Source: msn.com 3/25/25 In Austin on Tuesday, the family of Audrii Cunningham strongly urged Texas lawmakers to support a bill that would strengthen sex offender registration laws. … Through tears, Munsch pleaded with lawmakers to support Audrii’s Law. The law would add child grooming to the list of crimes that require registration as a sex offender, closing a so-called “loophole” that allows some offenders to avoid the registry altogether. Read the full article
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ND: Senate passes bill studying length of time on sex offender registry
Source: kfyrtv.com 3/28/25 BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – People who are considered “low-risk” sex offenders are required to be registered for at least 15 years. A House bill looks to see if that’s too long. Originally, House Bill 1231 called for the minimum to be at seven years before you could petition for removal. Senators amended the bill to make it a study to figure out if any lowering is appropriate. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee say there was too much debate to be confident in enacting immediate change. “We…
Read MoreNJ: New Jersey sees 74% increase in child pornography arrests since 2020
Source: whyy.org 3/17/25 The state’s top law enforcement agent to those possessing and distributing child porn: If you harm our kids, we’re going to catch and prosecute you. The number of people charged with possession of child pornography is rising in New Jersey. During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Attorney General Matt Platkin, the chief law enforcement agent in the Garden State, said over the past several years there has been an uptick in reports of the number of tips about suspected predatory activity online, which has led to…
Read MoreAction Alert for CA! Call and Write Now, then Show Up to Committee April 8 Hearing on Senate Bill 680 That Could Add 30,000 People to Registry
The CA Senate Public Safety Committee is scheduled to conduct a hearing April 8 regarding Senate Bill 680 that could add up to 30,000 people to the registry! “We must stop this bill in order to prevent the addition of thousands of people to the California registry,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “A similar bill (Senate Bill 1218) was introduced last year and ACSOL as well as other organizations were able to stop it due to our strong opposition.” (1) SEND A LETTER: Please send a…
Read MoreID: Idaho governor signs into law child sex abuse death penalty bill, despite U.S. Supreme Court ruling
Source: idahocapitalsun.com 3/27/25 Widely supported in the Idaho Legislature, the bill is likely to face a constitutional challenge, lawmakers acknowledge. But they are hopeful law will prevail. Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law a bill to make people who sexually abuse young children in Idaho eligible for the death penalty. House Bill 380 will allow the death penalty in a new criminal charge the bill creates: aggravated lewd conduct with children age 12 and younger. The bill also would add mandatory minimum prison sentences for cases of aggravated lewd…
Read MoreMO: Missouri Files Final Brief in Halloween Sign Challenge
Source: ACSOL The State of Missouri filed its final brief today in the pending federal case that challenges the state’s Halloween sign law. The next step in the litigation process is oral argument before the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. No date has yet been set for oral argument, however, the parties must be provided at least 30 days prior notice. “In its brief, the State of Missouri continues to repeat its claim that the law that requires all registrants to post a sign at their residence on Halloween is…
Read MoreGA: Georgia Suggests Making Sex Offender Registry Removal More Confusing
Source: filtermag.org 3/27/25 Georgia is weighing legislation that would make it more difficult for people on the state’s sex offender registry (SOR) to get off it, as well as to relocate—whether attempting to move in from out of state or move from one part of the state to another. Personally I’m more interested in getting out of Georgia, but that’s beyond the scope of HB 430. The bill pertains to registrants trying to move to a new county, potentially as they’re getting off the SOR. As of March 26, it appears to be in the…
Read MoreMI: A huge win in Michigan: U.S. District Court found that the registry is punishment!
Source: Florida Action Committee 3/27/25 This is big news: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ruled the state can’t enforce the entirety of its 2021 version of the law against offenders who committed their crimes before July 1, 2011. And the Court found that the registry is punishment! Read the decision and more on FAC’s website
Read MoreMD: Lawmakers consider proposal to reduce potential of billions in sex abuse payouts
Source: marylandmatters.org 3/25/25 Supporters and opponents brace for courtroom fight if bill passes Facing the potential of multibillion-dollar payouts, lawmakers will consider legislation this week that would limit the state’s liability under the 2023 Child Victims Act. But advocates, legal experts and, not unexpectedly, attorneys for one group of nearly 5,000 plaintiffs who claim to have been sexually abused at the hands of state workers, say the proposed fix goes too far, and is likely unconstitutional. Even Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles), the author of both the original bill and…
Read MoreFAC Launches New PSA Videos on YouTube Shorts & Social Media – Watch, Share, & Support!
