Source: miaminewtimes.com 11/5/26 Many might ask, “Why should anyone care about South Florida’s sex offenders?” But the issue is more complicated than it appears. Kenny spent his first couple nights out of prison sleeping in a Walgreens parking lot on North Federal Highway. It’s one of the few places he can legally spend the night after serving his time. The Hollywood native in his 50s still considers himself better off than some. His crime hasn’t prevented him from holding down a job, which he needs to afford the camper…
Read MoreTag: Residency Restrictions (SORR)
CA: Fresno Council Orders Sex Offender Housing Limits. Will They Roam Streets Instead?
Source: gvwire.com 10/23/26 The Fresno City Council directed the creation of an ordinance to restrict housing for sex offenders. The ordinance could restrict the total number of group home spaces to sex offenders to 42. City Council could approve the ordinance without knowing how many sex offenders will be left homeless. New legal action may be coming if the Fresno City Council follows through on a ordinance restricting sex offender housing. On Thursday, in a 6-0 vote, councilmembers directed the city attorney to craft an ordinance that requires licensing for…
Read MoreACSOL Registrant Advocates Testify Before Fresno City Council
Source: ACSOL 10/22/26 Three registrant advocates today testified before the Fresno City Council in opposition to a proposed resolution that could result in reduced housing for registrants who reside in that city. Their testimony focused, in part, upon the harms that could result if many Fresno registrants were became homeless. “Public safety would decrease, not increase, if there was a significant increase in the number of Fresno registrants who are homeless,” testified registrant Roger Hunnicutt. “That is because law enforcement would no longer be able to monitor them.” Another registrant…
Read MoreCA: Fresno seeks stricter regulations on group homes housing sex offenders
Source: abc30.com 10/13/26 FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Close to 1,300 sex offenders are living in Fresno, and city leaders are fighting to keep that number down. Earlier this year, a convicted child molester was nearly released from prison and sent to Fresno. “This man here is probably one of the most dangerous child predators that the state of California has ever seen,” said Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp during a news conference held by city and county leaders Tuesday. Smittcamp was referring to David Allen Funston, a convicted child…
Read MoreFL: Sex offenders removed from Fort Lauderdale parking lot, but housing problem remains
Source: local10.com 8/14/26 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Fort Lauderdale police have cleared a parking lot where Local 10 News previously found registered sex offenders and sexual predators staying under probation supervision. One person was arrested and others were given trespass warnings during the recent police operation at a shopping center in the 2400 block of North Federal Highway. But while the parking lot is now cleared, the underlying problem remains. Where are people subject to Florida’s strict sex offender residency restrictions supposed to go when they have nowhere else they…
Read MoreUPDATED 7/17: Florida sex offender law: Swimming pool rules spark debate
Source: fox13news.com 7/15/26 Click here to watch the related video. Derek Logue speaks out at 04:34 [7/17/26] The Brief: A newly active Florida law bans sex offenders convicted of crimes against minors from living within 1,000 feet of a public swimming pool. Supporters call the law common-sense protection for children. Opponents claim it could increase offender homelessness and make them harder to track. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A controversial new housing restriction went into effect across Florida, prohibiting specific sex offenders from residing within 1,000 feet of public swimming pools and splash pads. New…
Read MoreWI: Town wants to help registrants have the “right to reintegrate into society” by hashing over complex restrictions
Source: hngnews.com 4/29/26 The DeForest Village Board will soon be prompted with a discussion about the distance limits from “safety zones” for the residency of registered sex offenders. Trustees will also be presented with an ordinance to implement portions of the existing residency restrictions for sex offenders into the municipal zoning code. The DeForest Plan Commission unanimously recommended the zoning changes for village board approval on Tuesday, April 28, and instructed the board to discuss safety zone changes as well. DeForest Police Chief James Olsen presented the commission with…
Read MoreFL: Lawsuit filed challenging Putnam County Ordinance
Source: Florida Action Committee 4/23/26 Today, a federal class action lawsuit was filed against Putnam County, Florida, challenging their recently amended Ordinance that precludes persons on the sex offender registry from living within 500 feet of one another, among other restrictions. Attorneys Adele Nicholas, Mark Weinberg and Ron Kleiner are representing the Plaintiffs, who are registrants and property owners subjected to the Ordinance. This is the first of what will hopefully be a series of lawsuits challenging Sex Offender Residency Restrictions (SORRs) in Florida – putting an end to the…
Read MoreNY: Fearmongering NY Post pushes residency restrictions myth to create homeless registrants
Source: nypost.com 4/19/26 Ex-hotel still houses sex offenders near NYC playground after bombshell report — and nearby shelter is now following suit A converted hotel next to a Chinatown playground is still housing violent sex offenders a full 10 months after The Post blew the whistle — and now a second Manhattan shelter is doing the same thing. At least two registered sex offenders exposed in a July 5 report — including a level 3 offender, the highest risk — are still calling the former Hotel MB building at 61 Chrystie…
Read MoreNY: Residency restrictions force registrants into motels, which causes complaints by homeless families
