A new law that further tightens restrictions on where sex offenders can live has some law enforcement agencies concerned it will discourage people from registering as offenders. The law, which went into effect on Nov. 1, added home daycares to the list of locations sex offenders cannot live near. Prior to that, state law already prohibited offenders from living near child-friendly areas, ordering them to live 2,000 feet from public and private schools, churches, playgrounds, parks or daycare centers. The law did not apply to home daycares, of which Oklahoma…
Read MoreTag: Oklahoma
OK: Police Oppose New Sex Offender Residency Restrictions [video]
[newson6.com – 11/1/18] Tulsa police say that the new laws will prevent registrants from living in the entire city of Tulsa. The law affects the entire state [1:35]. Watch the video
Read MoreOK: Today, They Stamped “Sex Offender” on My Driver’s License
I’d been dreading this day for months – the final day before my Oklahoma state driver’s license expired. Recently, my state had passed legislation requiring that the licenses of those convicted of aggravated sex offenses be marked “Sex Offender” in bold capital red letters in two different locations on the front of the card. Red letter days are supposed to be joyful occasions, but not so much in this case. I certainly wasn’t going to submit to this particular humiliation by renewing my license any earlier than necessary, so I…
Read MoreOK: Two dads pose as teenage girls online to lure ‘pedophiles.’ They caught one, Oklahoma cops say
[star-telegram.com – 5/31/18] Russell Goodwin and Jeremy Thomas think of themselves as the Pedophile Patrol. One local news station called them video vigilantes. The two Oklahoma City dads have gained a modest Facebook following for their page, where they post videos of themselves confronting men they say are pedophiles. They call themselves “Oklahoma Pedophile Prevention. They make their claims through similar tactics to those used by the show which ran on NBC from 2004 to 2007. They pose as teens and exchange either texts or social media messages with men…
Read MoreOK: The “Justice for Danyelle Act of 2018”: The Shady Tactics behind another Oklahoma Knee Jerk Law
[sosen.org – 5/31/18] Oklahoma’s “Justice for Danyelle Act of 2018,” an act that prohibits registrants from living within 2,000 feet of their victim’s home and loitering within 1,000 feet of the same, is a prime example of a knee jerk law. This law also demonstrated one of the deceptive tactics that Oklahoma lawmakers use in order to advance their own personal agenda using the public safety issue. To add insult to injury this law is going to be applied unconstitutionally to over 6,800 registrants in Oklahoma and the author of…
Read MoreOK: Governor Fallin Signs Bill Barring Sex Offenders from Living Near Their Victims
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin today signed a bill that helps protect victims from their sex offenders. Fallin signed House Bill (HB) 1124, which prohibits sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet and loitering within 1,000 feet from their victims’ homes. Under current Oklahoma law, sex offenders are banned from living near places like schools and playgrounds, but it does not apply to a sex offender living near his or her adult victim. Full Article Related OK: Lawmaker Seeks Change After Sex Offender Gets Out of Prison, Moves Next Door to…
Read MoreOK: Sex offender registry laws grounded in reality, not cruelty [opinion]
[newsok.com 4/10/18] The Oklahoman Editorial Board by The Oklahoman Editorial Board Published: April 10, 2018 LAST year, a federal court judge ruled that Colorado’s sex offender registry was unconstitutional because, basically, citizens might use it. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter wants that decision overturned, and is using arguments grounded in legal and practical reality. Hunter, joined by officials from several states, has filed an amicus brief with the 10th U.S. Court of Appeals urging reversal of the decision handed down by District Court Judge Richard Matsch, who said the Colorado…
Read MoreOK: Senate approves bill to fix loophole that allowed convicted sex offender to live next to victim
State leaders are taking action after a victim shined a light on a little known loophole in Oklahoma’s law. “He’s like right there, practically in my backyard and that kind of makes me nervous and not want to go home ever,” Danyelle Dyer told News 4 last year. Danyelle says her uncle, ____ ____, was released from prison after he was convicted of molesting her when she was a child. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Oklahoma lawmaker pushes bill for ‘chemical castration’ of sex offenders
[theguardian.com] A Republican lawmaker is pushing to add Oklahoma to the list of states in which so-called chemical castration is an option for certain sex offenders. State representative Rick West, a first-term lawmaker from Heavener, said he filed the bill at the request of a constituent and that he fully intends to push for its passage. It is likely to face strong opposition, even in a conservative state. If approved, Oklahoma would join at least seven other states that have laws allowing courts to order chemical treatments that reduce male…
