Source: wtaj.com 7/30/25 A Pennsylvania Representative announced plans to introduce legislation that would address a gap in the Commonwealth’s child protection laws. The bill, authored by Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Butler, Lawrence), aims to close a loophole that allows registered sex offenders to become parents through surrogacy. While the current law prohibits registered sex offenders from adopting or fostering a child, surrogacy arrangements are not covered by these prohibitions. … “This loophole was recently brought to light in a deeply disturbing case in which a Tier I sexual offender – who…
Read MoreCategory: Non-California State
PA: NIMBY on full display in Decatur Township are residents brainstorm “work arounds” to displace registrants
Source: Thanks to FAC for finding the article on lewistownsentinel.com McCLURE — The Decatur Township Board of Supervisors were flooded with questions and concerns from dozens of residents regarding an alleged halfway house specifically for registered sex offenders that was said to be within the municipality during the board’s meeting Monday. “I am going to start by what the township is aware of at this time,” shared Supervisor Mark Wolfgang. “We are brought into the loop at the same time most of you were because of Facebook.” Supervisors said they…
Read MoreAR: Texarkana, Arkansas, authorizes collection of fees from out-of-state sex offenders
Source: texarkanagazette.com 7/29/25 Any sex offenders from outside Arkansas moving to or working in the city will be charged a total fee of $500. Monday, July 21, the Arkansas Board of Directors discussed and approved an ordinance authorizing the city to collect fees for any sex offenders who are out-of-state registrants or out-of-state workers. There will be two separate fees of $250. One will be the required fee when registering with the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, and the other will be for the required DNA sample. The registration and DNA…
Read MoreSC: Ex-Richland County deputy accused of stealing money from sex offenders
Source: wistv.com 7/28/25 A former deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department was arrested after allegedly stealing money from sex offenders. RCSD said 31-year-old Jessica Way was arrested Monday and charged with petit larceny. The department said the charge was linked to an internal audit from July 16 that showed a $410 cash discrepancy from the sex offender registry receipts. The audit information was then given to the sheriff’s department’s criminal investigations division to open a case. According to authorities, the investigation found Way allegedly stole money from sex offenders…
Read MoreIowa Ignores Civil Commitment Concerns
Source: yahoo.com 7/27/25 Two years have passed since families and advocates of incarcerated individuals demanded to know why prison sentences were being bureaucratically prolonged. Two years have passed since they demanded to know why non-violent sex offenders who cleared treatment are being referred for civil commitment. Two years have passed since they demanded to know why the Attorney General’s Office seemingly drags its feet when reviewing referrals. Despite making very little progress — though not through lack of trying — the supporters remain committed to attending every single Iowa Board…
Read MoreTN: Woman Removed From Sex Registry Banned from Speaking About Case
Source: tba.org 7/21/25 The state of Tennessee agreed to permanently remove a woman from the sex offender registry months after a judge found she had been “falsely labeled as a sex offender.” But state officials included a stipulation in the agreement forbidding her and her attorneys from discussing the agreement and her lawsuit with the media, The Tennessean reports. They also are barred from speaking to lawyers involved in “sex offender litigation.” That limitation could be unconstitutional, according to a First Amendment lawyer. The woman, who is not named, was…
Read MoreWA: Mandatory reporting law includes conversations from confession if child abuse is suspected
Source: abajournal.com 7/21/25 Mandatory reporting laws are considered important tools in the fight against child abuse and neglect, according to a court filing by the Washington state attorney general’s office. (Image from Shutterstock) Is a new Washington state law, which requires priests to report suspected child abuse or neglect, including information from confessions, an assault on the Catholic Church and thousands of years of religious doctrine and practice? That’s what the U.S. Justice Department says, asserting that it won’t sit “idly by when states mount attacks on the free exercise…
Read MoreNY: Woodstock Town Board votes to fire employee found to be sex offender in explosive meeting
Source: wamc.org 7/23/25 There’s turmoil on the Woodstock Town Board as lawmakers grapple with how to handle the town’s hiring of a Level 3 sex offender earlier this year. In an explosive meeting that put Supervisor Bill McKenna on the defensive, members of the board voted to fire the employee Tuesday night. A warning to listeners that this story discusses sexual assault. Members of the Town Board say McKenna didn’t tell them that 31-year-old Michael Innello was a Level 3 sex offender when they voted to hire him for a…
Read MoreThe Registry Paradox: Why Ending Sex Offense Registries Could Make Us Safer
Source: Nebraskans Unafraid 7/22/25 For decades, sex offense registries have stood as a seemingly unshakeable pillar of public safety. The logic is intuitive: track people convicted of certain offenses, make their presence known, and communities will be safer. Yet, a growing body of research suggests that this widely accepted strategy is not only largely ineffective in preventing new crimes but may, in fact, be counterproductive, creating a false sense of security while imposing immense, often debilitating, burdens on individuals. It’s time to critically examine whether these registries truly serve their intended…
Read MoreN.J. court just made it harder for sex offenders to get off Megan’s Law registry
