Source: courthousenews.com 5/15/24 The appeals court panel ordered a federal judge to review the statutory scheme one requirement at a time to determine if any portion violates the ex post facto clause of the Constitution. CINCINNATI (CN) — The entirety of Tennessee’s sex offender registry law cannot be thrown out because a handful of requirements may be unconstitutional, the Sixth Circuit ruled Wednesday. In its decision the court vacated an injunction granted by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger and asked the Clinton appointee to tailor relief for a class of…
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TN: Sex Offender Treatment Class: Four Years, $10,000 and No End in Sight
Source: filtermag.org 5/6/24 Recently, my wife and I were having a quiet dinner at home when armed officers arrived without warning. They ordered me to stand against the wall so they could take a mug shot. While my wife and I sat on the couch, they looked through my phone, photo albums, computer, car—whatever they wanted. These shakedowns occur once a month without warning. The mug shot was to keep the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry (SOR) up to date. In 2009 I took a plea deal and spent the next…
Read MoreIn This Police Youth Program, a Trail of Sexual Abuse Across the U.S.
Source: themarshallproject.org 5/1/24 Explorer posts, overseen by the Boy Scouts, are supposed to foster an interest in policing. They have faced nearly 200 allegations of misconduct. STOUGHTON, Mass. — The last known person to see Sandra Birchmore alive was a police officer. He stopped by her apartment days before the elementary school teacher’s aide, 23 years old and newly pregnant, was found dead in February 2021. The medical examiner later ruled her death a suicide. The officer worked for the Stoughton Police Department, near Boston, where he first met Birchmore…
Read MoreWe need to reframe how we think about juvenile sex offenders
Source: salon.com 4/24/24 Most youth who exhibit problematic sexual behavior don’t need punishment. They need help Adult sex offenders are criminals who need to be brought to justice to maintain public safety. But we need to be careful about extending that same principle to children who hurt other kids. Most youth who exhibit problematic sexual behavior don’t need punishment. They need help. It’s time for the public and our legal system to catch up with the growing literature on the causes of such behavior and how to stop it, rather…
Read MoreIL: DOC can’t outright ban parents convicted of sex offenses from speaking on the phone to their children while they are on supervised release
Source: courthousenews.com 4/19/24 CHICAGO — The Seventh Circuit ruled that the Illinois Department of Corrections may not outright ban parents convicted of sex offenses from speaking on the phone to their children while they are on supervised release. The government may implement call monitoring to minimize the risk of abuse as an alternative to the ban. Read the full ruling (click on “Read the ruling here”)
Read MoreSextortion: A Growing Crime Against Men
Source: psychologytoday.com 12/30/23 Men are being targeted for sextortion at increased rates in the U.S. and beyond. Key points Sextortion is a form of image-based sexual abuse that is growing nationwide. During COVID-19, men experienced higher rates of sextortion than women. Sextortion has negative psychological, physical, and social consequences for victims. “And then all of a sudden I got messages late at night with all sorts of threats” said Alex. “Um, things about sharing [intimate] photos about the things we had. And threatening me.” Alex continued “Depression set in. I…
Read MoreMN: Study: Minnesota’s sex offender civil commitment system is ‘failed investment’
Source: startribune.com 4/24/24 The state is spending more than $110 million this year on a sex offender program that locks up about 730 people. A new report calls for an end to the 30-year-old system. Minnesota involuntarily commits more people for sex offenses than anywhere else in the nation per capita, but authors of a new report say the more than $100 million-a-year program fails to meaningfully address sexual violence or recognize the humanity of those it locks up. Twenty states civilly commit sex offenders. Among those, Minnesota is “notorious”…
Read MoreAsk Amy: I discovered my neighbor is a sexual offender. Should I tell the neighborhood?
