The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) is dedicated to protecting the Constitution by restoring the civil rights of registrants and their families. In order to achieve that objective, ACSOL will educate and litigate as well as support or oppose legislation. The ACSOL website and recordings are provided as a service to registrants, registrants’ families, and others for general information only. The information on the website and in the recordings are not designed to provide legal or other advice or to create an attorney-client relationship. You should not take, or refrain from taking, action based on their content. Prior results and case studies do not guarantee a similar outcome in future representations. ACSOL accepts no responsibility for any loss or damages that may result from accessing or reliance on content on the ACSOL website and recordings and disclaim, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all liability with respect to acts or omissions made by registrants, registrants’ families and others on the basis of content on the ACSOL website.
Important News / Announcements
General News Feed
MO: 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,...
GA: 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...
MI: 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
MD: 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...
FAC 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
IL: 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...
UK: 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...
WI: 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...
ACSOL 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...
AR: 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...
CA: 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...
IN: 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...
Apartheid’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,...
FL: Scammers target sex offenders in Steuben County with fake warrant claims
Source: newportdispatch.com 3/18/25 BATH — The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning about scammers impersonating law enforcement officials to extort money from registered sex offenders. Sheriff Jim Allard reports that scammers are contacting registered sex offenders claiming to be members of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office. The fraudulent callers tell victims that arrest warrants have been issued due to missed DNA submissions....
Janice’s Journal: Shame on Idaho Legislators
It has been reported that legislators in the State of Idaho unanimously passed a bill this week that would allow the death penalty for adults who sexually abuse a child under the age of 12. ACSOL does not believe that the sexual abuse of a child is acceptable or should go unpunished. That is not the issue. Instead, the issue is whether killing a...
ID: Idaho House unanimously passes child sex abuse death penalty bill
Source: idahocapitalsun.com 3/17/25 As lawmakers anticipate court challenge, Idaho Republican House legislative leader says U.S. Supreme Court was wrong The Idaho House on Monday unanimously passed a bill to allow the death penalty for adults who sexually abuse children age 12 and younger in Idaho. Similar to his bill that stalled last year, House Bill 380, cosponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, would allow the death...
Bangladesh: This is the first-ever sex offender public registry in Bangladesh
Source: thedailystar.net 3/9/25 A sex offender public registry has been launched in Bangladesh for the first time through the digital platform Shocheton.org. The initiative aims to increase awareness of sexual crimes and provide access to offender records. The platform allows individuals to report incidents of sexual offenses, offering an avenue for victims and witnesses to come forward while maintaining anonymity if preferred. A sex...
NV: Nevada bills aim to expand sex offender registration and protect trafficking victims
Source: msn.com 3/15/25 Two new bills introduced in the Nevada Legislature aim to address issues related to sex offenses and prostitution, with a focus on expanding offender registration and protecting victims of sex trafficking. Assembly Bill 151, sponsored by northern Nevada assemblyman Ken Gray, seeks to broaden the scope of sex offender registration and community notification requirements. Under current law, individuals convicted of crimes...
IL: Illinois Senate democrats push bill to ease residency rules for sex offenders
Source: prairiestatewire.com 3/14/25 Illinois Democratic state senators have proposed legislation that would reduce residency restrictions for registered child sex offenders, lowering the required distance they must maintain from schools and childcare facilities. Introduced by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford and co-sponsored by Sens. Adriane Johnson and Mary Edly-Allen, Senate Bill 2254 seeks to amend the Criminal Code of 2012 and the state’s sex offender registration laws. Under...
Passport Applicants May Have To Affirm That They Are ‘Not Required To Register’ As Sex Offenders
Source: reason.com 3/14/25 The proposed State Department policy would add to the irrational burdens that registrants face. Under a proposed State Department policy, U.S. passport applicants would have to affirm that they are "not required to register" as sex offenders. If they are "required to register," they would have to submit a "supplementary explanatory statement under oath." The State Department says that change, which it announced in a Federal...