A ten-year boy has just been charged as a sex offender as a result of a schoolyard game of tag that got out of control. As reported by the local CBS news affiliate: “the fourth-grade students were playing a game of tag that escalated when a boy began making inappropriate comments and movements toward the girls. One of the boys also wrapped his arms around one of the girls.” Full Article Related https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2019/11/22/10-year-old-boy-charged-sex-offense-marbury-maryland-school/
Read MoreCategory: National
NY: Pushed Out and Locked In – The Catch-22 for Disabled, Homeless, Sex-Offender Registrants
Across New York, people are incarcerated for weeks, months, and even years after their prison release dates. These individuals are not confined for violating prison disciplinary rules or committing new crimes. New York’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) detains them, instead, because they are homeless. DOCCS refuses to release prisoners to community supervision without an approved address. But for prisoners required to register as “sex offenders,” finding housing means navigating a web of restrictions that are levied exclusively on people convicted of sex crimes and that dramatically constrain…
Read MoreRI: Lawmaker hopes to expand Megan’s Law to include crimes that predate it
One local lawmaker is pushing for sexual predators found guilty of crimes decades ago to be treated the same way as those convicted more recently. The push comes after convicted child molester ____ ____ moved to Cranston at the beginning of the month. Since his crime pre-dates Megan’s Law, which led to the creation of the sex offender registry, residents weren’t notified of his arrival or address. Full Article
Read MoreFL: Miami-Dade uproots sex offender camp yet again. Does harsh law really make public safer?
The latest eviction order came earlier this month: Some 70 paroled child sex offenders, now living in a flimsy village of tents, cardboard boxes and rusty campers in an industrial zone just east of Miami International Airport, were told they had to find a new home — yet again. Full Article
Read MoreWA: A claw and a bat. People arm themselves as tensions rise over homeless RVs at the Capitol
[spokanepublicradio.org – 11/21/19] In the shadow of Washington’s Capitol dome is a broad boulevard — called Deschutes Parkway — with a popular walking and running path that curves along Capitol Lake and links the city of Olympia to the neighboring city of Tumwater. The parkway, the adjacent lake and nearby Marathon Park are technically part of Washington’s expansive Capitol campus complex. It’s along this picturesque stretch of road, where parking is not restricted, that in recent months motorhomes, trailers and campers in various states of disrepair have begun to take…
Read MorePA: Sex offender removed from the hospital during the birth of his child
Many of the stories we bring you on a daily basis here at WPXI are clear cut. They’re right or wrong. But this one had us here in the newsroom debating and even questioning ourselves. It’s one of those rare instances where you see both sides. Ken Moore is a registered sex offender but never thought that would keep him from seeing the birth of his third child. Full Article
Read MoreIL: Illinois Supreme Court strikes down social media ban for sex offenders
Illinois’ highest court ruled Thursday that it is unconstitutional to ban convicted sex offenders from social media sites. Conrad Allen Morger was convicted of sexually abusing a minor and sentenced to four years of probation by a court in McLean County. That came with a binding condition he not use specific internet sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. During oral arguments, held in September in Godfrey, Morger’s representative said the ban is a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment fundamental right to freedom of speech. Full Article…
Read MoreOH: Ohio state lawmaker re-introduces 18-and-under sexting bill
[cleveland.com – 11/20/19] COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio state lawmaker has proposed banning sexting for those 18 and under. Underage sexting is already illegal, but Senate Bill 239, introduced Wednesday, carves out a legal definition that makes it a less-serious offense than other crimes involving sexual images of minors. The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Nathan Manning, a North Ridgeville Republican, said his proposed law is meant to prevent minors from facing charges that would force them to register as a sex offender. Read more
Read MoreFL: Judge rules Pinellas detective, prosecutors lied in child porn case. Defendant could go free
[tampabay.com – 11/21/19] A 63-year-old man facing charges of lewd and lascivious molestation and possession of child pornography could go free after a judge found that Pinellas sheriff’s detectives and Pinellas-Pasco prosecutors lied to obtain a search warrant in the case. The Tampa Bay Times obtained a Nov. 1 order written by Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge William Burgess III in which he found law enforcement officials engaged in a “ruse” to obtain a search warrant for one crime that they used to obtain evidence to prosecute other crimes. “Had it not…
