HESPERIA — The City Council will consider and reconsider a number of issues at a specially scheduled 3 p.m. Tuesday meeting. Included on the agenda is a resolution approving issuance of multi-family housing revenue bonds, revisions to regulations concerning registered sex offenders and amendments to the fine schedule under emergency water conservation conditions. Full Article
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California not following recommendation on parole agent caseloads
California never adopted the recommendation that the caseloads of agents supervising sex offenders be reduced, despite the urging of a blue-ribbon task force that was set up after an arrest in the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard, and the deaths of others at the hands of those under the state’s watch. Instead, agent caseloads remain at levels as much as twice what the task force deemed safe, while duties for those agents have been greatly expanded. Full Article
Read MoreGoogle email scan helps police arrest a sex offender
Google has long used automatic image scanning to fight online child exploitation, but it’s now clear that this monitoring applies to email, too. Houston police have arrested a registered sex offender after Google tipped them off to illegal photos of children in his Gmail account. The notice only led to a warrant at first, but it helped the cops discover locally stored images that they wouldn’t have found otherwise. Full Article
Read MoreWe’re becoming paranoid about kids, parks (Opinion)
A couple of weeks ago, the Debra Harrell story made national headlines. Harrell was arrested in North Augusta, S.C., and charged with a felony for letting her 9-year-old daughter play at a park while Harrell worked a shift at a local McDonald’s. Now, it has happened again, in Port St. Lucie, Fla., where a mother was charged with child neglect after letting her son go to a park by himself. Full Op-Ed Piece
Read MoreGeneral Comments August 2014
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of August 2014. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read MoreTX: From convicted sex offender to millionaire, man gets new life
Dallas (CNN) — ____ ____ has has been spending most of his time these days living in a tiny room in a no-frills northeast Dallas nursing home. Until recently, he had a roommate who slept in a bed 2 feet away, and staff brought him three square meals a day. Only a few hours passed each day in which he didn’t think about his burden of four decades: being a convicted sex offender. Full Article
Read MoreUK: Teacher who sniffed children’s feet given suspended prison sentence
A TEACHER who sniffed and tickled pupils’ feet for sexual gratification has been handed a suspended prison sentence. ____ ____ , 51, would play a game of ‘smell and tickle’ with pupils at a Blackburn primary school, which involved him making the pupils take off their shoes and pick a post-it note. He would then do to them whatever was written on the paper they picked. … Judge Simon Newell, sitting at Preston Crown Court, sentenced ____ to 15 months in prison suspended for two years. The defendant was also made subject to a two-year…
Read MoreFL: Mom arrested after allowing her 7-year-old son to go to a nearby park alone
A mother faces a charge of child neglect after she allowed her son to go to a local park alone. She says he’s old enough but Port St. Lucie Police disagree. Now she’s fighting back. … The officer wrote in the report that Dominic was unsupervised at the park and that “numerous sex offenders reside in the vicinity.” Full Article
Read MoreTX: Rise in Sex Offenders in the Basin, Officials Explain Their Tactics
MIDLAND/ODESSA – A rise in sex offenders in the Basin, all because of the boom. But where are these criminals more likely to prey?The mall, playgrounds and parks are where many families and children come out to enjoy the summertime. Coincidentally, that’s where sex offenders tend to enjoy themselves as well. Because of the rise in sex offenders in the Basin, NewsWest 9 set out to investigate their criminal tactics and what children can do to protect themselves. Full Article
Read MoreBell Gardens Repeals Section of Sex Offender Law
Faced with the threat of lawsuits, the Bell Gardens City Council Monday voted to repeal an ordinance restricting the movement of registered sex offenders in the southeast city. The council’s decision comes following recent court rulings striking down local sex offender laws that exceed state regulations. In 2009, Bell Gardens adopted an ordinance that bans registered sex offenders from being within 300 feet of parks and other locations where children gather. “We’re not doing it because we want to do it, we’re doing it because we’re forced to do it…
Read MoreRestrictions on Where Sex Offenders Can Reside Countywide Preserved
An ordinance limiting where convicted sex offenders can reside in Riverside County will stay on the books, but local restrictions on where they can hang out will no longer remain in force, following a 5-0 vote this week by the Board of Supervisors. Full Article Also: http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/79726/
Read MorePeople Confront Exclusion Zones
Steven Yoder has written a wonderful piece which describes how people in various communities are fighting back against the use of exclusion zones, especially as a condition of electronic monitoring. Exclusion zones most frequently are used against people with sex offense convictions. The rules for exclusion zones typically ban certain groups of people from coming within a certain distance of places where children are likely to congregate-like schools, parks, and churches. Full Blog Post Article by Steven Yoder: Do Residency Bans Drive Sex Offenders Underground?
Read MoreCity to alter sex offender restrictions
STOCKTON – Seemingly without a say in the matter, and with a lawsuit filed against Stockton, the City Council appears likely tonight to repeal an ordinance that restricts some movements of registered sex offenders in places frequented by children. According to a staff report included in tonight’s meeting agenda, the city has no choice because recent court decisions have decreed that state law on the movement of registered sex offenders preempts local legislation. Full Article Agenda: http://www.stocktongov.com/clerk/granicusagendas/citycouncil/20140729.pdf (p. 52) July 29: Repeal Motion passes 6-1 (Mayor Anthony Silva opposing)
Read MoreOpinion: Public sex offender registries, like one created with Megan’s Law, are often unfair and ineffective: magazine editor
Jacob Sullum, senior editor at Reason magazine, writes that sex offender databases are both over- and under-inclusive, and often fail to distinguish between dangerous predators and those with nonviolent offenses. Further, one survey found that 90% of sexually abused minors were assaulted by relatives or acquaintances, not strangers. Full Opinion Piece
Read MoreNJ: Parents of little girl who inspired Megan’s Law recall brutal rape, murder of their daughter 20 years later
Megan Kanka was raped and strangled by a twice-convicted sex offender across the street from her home in Hamilton Township, N.J., in July of 1994. Her parents, Maureen and Richard Kanka, pushed tirelessly for the law that alerts parents when a sexual predator moves into the neighborhood. Two decades later, the family is still haunted by the tragedy. Full Article
Read MoreAUS: Queensland sex offender register: Derryn Hinch to meet with Jarrod Bleijie
BROADCASTER Derryn Hinch hopes Queensland will become the first state to adopt his model for a US-style public sex offender register. Hinch said he was due to meet with Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie tomorrow to discuss his proposal to name and shame sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreOpinion: Megan’s Law requiring sex offender registry reduces opportunities for sick people to hurt children: former NJ governor
Christine Todd Whitman, who was governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, writes that she signed Megan’s Law to help parents know who is living near them so they can ensure their children are safe. While the law is not a panacea, it has helped protect kids. Full Article
Read MoreREGISTERED SEX OFFENDER SUES CITY OF HESPERIA; 15thLAWSUIT FILED IN 4 MONTHS [Upated with Media Link]
Registered sex offender Frank Lindsay today challenged an ordinance adopted by the City of Hesperia which prohibits him and all other registered citizens from visiting public and private locations as well as residing within that city. The lawsuit was filed after the City Council of Hesperia considered, but failed, to repeal or revise its ordinance on July 15. The scope of the City’s ordinance is broad and includes restrictions regarding where more than 105,000 individuals can be present. Specifically, the ordinance prohibits registered citizens from being present in or within…
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