Yesterday was a beautiful day, I think you will agree. I decided to take a short walk from my house on Hamilton Street to Dana Park, which I have been coming to almost daily since 1989, the year my son was born. As I often do, I brought my camera, sat on a bench for about 10 minutes, did one lap around the park and headed home. I had barely gotten across the street when three police cars pulled up: I was told to stop, and swiftly surrounded by six…
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Orange home to fifth-highest amount of sex offenders in O.C.
The Panther, Chapman University Student Paper – The city of Orange has the fifth highest number of registered sex offenders among the 34 cities in Orange County, according to Megan’s Law’s, a website that lists registered sex offenders in California. Orange has 91 registered sex offenders, 24 of which are within a 2-mile radius of Chapman University. Eighteen of the offenders were arrested for performing or attempting “lewd” acts with a child under the age of 14, and there is one offender who was arrested for rape. Full Article
Read MoreLawsuit challenges Halloween sex offender requirement [update 3 with more media links]
This story has been picked up by Reuters News Service and was on the main page of US msn.com (screenshot). http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-sex-offender-sues-over-halloween-sign-and-rules/ SAN DIEGO — The group California Reform Sex Offender Laws and a sex offender on parole filed a lawsuit in San Diego federal court Wednesday challenging a requirement that sex offenders on parole post a sign on the front door of their home on Halloween, as required by the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Full Article Related Media http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Registered-Sex-Offender-Sues-Halloween-Safety-Program-333742971.html http://www.kogo.com/onair/demaio-report-56776/demaio-report-commentary-lawsuit-seeks-to-14038184 Carl DeMaio asks tough questions of the attorney…
Read MoreFL: Unmanned Drones and Sex Offenders
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — A state lawmaker from Central Florida has filed a bill that would make it a crime for registered sex offenders to use a remote control drone to spy on kids or take their pictures. Senator Dorothy Hukill of Port Orange says predators are required to stay away from schools, playgrounds and other places where children gather… but there’s nothing in the law about drones. “What they can’t do personally, they can do with a drone,” she said. “They can do it pretty unobtrusively without people being aware or knowing…
Read MoreCA RSOL Challenges Halloween Sign Requirement in Federal Court [updated with complaint]
California Reform Sex Offender Laws (CA RSOL) and a registrant on parole filed a lawsuit in federal court today challenging a requirement that registrants on parole post a sign on the front door of their home on Halloween. The requirement is levied by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) as a blanket restriction on all registrant parolees in San Diego. “CDCR’s requirement that all registrant parolees post a sign on the front door of their residence violates the First Amendment because it compels speech,” stated Janice Bellucci, attorney…
Read MoreUK: Internet child sex abusers urged to get help in new campaign
A national video campaign has been launched to encourage people who view images of child sexual abuse online to seek help. The initiative is modelled on anti-drink drive and anti-knife crime campaigns. Full Article
Read MoreWe are all sex offenders now — Happy Halloween.
2008 – One can almost bet that a politician is, right this moment, concocting some new stupid piece of legislation. And he will crow if he manages to pass the new absurdity into law — and the more absurd it is, the more likely it is that it will pass. Consider that we are now about to enter Halloween. It is not a holiday I have ever particularly enjoyed, not even as a child. And my general response has been to ignore it. I don’t wear a costume and I…
Read MoreOK: One State Just Announced Plans To Castrate Sex Offenders
According to recent reports, Oklahoma State Senator mark Allen has just proposed a bill that seeks to chemically castrate violent sex offenders. The proposal follows the lead of Florida and California. Under the new measure, first time sex offenders could undergo the procedure for early release. Second time offenders would have no choice in the matter. Full Article
Read MoreOH: Convicted sex offender seeks chance to take Ohio bar exam
The Ohio Supreme Court is debating whether a convicted sex offender who wants to be a lawyer should be allowed to take the state bar exam. The court scheduled a Tuesday hearing for the request by ____ ____, a former Army officer convicted in military court of sex-related offenses after his arrest in 1998 in an FBI sting operation in which he thought he was meeting a 15-year-old girl for sex. Full Article
Read MoreWithdrawn Plea, Vacated Convictions Included in Ever Expanding Reach of Sex Offender Registration
SORNA, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, became law in 2006. We recently posted a piece about how the Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals have expanded the definition of what constitutes a sex offense under the law. These two circuits were following the trend in SORNA cases. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Kebodeaux said “SORNA’s general changes designed to make more uniform what had been ‘a patchwork of federal and 50 individual state registration systems” which had “’loopholes and deficiencies’ that had…
Read MoreJustice Can Be Served Without Putting Kids Behind Bars
Last month, the Seattle City Council resolved to end the practice of putting young lawbreakers behind bars. Resolution 31614, which passed unanimously, is a commitment to “eliminate the need to detain or incarcerate youth” by cutting off the “school-to-prison pipeline” and finding alternatives to incarceration. Full Article
Read MoreCanada: American Sentenced For Possession Of Child Pornography . . . Of Cartoon Characters
There is an interesting criminal case in Canada where American ____ ____ 25, of Murrells Inlet, S.C., is under arrest for possession of child pornography. However, the images were not of human beings but cartoon characters. Canada treats sexual cartoon images as pornography – a view widely rejected in the United States as inimical to free speech protections. Full Article
Read MoreIs sexting the new first base?
A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that sexual texts are considered the new normal for young people. Local law enforcement say a growing number are pre-teens. Full Article
Read MoreWI: Legislator proposes child abuse registry
SAGINAW, MI (WNEM) –Tonight, children, many of them at-risk and abused, are putting the final touches on routines. They’re getting a special moment at their big dance in Saginaw. They’re Elijah’s Warriors, named in memory of 6-year-old Elijah Dillard. “Never, we never want to hear that story again, we never want to hear any child go near that story,” said Omarr Dillard. In 2014, Elijah was murdered in a brutal case of child abuse by his step father. … The bill would require convicted child abusers to register on the…
Read MoreNew California Law Cracks Down On Cheating Prosecutors
California prosecutors who deliberately withhold evidence from defense attorneys may face harsher punishment under a new law passed after a wave of misconduct scandals. Full Article
Read MoreMT: Whitefish man says detective ‘coached’ false child molestation allegations
The battle of one Whitefish man to clear his name as a child molester has landed in the Montana Supreme Court. In a recent court brief, ____ ____ and his lawyers alleged Flathead County District Court abused its discretion multiple times, and requested the high court enter a judgment in favor of ____. Convicted of sexual assault and deviate sexual conduct in 1995, ____ has maintained his innocence for more than 20 years. He served 10 years in prison, but has refused to register as a sexual offender. “I will…
Read MoreNY: Facebook and NY Attorney General Battle Sex Trafficking
Facebook and the New York Attorney General have formed a prolific crime-fighting partnership. The two have teamed up to find missing children and curb illegal gun sales. Now the Batman and Robin of Gotham justice are working on a new plan to battle online sex trafficking. The latest partnership hopes to use Facebook’s mountains of user and ad data to identify human traffickers and child victims of sex trafficking. Full Article
Read MoreBermuda: Dismont advises against naming offenders
Early education and awareness is key to protecting children from sexual abuse, according to Family Centre’s executive director. Martha Dismont said treatment of convicted offenders was the next most important step to reduce reoffending. However, the charity would not advise naming sexual offenders because this “has not been shown to be the best method of keeping the public safe”. Full Article
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