A 14-year-old New Jersey girl is facing child pornography charges for posting almost 30 nude photos of herself on MySpace. If she is convicted, the girl may have to register as a sex offender. According to The Daily News, this case is just one example of a larger effort by law enforcement officials across the country to crack down on child pornography. Prosecutors now routinely bring charges resulting from kids sending nude photos to one another over cell phones and e-mail. This case may be unique in that it is…
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UK: Belfast Giants abandon franchise after owner is revealed as registered sex offender
In January, the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (U.K.) – yep, the “All I Want For Christmas Is You” franchise – announced that American ____ ____ had purchased the team, as Jim Gillespie sold a stake he had held since 2003. It was supposed to be a new era for the Northern Ireland team. Alas, it was an era that ended only a few weeks later when it was revealed that ____ was actually a registered sex offender in Florida. ____, who made his money in the…
Read MoreOH: Dublin rec center ups screening for sex offenders
People wishing to swim at Dublin’s two pools or exercise at its recreation center will have their names and photos checked against state and national sex-offender registries. If there’s a match, the person won’t be allowed in and Dublin police will be called. The city council, in approving the measure last week, said it is simply one more step toward ensuring the safety of others. Others see it differently. Full Article
Read MoreSC: Boyfriend gets lifetime sex offender status for cellphone video
COLUMBIA, S.C. — ____ ____ will spend the next 18 months in a federal prison for 15 minutes worth of sex videos he made with his teenage girlfriend. The girlfriend, who knew ____ was videoing at the time, was 16– which made her a minor under a federal sex offender law meant to apply to serious sex crimes. Having the video on his cellphone meant ____ violated federal law by possessing child pornography. Full Article
Read MoreFederal: Failure to Register as a Sex Offender: A Legal Analysis of 18 U.S.C. 2250
Section 2250 outlaws an individual’s failure to comply with federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) requirements. SORNA demands that an individual—previously convicted of a qualifying federal, state, or foreign sex offense—register with state, territorial, or tribal authorities. Individuals must register in every jurisdiction in which they live, work, or attend school. They must also update the information whenever they move, or change their employment or educational status. Section 2250 applies only under one of several jurisdictional circumstances: the individual was previously convicted of a qualifying federal sex offense;…
Read MoreMI: RSO Freezes to Death – Federal District Court Case
In a unique way this judge resolves the issue so that it cannot happen again. And retains jurisdiction, apparently forever. In essence, overnight shelters ARE NOT a residence under MI SORA’s residency law. Full Article / Decision
Read MoreOH: Web sites profiting from mug shots sued
There’s a good chance that if you’ve been arrested in the past decade, your mugshot is available online, probably on numerous Web sites. A Toledo-based lawyer, Scott Ciolek, is taking on at least five of these sites, of which there are dozens, in a class-action lawsuit filed Monday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. The suit claims that more than 259,000 Ohioans have been cataloged on various mugshot Web sites and, to have a photo removed — even if an individual has been found not guilty or the charges were…
Read MoreShowdown looming over predictive accuracy of actuarials
If you are involved in risk assessments in any way (and what psychology-law professional is not, given the current cultural landscape?), now is the time to get up to speed on a major challenge that’s fast gaining recognition. At issue is whether the margins of error around scores are so wide as to prevent reliable prediction of an individual’s risk, even as risk instruments show some (albeit weak) predictive accuracy on a group level. If the problem is unsolvable, as critics maintain, then actuarial tools such as the Static-99 and…
Read MoreNJ: Emails show FBI investigating Sen. Bob Menendez for sleeping with underage Dominican prostitutes
Documents published online for the first time Thursday indicate that the FBI opened an inquiry into New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez on August 1, 2012, focusing on repeated trips he took to the Dominican Republic with longtime campaign contributor and Miami eye doctor Salomon Melgen. The DC reported in November that Menendez purchased the service of prostitutes in that Caribbean nation at a series of alcohol-fueled sex parties. Full Article
Read MoreWY: Committee defeats banning sex offenders near child care sites
