A group that says it advocates for ‘rational sexual offense laws’ is organizing a nationwide Halloween hotline and vows to hold local governments, law enforcement agencies and parole/probation officers accountable if “the constitutional rights of law-abiding, registered sex offenders are violated under the pretext of protecting the public on Halloween.” Full Article NARSOL Announcment Halloween Marathon October 31st, 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. EDT Please join NARSOL for our second annual Halloween marathon/”Cop-watch” hot line session, beginning at 5 p.m. eastern time on October 31st. We will be live for five…
Read MoreTag: Halloween
Halloween: When Sex Offenders Are the Scariest Ghosts
Why do we scare ourselves about how much our kids are at risk? Full Article
Read MoreMO: Registered sex offenders in Dent County will have signs outside their home this Halloween
[ky3.com – 10/23/18] SALEM, Mo. — We are now just 8 days away from Halloween and one local sheriff’s office here in the Ozarks wants to make it a safe night for all the kids going door to door. That’s why the Dent Co sheriff’s office wants a particular group of people to put a sign outside their home. The Dent County Sheriff’s Office is asking all the registered sex offenders in the county and especially those inside the Salem city limits to put this sign reading, no treats or…
Read MoreGA: All registered sex offenders will gather in Council Chambers on Halloween
[Updated] With Halloween right around the corner, Grovetown is rounding up registered sex offenders to make the night a little less frightening for parents and children out trick-or-treating. Full Article Jones for Mayor Facebook Page Related Media Washington Post Article 10/24 http://metrospirit.com/beware-sex-offenders-grovetown/ 10/24 https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/10/27/mayor-causes-stir-over-what-he-declared-will-happen-to-sex-offenders-on-halloween-night 10/27
Read MorePatch Publishes Completely Unnecessary Sex Offender Maps to Keep Kids Safe on Halloween
Every year around Halloween time, Patch, the news website specializing in local coverage around the country, publishes maps that show where sex offenders live. Patch claims this is some kind of public service, even though a thorough study of 67,000 cases of child molestation found zero increase in sex crimes against children on Halloween. Full Article
Read MoreGA: Thomas County deputies keep ‘watchful eye’ on sex offenders
[walb.com – 10/4/18] THOMAS CO., GA (WALB) – Locating and registering sex offenders is a top priority for Georgia sheriff’s offices. The Thomas County Sheriff’s Office said they verify registered sex offenders multiple times throughout the year, as part of the “Operation Watchful Eye” initiative. Lt. Tim Watkins, Thomas County Sheriff’s Office chief investigator, said Halloween is one of those holidays that they make sure all registered sex offenders in the county are where they’re suppose to be. “They have to be inside their residence. They cannot have any decorations…
Read MoreMA: Sex offenders have access to kids on Halloween
[bostonherald.com – 10/7/18] Sex offenders are forbidden under state law from driving an ice cream truck, but they can hand out all the candy they want on Halloween in what one child advocate is calling a risky oversight. “Halloween is like Christmas for sex offenders,” said attorney Wendy Murphy. “They know they’ll have lots of access to kids and that they can’t get in trouble even though they’re required to stay away from children.” Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas all have “no candy” laws that ban sex offenders…
Read MoreCA: When Handing Out Candy To Trick-or-Treaters Means Risking Arrest
[theappeal.org – 10/1/18] Lawyer [Janice M. Bellucci] seeks end to Halloween restrictions that target people convicted of sex offenses. Before the police apprehended Steve, he tried to kill himself by cutting his wrists, he told The Appeal. Then 20 years old, he had attempted to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl in California. “I couldn’t believe I had done that,” said Steve, whose name has been changed to protect his identity. “I felt I couldn’t live with myself.” He spent three years in prison, and after he was released, stayed in…
Read MoreTwo California Cities Repeal Halloween Restrictions
The Cities of Lancaster and Temecula this week repealed restrictions which prohibited all registrants living in those cities from fully participating in Halloween celebrations. The repeals took place after letters were sent to a total of five cities warning that the restrictions were preempted by state law. The letters also warned cities that fail to repeal the Halloween restrictions could be sued in court.. “We congratulate Lancaster and Temecula for taking the necessary steps to repeal their unlawful ordinances,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “And we are preparing to…