Source: spectrumlocalnews.com 4/7/26 As New York increasingly relies on hotels to house families experiencing homelessness, a Spectrum News 1 review found in some counties those families may live next door to registered level two and level three sex offenders. Broome County, in the Southern Tier, was found to have three hotels in such a situation. Through a Freedom of Information Law request, Spectrum News 1 used payment records from the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to confirm which hotels Broome County uses as temporary housing for families. In comparing the hotel address with publicly available addresses of registered sex offenders, as of March 31, four registered sex offenders are living at the Knights Inn in Endicott. New York…
Read MoreCA: Sexually violent predator William Stephenson denied proposed placement in Placer County community
Source: kcra.com 2/13/26 A judge denied on Friday the proposed placement of a sexually violent predator in a Placer County community that for years has been pushing against his release. William Stephenson has served about half of his 31-year prison sentence for his sexually violent crimes, which included minors. Since 2022, people in Sacramento, Amador and Placer counties have openly objected to him being released in the area. A news release from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office highlighted “the Alta community’s engagement, noting that the strength of the community…
Read MoreWA: West Richland has a hysteria-based plan to isolate proposed registrant transitional homes
Source: msn.com 2/10/26 While Kennewick residents and local lawmakers continue to try and halt a proposed transitional home for sexually violent predators, one nearby city isn’t waiting until they face the same issue. West Richland’s planning commission plans a public hearing Thursday on changing city zoning to force any future “secure transition facilities” into light industrial zones. The move comes after all eight bills proposed by Tri-Cities lawmakers this legislative session failed to gain any traction in Olympia last week. … West Richland’s plan could greatly reduce the ability to…
Read MoreAZ: HB 2870 makes it harder for registrants to find housing by prohibiting multiple registrants at same location
Source: trackbill.com [Arizona residents: take action to call, write, show up] … Makes it unlawful for a person who is on supervised release and who is classified as a level two or level three offender to reside with any other person who is also a registered sex offender, unless the persons are related by blood, marriage or adoption. … Read the full bill
Read MoreCA: ACSOL in the news: Sues Fresno County over new restrictions on sex offenders, claims ordinance is ‘unconstitutional’
Source: abc30.com 2/4/26 FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) — A new lawsuit filed against Fresno County claims its latest ordinance is ‘unconstitutional’. The Board of Supervisors is being challenged for its ordinance that is to take effect on Thursday, which seeks to limit the number of sex offenders per single household to a maximum of six. The ordinance has been contentious since the Board introduced it, with people on both sides voicing strong opinions. This lawsuit was filed by a group based in Sacramento that advocates for the rights of registered sex…
Read MoreCA: New Lawsuit Challenges Fresno County Ordinance
***UPDATED NEWS: ACSOL in the news: Sues Fresno County over new restrictions on sex offenders, claims ordinance is ‘unconstitutional’ Source: ACSOL A new lawsuit has been sent to Fresno County Superior Court challenging an ordinance adopted by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. That ordinance would significantly limit housing options for persons required to register who reside in that county. The ordinance will become effective on February 5. The ordinance was adopted after two public hearings conducted by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. During the first public…
Read MoreFL: Registrant ordered to move out of Florida home
Source: newsnationnow.com 1/24/26 CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — Michael Jonathan ______ was convicted on 17 counts of having child pornography on his computer. Court documents show he had more than 300,000 sexually explicit images of child pornography. Friday, he stood before Judge Julie Sercus to ask that he be allowed to live in his home while serving probation for his convictions. The state argued that there is a park and a daycare located in close proximity to the home Michael would like to remain in. His attorney said the park doesn’t…
Read MoreFL: Zoning committee approves ordinance that allows Jacksonville daycare to reopen within 2,000 feet of sex predator
Source: news4jax.com 1/7/26 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Land Use and Zoning committee approved an ordinance that allows a day care to reopen within 2,000 feet of a sex predator. The current city code requires a 2,500-foot distance between the two. The request that the day care owner is making would shrink that distance to 1,980 feet, putting the offender just outside the radius. “There is a great need for day care in the neighborhood,” Paul Harden, the attorney for the day care, said. “This provides day care for folks who work…
Read MoreCA: New Fresno law evicts registrants from group housing and makes it hard to live in Fresno County
Source: fresnoland.org 1/6/26 The Fresno County Board Of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a new law limiting the number of sex offenders that can live in a single-family home, following complaints from Old Fig Garden residents. The law caps the number of sexual offenders to six per home, matching regulations set by the state, with property owners facing fines totaling over $50,000 for successive violations, a six-month jail sentence and potential litigation from the county. About two dozen members of the public have spoken on the new law since it was…
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