Source: missouriindependent.com 6/10/25 Legislation to void non-disclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Mike Kehoe. The bill has been called “Trey’s Law,” referring to the late Trey Carlock, who died by suicide in 2019 after being sexually abused by Pete Newman at the Branson-based Kanakuk Kamps. Trey’s sister, Elizabeth Carlock, said at a hearing on the bill in February that he had to agree to an NDA as a condition of his settlement with the camp. “Trey told someone just before his death that ‘they’ll always…
Read MoreTag: Missouri
MO: Missouri bill to void NDAs in child sex abuse cases approved by House
Source: missouriindependent.com 4/22/25 Legislation that would void non-disclosure agreements in child sexual abuse cases received unanimous approval from Missouri’s House on Tuesday afternoon. The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Brian Seitz from Branson, now heads to the Missouri Senate. Non-disclosure agreements are “legal mechanisms that were created to protect trade secrets, not trauma secrets,” Seitz said last week during House debate. “We must clarify the law on use of the NDAs in civil child sexual abuse settlements, so that survivors of such horrors who already feel shamed and silenced are also not…
Read MoreMO: 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, the State of Missouri continues to repeat its claim that the law that requires all registrants to post a sign at their residence on Halloween is…
Read MoreAL, KY, MS, OH, VA considering administrating Capital Punishment rape/sexual assault/sexual battery
Source: deathpenaltyinfo.org The States of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Virginia are considering administrating Capital Punishment towards those convicted of rape/sexual assault/sexual battery to those who have a living victim. Read the bills [AL, KY, MS, OH, VA registrants and supporters, fight this with writing, calls, and showing up]
Read MoreMO: Missouri Supreme Court Affirms Lifetime GPS Monitoring is Constitutional
Source: missourinet.com 2/12/25 The Missouri Supreme Court has ruled unanimously in favor of a lower court’s ruling, saying the sex offender failed to present evidence that a lifetime electronic monitoring requirement is unconstitutional. The woman sued the state Department of Corrections, arguing that electronic monitoring for the rest of her life violates her Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure. Her attorney also argued that women are different and much less likely to be repeat offenders. During a December court hearing, Michael Patton with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office…
Read MoreMO: Janice interviewed on TV news about Missouri sex offenders no longer having to put signs out on Halloween
Source: ksdk.com 10/29/24 ST. LOUIS — This Halloween, Missouri sex offenders won’t have to put a sign on their front door turning people away after a court decision earlier this month. Since August of 2008, registered sex offenders had to put signs on their doors on Halloween saying “No candy or treats at this residence.” Attorney Janice Bellucci represented a Hazelwood man challenging the law. “All the laws have one thing in common, which is they’re based on a myth or misunderstanding that people on the registry actually pose…
Read MoreMO: Attorney General Files Notice of Appeal in Missouri Halloween Case
Source: ACSOL The Missouri Attorney General filed a notice of appeal today notifying a federal district court in Eastern Missouri that they will seek review of that court’s decision by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. The district court’s decision permanently prohibits enforcement of a state law that requires registrants in Missouri to post a sign on their residence on Halloween. “We are not surprised that the Attorney General has filed a notice of appeal in this case,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “The filing of this notice, however,…
Read MoreMO: Children’s Advocacy Center reminds parents they are responsible for their children’s safety on Halloween
Source: yahoo.com 10/7/24 ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A long-standing Missouri Halloween statute for registered sex offenders has been abolished, striking down the requirement for posting warning signs outside of their homes. Since 2008, state law mandates that offenders stay indoors, keep their lights off, and display the signs to warn trick-or-treaters. Hazelwood resident Thomas Sanderson challenged the law after he was arrested days after Halloween 2022 for having a large display and handing out candy. Sanderson claimed the law forced him to express a message he didn’t agree with.…
Read MoreMO: This Halloween, Missouri sex offenders won’t have to post warning signs outside homes
Source: webstercountycitizen.com 10/4/24 ST. LOUIS — The state of Missouri can no longer require sex offenders to post signs outside their homes on Halloween stating “No candy or treats at this residence,” a federal judge ruled this week. Hazelwood resident Thomas Sanderson filed suit last year arguing the sign requirement violated his free speech rights because it forced him to make a statement with which he didn’t agree. This week, U.S. District Judge John A. Ross agreed, finding the sign requirement was a violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.…
Read MoreMO: Federal Court Grants Permanent Statewide Injunction in Missouri