Source: Florida Action Committee 3/26/25 The Florida Action Committee (FAC) is excited to announce the release of our latest public service announcement (PSA) videos, now available on YouTube Shorts and social media! These impactful videos are designed to educate the public on the facts vs. myths surrounding the registry, helping to drive awareness and positive change. Watch the videos and give support
Read MoreIL: Bill proposes halving distance between sex offenders and schools to 250 feet
Source: mystateline.com 3/17/25 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — A new bill proposed in Illinois would reduce the distance convicted sex offenders are required to observe when living near schools. Senate Bill 2254, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Chicago), would reduce the distance sex offenders are required to stay from schools and playgrounds from 500 feet to 250 feet. Read the full article [Action alert for Illinois registrants and supporters: Call, write, and show up as soon as possible to support this bill to increase housing choices for registrants]
Read MoreUK: Man confronted by paed*phile hunters found dead on M4 motorway after falling from height and then being struck by cars
Source: thesun.co.uk 3/24/25 The married man had been arrested and released by cops the following day A MAN confronted by online paed*phile hunters was found dead on a motorway, an inquest heard. Adrian Smith, 48, featured in a livestream by self-proclaimed “child protection service” groups on the evening of February 21. Avon and Somerset Police arrested the married man that night and released him from custody the following day. Avon Coroners’ Court heard Mr Smith’s body was discovered under a bridge between junction 20 and 21 of the M4 motorway at…
Read MoreWI: Possession of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery may be protected by First Amendment in some cases, judge rules
Source: nbcnews.com 3/18/25 In February, a district judge tossed out a charge against a Wisconsin man of possession of the obscene material but allowed other charges to move forward Federal prosecutors are appealing a federal judge’s ruling in Wisconsin that possessing child sexual abuse material created by artificial intelligence is in some situations protected by the Constitution. The order and the subsequent appeal could have major implications for the future legal treatment of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, which has been a top concern among child safety advocates…
Read MoreACSOL Online Meeting April 19, 2025
You are invited to join ACSOL Executive Director and civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci and an ACSOL board member for our next meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday April 19 online on Zoom beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 PM Eastern, and will last at least two hours. You can use the Zoom app or you can call in using a Zoom phone number. There is no registration needed for this meeting. No government officials are allowed to attend the meetings. This meeting will be recorded. Within…
Read MoreAR: Arkansas tightens sex offender registry with new legal definitions
Source: 5newsonline.com 3/21/25 Acts 361 and 362 clarify and add requirements to existing legislation to provide stronger protection for minors in sex offender cases. ARKANSAS, USA — According to the Child Welfare League of America, human trafficking is the second-largest criminal industry in the world. This week, lawmakers in Arkansas made progress to tackle the issue through legislation. On Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law two bills that prosecutors said would help put away sex offenders. Senator Missy Irvin of District 24 says, “There was a case whereupon…
Read MoreCA: CASOMB 3/20/25 Reports Increase in Petitions Files and Granted, Decrease in Persons Required to Register
The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) met this week and during that meeting, several agency reports were presented. The reports reflect increases both in the number of petitions filed (+359) and the number of petitions granted (+313) as well as a decrease of more than 1,000 in the total number of people required to register. Below is a chart listing those and other statistics presented during this week’s meeting. The next CASOMB meeting is scheduled for May 15, 2025, in Sacramento at 2590 Venture Oaks Way. The meeting time…
Read MoreIN: Government & Politics ‘Obscene performance’ ban added to child abuse bill, official misconduct expungements weighed
Source: indianacapitalchronicle.com 3/20/25 Rep. Chris Jeter declined to say whether his amendment was aimed at drag queen story times. Indiana lawmakers on Wednesday chose not to strip key provisions from legislation tightening handling of child sex abuse materials — yet — but did add a ban on any government-funded “obscene performance.” The House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code also moved a proposal allowing unelected officials convicted of official misconduct a path toward expungement. Senate Bill 326’s original purpose was replacing use of the phrase “child pornography” throughout Indiana Code with…
Read MoreApartheid’s shadow vs. America’s Stain: which country’s sex offender registry leads on human rights?
Source: Florida Action Committee 3/20/25 On one side we have the United States – the “land of the free”, “with liberty and justice for all” and the self-appointed global moral compass. On the other side we have South Africa, a nation historically scarred by apartheid, oppression and human rights violations. Which country is showing the world what real progress looks like? In this case, South Africa, is putting the U.S. to shame when it comes to respecting human rights and insight into effective criminal justice. Earlier this year South Africa…
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