Source: nj.com 7/7/25 The New Jersey Appellate Division issued a ruling clarifying that sex offenders must prove they pose no threat to public safety—not just that they’re unlikely to reoffend sexually. A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that individuals seeking removal from the state’s sex offender registry must prove they are not a danger to the public in any way, not just that they are unlikely to commit another sex crime. The ruling, which sets a new legal precedent in New Jersey, stems from two cases involving men convicted of…
Read MoreIA: Protestors Defend Vigilante Murderer of Registrant
Source: wndu.com 7/2/25 GOSHEN, Ind. (WNDU) – Protestors rallied outside of the Elkhart County Courthouse in downtown Goshen on Wednesday afternoon to call for stricter penalties for child sex offenders and show their support for a man who is charged with murdering a sex offender last week at an Elkhart motel. 35-year-old Nicholas Stanley is accused of killing 35-year-old Allen Cogswell back on June 24 at the Daylite Inn on Cassopolis Street. … Protestors also held up signs that said things like, “Free Nic” and “Nick Stanley Doesn’t Deserve Jail.” Read the full…
Read MoreFL: Ex-CA Politician Tries to Whip Up Hysteria to Make His Registrant Neighbor Homeless
Source: sjcitizen.com 6/18/25 Brian Pepin, a father of three and former member of the Poway City Council in California, publicly called for stricter sex offender residency restrictions during Tuesday’s St. Johns County Board of Commissioners meeting. Now a political consultant, Pepin recently moved to St. Augustine with his family and said that a registered sex offender moved directly across the street from their home. He shared the emotional impact this has had on his family during the public comment period. “Last week we learned that the guy that moved in across…
Read MoreNE: A Better Way Forward: Smarter Public Safety Investments for Douglas County
Source: Nebraskans Unafraid Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson’s recent announcement of a new “investigator” position tasked with verifying the addresses of people on Nebraska’s sex offender registry might make headlines, but it won’t make our communities safer. It’s an initiative based on optics rather than outcomes, intended to project action, not produce impact. Instead of allocating taxpayer-funded resources toward a symbolic gesture with no measurable public safety benefits, the sheriff’s office could be focusing on evidence-based strategies that truly prevent crime, protect vulnerable populations, and build community trust. Below are several alternatives that deserve…
Read MoreIA: Man accused of killing sex offender after he was released from prison
Source: azfamily.com 6/26/25 ELKHART, Ind. (WNDU/Gray News) – An Indiana man has been charged with murder after investigators say he shot and killed a sex offender who had recently been released from prison. Nicholas Stanley, 35, is accused of killing 35-year-old Allen Cogswell early Tuesday morning at the Daylite Inn on Cassopolis Street. According to The Goshen News, police confirmed that Cogswell was a sex offender who had been released from prison in May. Court records stated that Stanley is related to a victim in that case. … Stanley is currently being held…
Read MoreIL: New Joliet Park Created to Force 11 Sexual Offenders To Vacate ‘Pedophile Palace’ On Cora Street
Source: msn.com 6/26/25 JOLIET, IL — Three years after concerned citizens of Joliet raised awareness regarding the opening of a two-story apartment building in the Cunningham Neighborhood to provide shelter for several mostly out of town registered sexual predators and convicted offenders, efforts by the city of Joliet to get rid of the so-called “Pedophile Palace” are finally coming to fruition. This week, for the first time, Joliet’s new Cunningham Neighborhood Park is being built, thanks to a generous donation of free labor and materials by Allied Landscaping of Joliet. John…
Read MoreTX: US Supreme Court backs Texas online porn age-check law
Source: tech.yahoo.com 6/27/25 WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday against challengers to a Texas law that requires pornographic websites to verify the age of users in an effort to protect minors after the adult entertainment industry argued that the measure violates the free speech rights of adults. The justices, in a 6-3 ruling authored by conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, upheld a lower court’s decision allowing enforcement of the Republican-led state’s age-checking mandate. The law likely does not violate the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment safeguard against government abridgment…
Read MoreFL: New Volusia County’s short-sighted ordinance makes it harder to track down homeless sex offenders
Source: wesh.com 6/25/25 VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. —A new ordinance in Volusia County has resulted in an increase among the homeless sex offender and predator population on the streets. Deputies aren’t just checking on suspects, they’re surprising convicted sex offenders. However, the deputies don’t know where to look if the offenders are homeless and not showing up for check-ins. Nearly 1,000 offenders live in the county, and they’re subject to strict laws and quarterly compliance checks. If they’re homeless, they have to check in more frequently. Brandon Goggin with the Volusia…
Read MoreWA: Feds seek to block WA law requiring clergy to report child abuse
Source: washingtonstatestandard.com 6/23/25 Washington bishops sued last month to prevent the law from taking effect. Now, the Trump administration is looking to back their lawsuit. The Trump Administration moved Monday to join a legal fight to overturn a new Washington law requiring religious leaders to report child abuse or neglect even when it is disclosed in confession. A motion filed in federal court by the Department of Justice argues the law, which takes effect next month, is unconstitutional because it “deprives Catholic priests of their fundamental right to freely exercise their religious…
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