IL: Former Illinois lawmaker registers as sex offender

ELGIN, Ill. (AP) – A former Illinois lawmaker who traded in child pornography has registered as a sex offender. Keith Farnham of Elgin is now listed on the Illinois State Police sex offender site as a “sexual predator” who possessed child pornography of a victim less than 13 years of age. The 67-year-old pleaded guilty to transporting child pornography in a federal courtroom in Chicago earlier this month. He faces up to 20 years in prison and remains under house arrest until his sentencing in March. Full Article

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FL: SEX OFFENDERS should not be allowed to purchase lottery tickets; they just might win

If proof were ever needed that an individual, once listed on a sex offender registry, no matter for what offense nor how long ago, is forever more thereafter considered unworthy of anything good ever happening in his life, this is it. A registrant in Florida won a three million dollar scratch-off lottery, and the wrath of every hater in the United States and then some was raised beyond the boiling point. Full Op-Ed Piece

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IN: Unregistered sex offenders featured on local billboards

NDIANAPOLIS –Marion County is launching a new effort to go after sex offenders who have not registered by putting them out there for the world to see. It is required by law for sex offenders to register with their local law enforcement so police – and citizens – know where they live. Those who have not registered in Marion County now risk being featured on billboard around town. The pictures of 40 unregistered sex offenders will be placed on one of three billboards around town to help police find them.…

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MA: Sex-offender restrictions back on burner in Worcester

There has been an ongoing debate in Worcester over the past several years about whether the city should restrict where Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders can live.  City councilors have talked about the need for an ordinance that would restrict those sex offenders from living within certain distances of public parks, schools, day care centers and other areas where young children may congregate. Full Article

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VA: Sexting policy change debated

The Virginia State Crime Commission met Tuesday in Richmond to discuss an issue they have been tracking for some time — sexting by teenagers and the state’s child pornography laws. Last October, the Crime Commission heard that during the last five to 10 years, “sexting has attracted increased attention nationwide” and many of those participating are minors. Full Article

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TN: Pedophile Panic at the Salvation Army – No Teen Boys Allowed, Too Dangerous

When it comes to helping families in need, the Salvation Army turns a cold shoulder to one class of people: Teenage boys. A family in Johnson City, TN, found this out recently when, on a freezing cold night, they asked the organization for shelter. But because their family of five contained a 15-year-old boy, they were turned down. As the dad, Tim Lejeune, explained to WMC Action News 5: “They said he’s too old to stay on the women’s side, because of the women running around in their pajamas and they…

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TN: Kingsport police gets OK to set up sex offender community alert system

A new Tennessee law has paved the way for municipalities to establish their own sexual offender notification system. And the Kingsport Police Department wasted no time getting to work. … The state legislature passed the bill in April that allows local municipalities to create a sex offender notification system – and charge sex offenders a $50 fee to fund that system. This, on top of the $150 fee they must already pay to register as a sex offender. Full Article

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IA: Expanding sex offender registry is unworkable (Editorial)

____ ____’s anger is understandable. In 1983, she was raped in Des Moines by ____ ____, who served less than five years in prison for the offense. In 1997, ____ was convicted of robbery and served an additional 17 years behind bars before being sent to the Fort Des Moines Community Corrections Center last month. ____ ‘s conviction on the rape charge predates Iowa’s 1995 creation of the state sex offender registry by almost 12 years. As such, he is not required to register with the state as a sex…

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MN: Millions in legal costs trigger belt-tightening at Minn. human services agency

The Minnesota Department of Human Services, a giant agency with 6,628 employees and a biennial budget of $28.2 billion, is imposing limits on everything from filling vacant positions to out-of-state travel. The belt-tightening became necessary to bring the agency back on fiscal track after it racked up more than $4 million in costs from litigation over the treatment of sex offenders and the alleged abuse of people with disabilities, among other costs. Full Article

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OK: Federal court ruling could soon affect Oklahoma sex offenders

OKLAHOMA CITY – Thousands of Oklahoma sex offenders could soon have free reign on the internet after a federal appeals court ruled it’s a 1st amendment violation to monitor their online activity. Right now, most sex offenders in our state are not allowed to use the internet. The recent ruling was on a California case, but it’s expected that the federal court that oversees Oklahoma cases will likely review it and make a similar ruling. Full Article

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FL: Lawmakers tighten limits on sex offenders

FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. – Florida Lawmakers have passed numerous laws punishing those convicted of sex crimes and this year added more laws designed to keep the worst of the worst away from your children. The Legislature made tighter laws after it was reported that 594 sexual offenders had gone free since 1999, only to commit 463 child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders. Also fresh on their mind was the summer 2013 abduction, rape and murder of Cherish Perrywinkle, an 8-year-old Jacksonville girl. A registered sex offender, Donald Smith, will…

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MI: Former judge says sex offender registry gives ‘false sense’ of security

Does the sex offender registry really keep you safe? A former West Michigan judge says it’s giving you a false sense of security. Newschannel 3 looked into those claims, taking our search across state lines to see how sex offenders are tracked in other areas.  You can search for them by your address or your entire city, finding their home address, and even where they work. But does knowing where a sex offender lives keep your family safe? At least one former judge doesn’t think so. “People have a false…

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VA: Manassas City detective in teen ‘sexting’ case sues teen’s lawyer for defamation

The lead detective in a high-profile teen “sexting” case from last summer, in which Prince William County authorities sought to take sexually explicit photos of a 17-year-old teen to compare with the evidence, has filed a defamation lawsuit against the teen’s attorney for making critical comments about the investigation in The Washington Post. Full Article

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Tier 2 Sex Offender Coming To Buffalo

____ ____ ____ was convicted of engaging in a sexual act with another by force and the threat of serious violence in 1992. ____ was convicted of forcibly raping an eighteen year old girl. ____ was 25 and physically intimidating and mentally unhinged due to drug and alcohol addiction at the time of this vicious act. Now the Statler City Hotel, Lace-Up Promotions and the City of Buffalo are being used to promote this individual. The reputation of all are being used in a manner that causes new injuries to the…

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