[abs-cbn.com] WASHINGTON – The US Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday aimed at countering sex trafficking that allows victims of such exploitation to seek justice against website owners who knowingly promote or facilitate it. Senators voted 97-2 to pass the measure, which cleared the House of Representatives last month and now heads to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature. Supporters hailed the passage of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) as a major victory, but the measure is not without its critics: some say it would undermine…
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Canada: Law requiring lifetime sex-offender registration upheld, Appeal Court rules
Forcing repeat sex offenders to go on a national registry for life under provisions enacted by the former Conservative government is constitutional, Ontario’s top court has ruled. Full Article
Read MoreIreland: Falsely accused Belfast man slams vigilante paedophile hunters
[belfasttelegraph.co.uk] A Belfast law graduate has called for new legislation to curb vigilante paedophile hunters after he was wrongly identified as a sexual predator and falsely accused of grooming children. The Queen’s University graduate was left confused following a sudden influx of friend requests on social media, before it became apparent that he shared the same name as one of the vigilante group’s targets. A barrage of profane abuse soon followed. “It made me feel sick to the stomach. I was so angry when I realised what had happened, so…
Read MoreCanada: Calgary man suing police, feds for demanding fingerprints because of his birth date is same as a sex offender
[calgaryherald.com] A Calgary man says he was forced to provide his fingerprints or give up a 12-year career of coaching youth hockey, all because he shares the same date of birth as a pardoned sex offender. And after a fruitless five-year odyssey for an explanation for what he feels is a violation of his constitutionally protected Charter rights, retired oil engineer Jim Besse is now suing the RCMP, Calgary police, the Calgary police commission and Chief Roger Chaffin. “I have always been upfront, saying, ‘Take five minutes and tell me…
Read MoreTurkey: Considering Chemical Castration of Sex Offenders
Turkey has opened the door – again – to the idea of mandating chemical castration for those convicted of sex offences against children, a wrongheaded and abusive approach to dealing with child sexual abuse. Full Article
Read MoreUK: Crossing Guard, 77, Accused of “Grooming” Children By Giving Them High-Fives
[letgrow.org] A 77-year-old school crossing guard was ordered to stop high-fiving kids, as this could be the gateway to sexually abusing them. In response, he has thrown in the towel. Bryan Broom, a “lollipop man” (so-called not because he gave kids lollipops, but because crossing guards in Britain hold up circular stop signs on sticks), said he can’t stand the idea that merely being friendly to kids could be interpreted as skeevy. As the UK’s Mirror reports: Bryan has revealed why he made the tough decision to quit doing the…
Read MoreN. Ireland: Self-styled ‘paedophile hunters’ revealed
[bbc.com – UPDATED LINKS 2/15/18] Some of the leaders of self-styled paedophile-hunting groups operating in Northern Ireland have been identified for the first time. There are increasing concerns about the methods many of the groups use, and their lack of accountability. The so-called paedophile-hunting groups target people online who they believe are sexual predators. They confront them and broadcast the encounter live on the internet, then call the police. There have been more than 100 incidents of that nature reported to police in Northern Ireland, but no-one has been charged…
Read MoreAustralia: Victoria gathers momentum on radical new sex offender plan
[news.com.au] IF A convicted sex offender moved in next door, wouldn’t you want to know? “Of course you would,” says Sonya Ryan, a grieving mum who knows all too well what a predator can do. Ms Ryan, whose daughter Carly was murdered by Gary Newman in 2006, is 100 per cent in favour of a new push in Victoria that would give everyday Australians access to a database of the worst of the worst. “It’s long overdue,” Ms Ryan told news.com.au. “When an adult preys on a child, I truly…
Read MoreIn Denmark, Viral Video Sparks Wave Of Child Pornography Prosecutions
[npr.org] A video that went viral in Denmark three years ago is now the basis for a wave of prosecutions. More than 1,000 young people, many of them teenagers at the time, are now charged with the distribution of child pornography. Sidsel Overgaard reports from Billund, Denmark. SIDSEL OVERGAARD, BYLINE: The video shows two 15-year-olds engaged in sexual activity at a party in 2015. The two boys who filmed it were prosecuted several years ago, but now, 1,004 young people who shared it on Facebook Messenger face charges that could…