Source: ACSOL A federal district court in Missouri has granted a permanent statewide injunction that prohibits the enforcement of a Halloween sign requirement in that state. As a result of this injunction registrants in Missouri will not be required to post a sign on their home on Halloween. The permanent injunction does not apply, however, to the remaining Halloween restrictions that prohibit registrants from giving candy to children, decorate or their homes or leave on porch lights that day. Any registrant who violates those prohibitions could be convicted of a…
Read MoreMO: Court Asked to Clarify Status of Missouri Halloween Sign Requirement
Source: ACSOL A motion has been filed asking a federal district court to clarify whether registrants in Missouri will be required to post a sign on their home on Halloween this year. The basis of the motion is a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued in October 2023 and then modified in November 2023. According to the TRO’s, a Missouri state law that required registrants to post a sign on their home on Halloween could not be enforced. After the TRO was modified in November 2023, the court considered granting a…
Read MorePlaintiff Files Final Brief in Missouri Halloween Sign Challenge
Source: ACSOL Today the plaintiff in the case challenging Missouri’s Halloween sign requirement filed his final brief in federal district court. The brief includes testimony from the trial which took place in St. Louis on June 20. In the brief, the plaintiff repeated his argument that the Missouri state law that requires signs to be posted on Halloween violates the First Amendment because it is speech compelled by the government. The brief notes that the proper standard of review for this case is strict scrutiny, a burden the Attorney General…
Read MoreMO: Man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole for possessing computer-generated images of child sexual abuse
Source: newstalkkzrg.com 7/19/24 [ACSOL is posting this as a warning of harsh sentences for computer images] SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A West Plains, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court Tuesday for possessing hundreds of computer-generated images of child sexual abuse. Dace Allen _____, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Allen to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration. … This case was brought as part of Project Safe…
Read MoreMO: St. Louis City firefighter found dead after charges filed
Source: firstalert4.com 3/28/24 [ACSOL is posting this to show how violation of trust by a person in public service can be especially devastating on multiple levels] ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – A St. Louis City firefighter accused of possessing videos of child sexual abuse material was found dead Thursday, investigators said. Prosecutors charged 50-year-old Jarret ____ on Thursday with two counts of possessing more than 20 photos or videos of child pornography, a class B felony. … St. Charles City police confirmed on Friday that Jarret was found…
Read MoreMO: Conviction of certain sex crimes could land perpetrators on Missouri’s sex offender registry permanently (SB 656)
Source: missourinet.com 3/27/24 The state Senate is looking at a bill (SB 656) sponsored by Sen. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, that would modify Missouri’s sex offender registry. Certain tier one offenders who are convicted of abusing kids would be moved to a tier three, classified as the most severe sex crimes, and would be on the list for life. “This is a change in the sexual offender registry language in our state statutes moving some tier one offenders into tier three, specifically around abusing kids and the several provisions in…
Read MoreMO: Trial Date Delayed for Missouri Halloween Sign Case
Source: ACSOL A federal district court has agreed to delay the trial date in the pending case that challenges a Halloween sign requirement in the state of Missouri. Originally the trial was to begin on March 27, however, the court has agreed to delay that date until June 20. The court’s decision to delay the trial date was made after the plaintiff filed a motion for that delay. The request was made, in part, after the Attorney General sent more than 800 pages of documents and videos to plaintiff’s counsel…
Read MoreAction Alert for MO residents: Missouri Bill Makes Teachers Sex Offenders If They Accept Trans Kids’ Pronouns
Source: riverfronttimes.com 3/1/24 A new bill introduced in the Missouri House would force teachers to register as sex offenders if they use the names and pronouns of transgender children or otherwise support them and their identity. HB2885, filed on Thursday, February 29 by state Representative Jamie Gragg (R-Ozark), would make it a Class E felony for teachers or school counselors to aid the “social transition” of a child — meaning that a teacher “provides support, regardless of whether the support is material, information, or other resources to a child regarding…
Read MoreMO: Missouri Alliance for Family Restoration advocates for updates to sex offender registry guidelines
Source: baptistnews.com 2/19/24 Sex offender registry guidelines should be updated to more accurately reflect those ex-convicts who remain true threats to others, according to the Missouri Alliance for Family Restoration. MOAFR claims the current registration requirements do not align with the actual level of threat many people previously incarcerated for sex crimes pose for society, and were formulated using outdated and inaccurate statistics. Members of the organization argue the registration requirements should be less strict than they currently are, as to offer “a fair chance to live a productive life…
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