CHEYENNE — A Wyoming legislative committee on Monday defeated a bill that would have banned sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of child care facilities. The House Judiciary Committee voted 7-2 against the bill sponsored by Rep. John Eklund, R-Cheyenne. “The intention of this bill is to have the same protection for under school aged children that we do for school children,” Eklund said. He said there have been instances were sex offenders have moved in next to established day care facilities. Steve Corsi, director of the Wyoming Department…
Read MoreThe Science of Sex Abuse
On a Saturday night in the summer of 1998, an undercover officer logged in to a child-pornography chat room using the screen name Indy-Girl. Within minutes, a user named John introduced himself and asked her, “Are you into real life or just fantasy?” Indy-Girl said that because of the “legality of it” she had never acted on her fantasies. But she soon revealed an adventurous spirit. She was a bisexual college sophomore, she said, and had learned about sex at an early age. “My mother is very European,” she explained.…
Read MorePornography and Contact Offending
Many people have grave concerns about the potential for a relationship between pornography and inappropriate sexual behavior. For obvious reasons, there are apprehensions about the sexual behaviors of those who have sexually abused. As a result, it is not uncommon for persons who have sexually abused to be restricted from certain activities that would have remained available to them had they not sexually offended. However, questions remain as to whether we are using our professional energy and resources wisely in trying to prevent persons convicted of sexual crimes from being…
Read MoreTX: Proposed law would force sex offenders to list crimes on social media profiles
SAN ANTONIO — Texas Voices, a group dedicated to supporting registered sex offenders and their families, estimates 111 new names hit the sex offenders registry every week in the Lone Star State. “We’ve already put their names and their faces and all of their information on the public registry for the world to see,” said Mary Sue Molnar, who serves as president of Texas Voices. Full Article
Read MoreInternational Travel 2013
In an effort to keep this site organized and the comments on the topic of each post, comments, questions and suggestions regarding International Travel will be moved to this post. Please use this for all further immigration / emigration / customs related contributions. NEW: International Megan’s Law – International Travel Action Group Also see: International Travel – Mexico Living with 290: Traveling to Cabo San Lucas Resources for International Travel DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) The Department of Homeland Security Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) is a…
Read MoreTX: Former Ellis County Observer Publisher Gets Three Ten-Year Sentences For Sexual Assault and Indecency With a Child
Two years ago, Joey Dauben was full-time small-town muckraker, publishing the Ellis County Observer and a string of other small papers, blending investigative stories with vicious gossip and baseless speculation at a rate of speed that thrilled and enraged his target audience. He focused intensely on child pornography and child sex abuse, alleging that child porn rings were rampant on Facebook, which he called “the breeding ground of a massive, global, inter-connected, sick and sadistic, electronic child porn, child-sex trafficking ring.” But in December 2011, Dauben, now 32, became the…
Read MoreOK: Sex offender law changes may be coming to Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY – A stunning change involving sex offender laws could be making its way to Oklahoma. “I think it can open up an opportunity but being in prison around other sex offenders, if they want to reoffend, they’re going to find a way,” sex offender _____ _____ said. “If a person want [sic] to do something, they’re going to find it, if it’s the daycare down the street or church or a kid walking home from school.” _____ is a registered sex offender. It is labeled on his driver’s license,…
Read MoreNH: Ex-convicts complain of treatment after their release from jail at legislative hearings
CONCORD – Supporters of the rights of criminal offenders turned out at legislative hearings on procedural matters Tuesday to complain about the way they are treated after serving their time. The House Criminal Justice Committee heard testimony on bills to study the state’s use of the sex offender registry and to add another means of notifying victims that an offender is up for parole. Offenders complained that the sex offender registry overstates offenses in some instances, while parole advocates said that hearings sometimes amount to a new trial on the…
Read MoreCT: Montville rescinds sex offender ordinances
Montville — The town avoided a potential civil rights lawsuit when it rescinded two ordinances Monday that placed restrictions on where registered sex offenders would be allowed in town. The Town Council voted to repeal the ordinances that created so-called child and senior safety zones. Marked by signs, these zones were designed to keep registered sex offenders from town-owned and town-leased property such as the senior center, senior buses, parks, playgrounds, beaches and sports fields. Since the ordinance was introduced, Councilors Rosetta Jones and Dana McFee have voiced their concerns…
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