The Georgia school district said it was investigating the baseball players for “misbehavior” and “inappropriate physical contact.” What it didn’t reveal was that a younger teammate had reported being sexually assaulted. Full Article
Read MoreTag: Juveniles
WI: “Romeo and Juliet” offenders wouldn’t be listed on sex offender registry
A group of lawmakers says Wisconsin’s sex offender registry is watered down with teenagers who have no purpose being on it, and they’ve proposed legislation to carve out a so-called “Romeo and Juliet” exemption. Under the bill, teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18 years old who have consensual sex would no longer be put on the state registry, though they would be guilty of a misdemeanor crime. Wisconsin law makes it illegal for two people under the age of 18 to have sexual contact, regardless of consent. Full…
Read MoreCO: After two years of debate, Colorado teen sexting bill heads to Governor
A compromise teen sexting bill is heading to the desk of Colorado’s governor after passing both chambers of the state’s legislature and more than two years of fierce debate about how to address the complicated issue that’s becoming more prevalent. Full Article
Read MoreSC: Teens can be kept on sex-offender registry for life
South Carolina can continue to require some teens convicted of serious sex crimes to appear on the state’s public sex-offender registry and wear an electronic monitor for the rest of their lives, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. A boy from Spartanburg County who was 15 when he sexually assaulted a 5-year-old boy and ended up on the registry challenged the law. Full Article
Read MoreShakespeare And Sexting: Reconsidering Penalties For Teen Sexual Activity
Worried that the law sometimes imposes too big a penalty on teens who engage in consensual sexual activity, some legislators are pushing to reduce the consequences. More than 20 years ago, when ____ ____ was 19 and his girlfriend Amber was 15, Montana’s laws tore them apart, sending Russell to prison for four years for having sex with a minor. Source
Read MoreMA: Governor Proposes Bill Protecting Teen Sexters From Felony Charges
The Massachusetts state legislature will consider a bill that protects teen sexters from excessive prosecution while imposing harsher punishments on people who share nude photos with others without the subject’s consent. Filed by Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday, the bill would prevent prosecutors from charging teen sexters as child pornographers, recommending that they be sent to an educational program instead of prison or juvenile detention. Full Article
Read MoreTeens Who Engage in ‘Sexting’ Should Not Be Prosecuted as Sex Offenders
In an early episode of the television series “Girls,” Adam sends Hannah a photo of his penis and then a text message: “SRY that wasn’t for you.” Hannah and her friends debate the intention of Adam’s actions, but one thing is clear: The explicit photo he sent isn’t unusual, and it certainly isn’t criminal. Had he lived in the state of Washington, been under 18 — and, of course, been a real person — Adam might have been branded a sex offender. In Washington, minors who engage in the common…
Read MoreCO: Kids playing doctor aren’t felony sex offenders – Guest Column
Juvenile cellphone “sexting” is the technological equivalent of playing doctor, something that has been part of human behavior for as long as anyone can remember. Sexual curiosity is a natural part of physical and emotional development in children, and only the most zealous of prudes would argue that innocent exploration ought to constitute a crime. Full Article
Read MoreNV: Bill would allow judge to decide on sex offender registry for Nevada youth
Nevada judges may end up deciding if juvenile sex offenders will have to register and appear in the public sex offender database. Under Assembly Bill 395 a judge would decide if a juvenile has to register while they are a minor and if they need to register as an adult after reaching age 21. Full Article
Read MoreCT: Lawmakers consider requiring juveniles to register as sex offenders
Lawmakers are considering a bill that would require juveniles convicted of sexual offenses to register as sex offenders. Judiciary Committee co-chairman Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, said members of the committee believe sexual assault is just as serious when the offense is committed by someone under the age of 18. Full Article
Read MoreCalifornia Lawmakers Want To Treat Juvenile Offenders Like Children
California should start treating juvenile offenders more like children, state lawmakers said Monday as they promoted bills that they said reflect research showing that children’s brains are different from adults. Full Article
Read MoreAppeals court tosses some child molest convictions in Vacaville case
A 22-year-old Vacaville man convicted of sex crimes committed when he was 9 or 10 years old had all but one of those convictions overturned Tuesday by the Court of Appeal in San Francisco. Full Article Court Opinion
Read MoreWV: West Virginia rejects juvenile sex offender registration
West Virginia’s highest court has ruled that juveniles judged delinquents for sex offenses don’t have to register as sex offenders when they turn 18. The registration requirement applies to any person convicted of sex offenses. The court says under West Virginia law those delinquency adjudications are not convictions. Full Article Opinion
Read MoreKS/MO: Student sex offender information kept quiet in schools
Parents often get notes home from their child’s school district about field trips, health concerns, or a movie that will be shown in the classroom. What parents will never get is a note home about a classmate who is a juvenile sex offender. Full Article
Read MoreNew bill in Congress affecting sex offenders
There is a new bill in Congress HR 61 – Fair Chance for Youth Act of 2017 the purpose being “To provide for the expungement and sealing of youth criminal records, and for other purposes.” However, if the offense is a sex offense, that youth would not be eligible for expungement and sealing of youth criminal record. Again it seems that more than the “offense type” should play a part in any denial, but I am not in Congress. Readers should contact their representatives in DC and try to get…
Read MoreIA: ACLU to Represent Knoxville Teen in “Sexting” Lawsuit
The ACLU of Iowa announced that it will represent a 14-year-old Knoxville, Iowa, girl who was threatened with criminal charges after texting suggestive photos of herself to a boy. As a result, a local county attorney is threatening her with sexual exploitation of a minor—herself. Full Article
Read MoreAUS: One in four child sex offenders are revealed as children
A major increase in the number of children sexually attacking other kids has seen more than 3000 young people involved in sex crimes in NSW in the past five years. One in four child sex offenders are in fact children and 140 of the attacks that have occurred since 2011 were carried out by those aged under 11, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reveal. Just last year, 28 young children were sexually assaulted by 31 kids who were younger than 11, the Daily Telegraph reports. Full Article
Read MoreTeens and sex: When laws don’t keep up with reality
An 11-year-old girl in Michigan streaking in front of her brothers was charged with a sex crime. A 14-year-old boy in Minnesota was charged with distributing child pornography after sending a photo of his genitals to a female classmate. Another 14-year-old boy in South Dakota was charged with rape after getting his 13-year-old girlfriend pregnant. These are all cases that have been worked on by Nicole Pittman, vice president and director of the Center on Youth Registration Reform in California. Full Article
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