Read MoreCO: Mom’s Lawyer Rebukes ‘Unfair’ Utah Law that Could Make Her Client Register as Sex Offender for Being Topless at Home
[newsweek.com – 11/20/19] A woman could be forced to register as a sex offender after prosecutors charged her with a crime related to going topless in her own home. On Tuesday, lawyers for _____, 27, asked Circuit Court Judge Kara Pettit to strike down a state law that they say represents an “unfair” and unconstitutional legal double standard. _____ is facing three misdemeanor counts of lewdness in front of a child while her husband, who was also topless at the time, faces no charges. If convicted, she could face time…
Read MoreFL: Miami-Dade County closing down homeless camp while promoting homeless awareness week
[local10.com – 11/18/19] MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A group of people living in a Miami homeless camp is being told to leave. This is happening in the middle of Homeless Awareness Week. … It’s now so large that the county is deeming it a sanitary nuisance and a safety issue, sending cease and desist notices to dozens who call the street home. The order comes into effect as the county is promoting its hunger and homelessness awareness week, asking the public to be more considerate of residents without roofs over…
Read MoreOK: New sex offender reporting law in effect
As of November 1, sex offenders residing with a minor child must now report to the statewide centralized Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) hotline. Previously, only the parent, stepparent or grandparent of a minor had to report to the hotline. Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, authored the bill at the request of DHS to better protect all of Oklahoma’s children. Full Article
Read MoreNJ: Registered Forever: NJ Offenders Fight for Reprieve
[courthousenews.com – 11/18/19] TRENTON, N.J. (CN) — A lawyer for New Jersey urged the state Supreme Court on Monday for a strict reading of a law that lets registered sex offenders off the registry so long as they keep a clean record for 15 years. “Conviction means what we say it does, and that’s the conviction that triggers Megan’s Law,” said Special Deputy Attorney General Frank DuCoat, referencing the 1994 law enacted after 7-year-old Megan Kanka was raped and murdered by a neighbor who had already been convicted twice for…
Read MoreOH: First emergency homeless shelter opens in Fremont
[nbc24.com – 11/18/19] FREMONT, Ohio (WNWO) — More than a year of dedication has led to the first emergency homeless shelter in Sandusky County. … The facility holds up to eight people per night, and will take anyone that is not a sex offender. Read the full article
Read MoreFL: Inmate gets wish, sentenced to death for third Florida murder
[newsherald.com – 11/18/19] Rocky Ali Beamon, a three-time killer who publicly professed his hatred for sex offenders, had his wish granted Friday when he was sentenced to death for the 2017 murder of 27-year-old Nicholas Anderson. Beamon had been previously sentenced to die on Jan. 28 for killing a fellow inmate in 2012 at Apalachee Correctional Institution in Jackson County. He had pleaded guilty to the crime and waived his right to trial. … In May of 2018, Beamon wrote a letter to 14th District Judicial Circuit Judge Christopher Patterson…
Read MoreTX: ‘Wept like babies that day’: Man recalls family’s reaction after child sex abuse conviction overturned
[kvue.com – 11/15/19] GEORGETOWN, Texas — For more than 20 years, Troy Mansfield was branded a “registered sex offender,” a shameful asterisk by his name that followed him everywhere. “I took my stepdad’s name and I wanted it to be a good name,” Mansfield said. “And I felt like somehow or another it got trashed by me, and I didn’t mean for it to.” The father of two sons struggled to support his family from a cleaning business, purposely in his wife’s name, Amy Mansfield. “We lived between $16,000 and…
Read MoreNY: Sex offender rules an inconsistent maze
[timesunion.com – 11/9/19] ALBANY — A New York law that is intended to protect children from convicted sex offenders has created a maze of contradictory policies and regulations, leading to inconsistent enforcement and confusing online tracking systems. The disparities have also resulted in sharply different residency requirements for offenders convicted of similar crimes and an increasingly perplexing system that makes it difficult for the public to confirm whether offenders in their area are in compliance, according to a Times Union review of public databases, court records, an internal state memorandum…
Read MoreFL: Florida Sheriff’s Association says Halloween initiative targeting sex offenders was a success
[wtsp.com – 11/12/19] LARGO, Fla. — The Florida Sheriff’s Association is happy with the Halloween initiative to keep kids safe during trick or treating and related events. The operation involved 18 counties that targeted sexual offenders and predators to ensure that they followed the law. This involved a three-day operation that included physical checks on every sexual offender/predator to ensure they are properly registered and in compliance. … Hours dedicated to this operation: 774 hours Read how they were successful [in huge overtime pay]
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