Read MoreIreland: Teenage sex offenders a growing challenge for social workers
In world of online porn, more than 25% of sex offenders found by Garda are teenagers. What’s the best way to deal with sex offenders? Most people would probably answer they should be locked up, ideally for a long time. But what if the offender in question is a 17-year-old? Or as young as 12? This is where Joan Cherry comes in. She is one of a small number of social workers who have worked with young sexual offenders – or as she prefers to refer to them, “young people in…
Read MoreOrange passports for India’s migrant workers create ‘second class citizens’
[reuters.com] MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – India’s plan to introduce orange-colored passport jackets for some migrant workers is discriminatory and could increase the vulnerability of workers often duped by middlemen who promise them jobs, said legal experts and campaigners. The Ministry of External Affairs said last week migrant workers who need emigration clearance – those who have not passed 10th grade at school – to travel to a group of 18 countries, mostly in the Gulf region, would soon be issued orange passports. “Passport holders with ECR (Emigration Check Required)…
Read MoreSamoa passes law enforcement only Sex offender registry
[floridaactioncommittee.org] Samoa just passed a sex offender registry. There are two important differences, however, between theirs (and most other countries that have a registry) and the US. Firstly, the registry and accompanying requirements will not be imposed retroactively against those who are not in custody as of it’s enactment. and secondly, the registry is for law enforcement only. Read more
Read MorePoland: Opened the register with the data of pedophiles
In Poland since January 1 officially opened the registry with the data of pedophiles. This was announced by the Ministry of justice of Poland. Full Article – Online Registry
Read MoreDisney Princes are Sex Offenders
[Japan Today] TOKYO–Imagine a loved one, say a sister or daughter, is lying comatose in a hospital bed when suddenly the son of a prominent politician walks past and sees her. Infatuated with her beauty, this fortunate son walks over and plants a big kiss on her lips. Probably most of us out there would suddenly feel inclined to press either charges or a fist against this joker. But that’s exactly what happens in the celebrated fairy tales “Snow White” and “Sleeping Beauty,” according to Professor Kazue Muta of…
Read MoreAUS: Pedophile stopped at Sydney Airport by anti-sex tourism law
A convicted child molester was prevented from flying overseas from Sydney Airport on Wednesday under new laws aimed at keeping Australian pedophiles from traveling to Southeast Asia for sex tourism. Laws that took effect on Wednesday prevent 20,000 convicted pedophiles listed on the Australian child sex offender register from leaving the country except for specific purposes approved by law enforcement agencies. Full Article
Read More#DontLookAway: The difference between paedophiles and sex offenders
[The Star, Johannesburg, South Africa] Johannesburg – Every now and then police report busting international paedophile rings. The details are gory, adults – usually men – sharing pictures and videos of young children being abused. In one of the cases early this year, one of the worst paedophiles was sentenced to 32 life sentences and a further 170 years for, among other things, sexually abusing his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter. Other than raping her, he used a toy dinosaur, thermometer and a sex toy to penetrate the child. The man, who…
Read MoreGrenada to establish sex offender’s registry
The government of Grenada has announced its plans to establish a special victims unit and enact legislation that will require convicted sex offenders to be registered as part of the efforts to combat increasing child sexual abuse and other forms of sexual violence. Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell said that it is alarming that in 2017, approximately 60 percent of all cases before the Courts are related to child sexual abuse. Full Article
Read MoreFrance: Teacher who had ‘affair’ with 14-yr-old pupil avoids jail
[abs-cbn.com] Fontainebleau, France – A French teacher was handed a suspended jail sentence Monday for having sex with a 14-year-old pupil, the latest of several cases fueling debate over the age of consent. French teacher to be tried for sex with pupil aged 14 The 31-year-old maths teacher had an affair for several months with the girl this year after they struck up a conversation on Instagram. The pupil, who was in the man’s class last year, insisted the pair were in love but her parents said he was a…
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