Read MoreOK: Legislation that updates, streamlines sex offender registration signed into law
Legislation that would update and streamline sex offender registration has been signed into law. This week, Governor Mary Fallin signed legislation improving Oklahoma’s sex offender registry. … “The purpose of the sex offender registry continues to be public safety—to make sure law enforcement knows where registered sex offenders are living, and making that information available to our citizens,” said Griffin, R-Guthrie. “This legislation streamlines the notification process, ensures greater consistency in assigning levels for registration, and adds an additional requirement for informing DHS when a sex offender returns to a…
Read MoreOK: Closing sex offender loophole
Legislation has been filed seeking to close a loophole in Oklahoma statutes allowing sex offenders to live next door or near their victims. House Bill 1124, by Rep. Kyle Hilbert and Sen. James Leewright, seeks to change Oklahoma statutes to include the residency of the victim of a sex crime to the list of places that have a “zone of safety” around them. In Oklahoma law, the “zone of safety” is a 500-foot area around places that sex offenders are not allowed to loiter. However, the zone around a victim’s…
Read MoreOK: Lawmaker Seeks Change After Sex Offender Gets Out of Prison, Moves Next Door to Victim
When ____ ____ was 7 years old, her uncle ____ ____ sexually abused her, resulting in ____ being convicted in 2002. Now 21, ____ had hoped to put the ordeal behind her, but now she’s forced to deal with it every day, now that ____ is out of prison—and living in the house next door to her. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Two suspects identified in homicide of inmate at Oklahoma County jail
An inmate at the Oklahoma County jail who died in early February was the victim of a homicide, the first at the troubled facility in almost three years, an autopsy report shows. Two suspects already have been identified and are in custody, authorities said. … Windle had served time in prison for a 2003 attempted rape and indecent exposure. He was jailed in September after telling police he had been living in a Del City park since April 2014 and sleeping underneath a bridge. He was awaiting trial on two…
Read MoreOK: OK was JUST Certified AWA/SORNA Compliant by the SMART Office, Six Years After the AWA Deadline. And Delaware is No Longer Certified, Why?
Today on Twitter the SMART Office (@DOJSMART) tweeted that Oklahoma just became Federal Adam Walsh (AWA) / Sex Offender Registration and Notification (SORNA) Act of 2006 compliant. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Hundreds of convicted sex offenders missing in Tulsa area
TULSA — According to Tulsa Police, there are hundreds of convicted sex offenders missing in the Tulsa area. However, just because they’re missing doesn’t mean they’re gone, said Sgt. John Adams with the Tulsa Police Department. … According to Adams, the places where a registered sex offender can live in Tulsa have been greatly restricted since 2006.During that year, Oklahoma lawmakers passed a 2,000 law, stating sex offenders can’t live within 2,000 feet of a school, park, or any place where children live or play. “2006 just turned our world…
Read MoreOK: One State Just Announced Plans To Castrate Sex Offenders
According to recent reports, Oklahoma State Senator mark Allen has just proposed a bill that seeks to chemically castrate violent sex offenders. The proposal follows the lead of Florida and California. Under the new measure, first time sex offenders could undergo the procedure for early release. Second time offenders would have no choice in the matter. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Mobile home park offers residence for sex offenders
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – David Nichols drives through his trailer park on the southeast side of Oklahoma City surveying the seemingly constant buzz of activity. Men toil under the blazing summer sun, patching the leaky roofs of trailers, while others try to fix an old car parked in a makeshift garage. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Sex offender chemical castration bill defeated in Senate committee
OKLAHOMA CITY – A Senate panel on Tuesday defeated a measure that would have allowed for the chemical castration of violent sex offenders.bThe Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Senate Bill 671 by Sen. Mark Allen, R-Spiro, by a vote of 5-4 with no debate. The legislation would have applied to sexually violent offenses including rape, rape by instrumentation, lewd or indecent proposals or acts against a child under 16, solicitation of a minor and procuring a minor to participate in pornography. Full Article
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