teach many things, like how to survive, to move forward without stopping, and they pick lives up where…
Read MoreAn Explanation of some Legal Doctrines and other Legal Information
[sosen.org] by Robert Wolf I’ve decided to create an article with some legal terminology in it. The reason I’m doing this is because there are a lot of organizations and individuals that are working with attorneys in an attempt to change the sex offender registration laws. Read the full article [it is technical but relevant to those who want to learn more about sex offense law]
Read More4th Circuit Approves Imprisonment of Sex Offender Convicted of a Nonexistent Crime
William Welsh has been imprisoned for seven years even though he was convicted of a crime that everyone agrees he did not commit. That’s OK, according to a federal appeals court, because Welsh is not really a prisoner; he’s a patient, lawfully committed under a federal statute that allows indefinite detention of “sexually dangerous persons.” Full Article
Read MoreWhat’s “unusual” is removal from the sex offender registry
[with-justiceforall.blogspot.com] Kaitlin Durbin has written a touching story about a young man, David, who has been on the Colorado sex offender registry for over a decade for consensual teenage sex with his girlfriend. She tells, briefly, some of the difficulties that public registration posed for him in his attempts to live a normal life, and she shares his relief and joy that he has now successfully been removed. The title given the piece — and writers and journalists seldom select their own titles — is “Colorado Springs man removed from…
Read MoreNew DOJ Report Demonstrates Stunning Disingenuity on Cases Involving Sexual Exploitation of Children
A recent bombshell report from the Department of Justice claims that the number of people prosecuted in federal court for commercial sexual exploitation of children roughly doubled between 2004 and 2013. Full Article
Read MoreProfessor Catherine Carpenter: The Unconstitutionality of Sex Offense Laws [video]
[www.sfc.edu] Professor Catherine Carpenter (Southwestern Law School), a nationally renowned criminal law scholar in the area of sex crimes and sex offender registration laws, came to St. Francis College on September 26 to talk about The Unconstitutionality of Sex Offense Laws. Watch Catherine Carpenter on Sex Offender Laws Her scholarship has been cited by numerous courts and used as a guide by attorneys; she is also one of the foremost authorities on law school curricula and accreditation. Among her important law review articles is, “Against Juvenile Sex Offender Registration.” The…
Read MoreCA: Root and Rebound’s Feb 24 Berkeley CA Family Law Clinic for people with records
Root & Rebound will be hosting its second Family Law Clinic for people with records. Root & Rebound will be offering one-on-one appointments with their reentry attorneys for any person with a criminal record who needs help with issues related to family law. Date: February 24th, 2018 Time: 10 am – 4 pm Location: 1730 Franklin St., Suite 300, Oakland, CA 94612 At this clinic, get help with family law issues like: Understanding your rights in family court, probate court, or dependency court as a person with a criminal record.…
Read MoreYoung Sex Offenders Shouldn’t Have to Register; It’s Ineffective and Hurts Everyone Around Them
Sex offender registration policies were initially developed for adults with sexual offenses, but have recently been extended to include youth with sexual offenses as well. At first glance, sex offender registration and notification (hereafter referred to as SORN) may make us feel safer, produce relief knowing that these individuals are being punished. Full Article
Read MoreRI: Letter: Leo Carroll: Base sex offender laws on facts rather than myths [opinion]
[providencejournal.com] Two decades of research regarding the effects of sex offender laws have produced no evidence that such laws achieve their stated purposes. A recent review of research on community notification and residency restriction laws in the Oxford Handbook of Sex Offences and Sex Offenders concludes that such legislation is “misinformed and simply incorrect.” These laws are knee-jerk reactions to hysteria fueled by media narratives of sensational but exceptional tragedies; they are based on myths rather than facts. The first myth is that sex offenders are strangers, when in fact…
Read MoreAs we move into 2018, are we still in a room without a view? [opinion]
[sajrt.blogspot.com] By Kieran McCartan, PhD, David Prescott, LICSW, & Alissa Ackerman, PhD. The start of a new year is often a time of reflection and hope. We think about our experiences as well as practice over the last year and learn from poor practice as well as build upon good, existing practices. Having a solid, reliable, evidence base is central to all aspects of life, personal and professional! Thinking back over the last 12 months, 2017 has been an interesting year to say the least with the common factor being…
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