Read MoreSimi Valley Formally Notifies Registrants of Repealed Halloween Ordinance
The City of Simi Valley has formally notified registrants in that city that they are no longer required to post a sign on the front door of their home on Halloween and are allowed to decorate their homes as well as answer their door to children. According to the letter dated October 18, these changes are the result of a decision made on October 16 by the Simi Valley City Council to repeal its Halloween ordinance which was adopted in 2012. The Simi Valley letter did not make reference to…
Read MoreCT: Panel mulls changes to sex offender registry
Parents who check the state sex offender registry prior to allowing their children to knock on strangers’ doors and ask for candy this Halloween may be under the misconception that every person listed on the registry poses a grave danger to public safety. Full Article
Read MoreCA: Simi Valley links to Megan’s Law site to safeguard kids from sex offenders on Halloween
Simi Valley on Thursday unveiled a new strategy to safeguard trick-or-treating children from the city’s registered sex offenders. It used its Nixle.com account to link to the state’s Megan’s Law website, which lists the names, photos and addresses of 97 of the city’s 165 registered sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreMO: Sex offender laws in effect for Halloween
Halloween is just around the corner, and parents may be wondering what laws are in effect in order to keep your kids safe when it comes to sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreCA: Sex Offender Law Repealed In Simi Valley
[CBS Los Angeles] SIMI VALLEY (CBSLA) — Don’t take candy from strangers. But what about sexual offenders? The Simi Valley City Council decided on Monday night to overturn a law aimed at protecting children from sexual predators. City leaders say the law wouldn’t stand up in a legal appeal so they killed it. There will now be nothing to stop registered sex offenders in Simi Valley from interacting with trick-or-treaters. So when Halloween rolls around in a couple of weeks, parents say they’ll be a lot more vigilant. The ordinance…
Read MoreSimi Valley Repeals Halloween Ordinance
The Simi Valley City Council unanimously agreed tonight to repeal its Halloween Ordinance which required the city’s registrants to post a sign on the front door of their homes as well as prohibited them from decorating their homes, answering the door to trick-or-treaters and illuminating any exterior lights. The City Council vote was taken without discussion or debate, however, the City Attorney recommended repeal of the ordinance prior to the meeting due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of a registrant and his family who reside in Simi Valley. “The…
Read MoreCA: Simi Valley City Council may repeal Halloween sex offender ordinance
With two weeks until Halloween, the Simi Valley City Council on Monday night may repeal a controversial law that says registered sex offenders listed on the Megan’s Law website can’t open their doors to trick-or-treating children. Full Article
Read MoreSex Offender Advocates Object To Local Mapping Of Registered Sex Criminals (Updated)
The Board of Directors for the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws objects to local public safety maps which pinpoint the addresses of individuals listed on official state sex-offender registries. NARSOL submitted this letter to Patch explaining why such maps should not be published at Halloween. https://patch.com/us/across-america/sex-offender-advocates-object-mapping-registered-sex-criminals Update – Follow up from Patch ‘Then I See The Delight In Your Eyes Turn To Fear’ Heyl: Some Sex Offender Names Soon Could Vanish From Online State Registry
Read MoreRegistrant and Family Request Injunction to Stop Simi Valley Halloween Law
A registrant and his family filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction (PI) in federal court late yesterday in order to stop a Halloween Ordinance in Simi Valley from being enforced. The ordinance requires registrants to post a sign on the front door of their home on Halloween as well as prohibits registrants from participating in Halloween activities including decorating their homes. “After the lawsuit was filed, city officials have admitted that they have enforced the Halloween Ordinance for the past five years despite a judge’s ruling and a written promise…
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