Source: cleveland.com 4/26/24 Dear Amy: I have a neighbor who was previously convicted of a sexual offense involving a “child.” He served time in jail. I don’t know the exact circumstances, but I do understand that the term “child” may include a person as young as an infant and as old as a teenager. The sexual offender is married with two young children. I know that he and his wife want to keep his history private. However, the other neighbors around where I live are not aware of the situation…
Read MoreCountry Music Star Jimmie Allen Says He Contemplated Suicide Following Sexual Abuse Allegations
Source: hollywoodreporter.com 4/24/24 Jimmie Allen revealed he contemplated suicide following the sexual abuse allegations against him last year as a way to financially provide for his family. In May 2023, the country music artist’s former manager, identified only as Jane Doe, alleged he raped and sexually abused her several times. In a statement released at the time, Allen claimed the two had a consensual sexual relationship that lasted for two years. “It is deeply troubling and hurtful that someone I counted as one of my closest friends, colleagues and confidants would make allegations…
Read MoreWI: Seventh Circuit considers challenges to Wisconsin sex offender laws
Source: courthousenews.com 4/18/24 One case challenged who gets defined as a sex offender, while another raised questions about where sex offenders can feasibly live while on supervised release. MADISON, Wis. (CN) — The Badger State’s sex offender laws faced scrutiny on Thursday, with a Seventh Circuit panel hearing back-to-back arguments against them in the state capital. The first two cases of the day were brought by people listed on the Wisconsin sex offender registry. Plaintiffs in both cases argued — through the same attorney but for very different reasons…
Read MoreNew Title IX Rules Erase Campus Due Process Protections
Source: reason.com 4/19/24 The new rules allow students to be found guilty of assaulting a classmate without ever seeing the full evidence against them. On Friday, the Biden administration unveiled final Title IX regulations, nearly two years after the administration proposed dramatic changes to how colleges handle sexual assault allegations. The new rules largely mirror proposed regulations released last year and will effectively reversing Trump-era due process reforms. According to the final regulations, accused students will lose their right to a guaranteed live hearing with the opportunity to have a…
Read MoreNY: Concerned Watertown mom wants increased residency restrictions
Source: thedailynewsonline.com 4/19/24 WATERTOWN — A mother of a 4-year-old boy had no idea that a registered sex offender who was convicted of sexually abusing three children was living next to her and across the street from a home day care business. The young mother, Sierra Penrose, is now working on reviving a state Senate bill that would prohibit sex offenders from living near such daycares. The bill, which was first proposed a decade ago, hasn’t gained traction, even though it’s been reintroduced several times. The proposed legislation would…
Read MoreNE: Nebraska lawmakers pass a bill to restore voting rights to newly released felons
Source: apnews.com 4/12/24 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Thursday to restore the voting rights of those convicted of felonies upon the completion of their sentences, including prison and parole time. The bill, introduced for years by Omaha state Sen. Justin Wayne, passed by a wide margin in the last year of Wayne’s second term. He is barred by term limits from running this year for a third term. Currently, a person who has been convicted of a felony must wait two years after completing all the…
Read MoreMA: Former Mass. city councilor accused of having explicit images of a child apparently joined Russian army
Source: wbur.org 4/11/24 A U.S. Air Force veteran who fled a charge of possessing sexually explicit images of a child told his lawyer he joined Russia’s army, and video appears to show him signing documents in a military enlistment office in Siberia. Wilmer Puello-Mota, a former elected official in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was expected to enter a guilty plea in Rhode Island in early January, but did not show up to court, according to prosecutors. Last week, video surfaced that appears to show the 28-year-old in Russia and expressing support for…
Read MoreFL: Sexual assault survivor demands change as federal data shows rise in cases aboard cruise ships
Source: news4jax.com 4/7/24 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A sexual assault survivor is demanding cruise lines do more to protect their customers as new federal data shows sexual assaults rose on cruise ships in 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported more than 100 sex crimes on ships embarking and disembarking in the U.S. In February 2006, Laurie Dishman said her life changed forever after booking a cruise from California to Mexico with her best friend Michelle. “We had boarded the ship and didn’t know what awaited us, we just thought we…
Read MoreNH: Former teacher pleads guilty to sexually assaulting an adult student in 2021
Source: wmur.com 4/2/24 [ACSOL is posting this showing a new law where the victim’s age not a factor] BRENTWOOD, N.H. —A New Hampshire teacher of the year finalist pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexual assault charges involving a student at a school where she worked. Former Sanborn Regional High School teacher Bridgette _____, 40, admitted sexually assaulting an 18-year-old student in April and May 2021. The case involves a relatively new law in which the age of the victim isn’t a factor, even if the student is an adult. The law…
Read MoreCO: Neighbors protest facility run by Colorado mental health agency over sex offender claims
Source: cbsnews.com 4/6/24 Northglenn neighbors were out in their community to voice their opposition to a mental health facility run by the state of Colorado. which is set to open in a residential area. They say their biggest concern is that there may be sex offenders housed near families’ homes and schools. “If places like this are going to be coming into our communities, the people who live here need to know about it, and we want to have a say in it,” said Danielle Luciano. Read the full article (Write and…
Read MoreIL: Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Law Limiting Where Child Sex Offenders Can Live
Source: wttw.com 4/6/24 SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that a state law restricting where previously convicted child sex offenders can live is constitutional, although it left open the possibility that it was improperly applied to one individual. In a 6-0 decision, the court found the residency restriction “does not infringe upon a child sex offender’s fundamental rights” and that there was a “rational basis” for the state to restrict where a person convicted of such a crime can live. “The legislature has a legitimate interest in protecting…
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