Sex Offender Issues

You Pick... Nude Scan or Molesting Grope?

2012-01-28T00:37:00.000-05:00

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OFF TOPIC - Ron Paul predictions in 2002. Still think he's crazy?

2012-01-28T00:12:00.004-05:00

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UK - Former police worker downloaded 110,000 indecent images of children

2012-01-27T23:45:00.000-05:00

Nicholas White

Original Article

01/27/2012

A former police worker could face jail for possessing more than 110,000 indecent images of children.

Nicholas White, 27, admitted 20 counts of possessing indecent images and two of possessing extreme images at Cambridge Crown Court today.

He worked as a communications officer employed by Cambridgeshire Police and was deployed to a unit overseen by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo).

White, from Royston, Hertfordshire, had been employed since June 2008 and resigned after his arrest in February last year.

The charges cover more than 110,000 images including photographs and videos of eight-year-olds and extreme pictures of children engaged in sex acts with animals.

He was released on bail on the condition he does not approach unsupervised under-16s or access pornographic images on the internet.

Nerida Harford-Bell, defending White, asked for a psychiatric report to be compiled before sentencing, as White had a history of self harm.

She added: 'He is a very isolated individual who found himself with a growing addiction.'

Judge Gareth Hawkesworth said: 'This report should not be taken as any indication of the likely sentence."

'I keep all options, including custody, open.'

White, whose elderly father attended the hearing, will be sentenced at Cambridge in March. He covered his face as he left court.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police said: 'All applications for employment with the constabulary are subject to rigorous checks and vetting, including the examination of criminal records and employment history."

'Any allegations against employees are fully investigated and disciplinary action and, if necessary, criminal proceedings, will be instigated if appropriate.'

Acpo is an independent body which brings together the expertise of chief police officers across the country.

MO - Supreme Court Decision on Missouri Sex Offender Carries Implications Across U.S.

2012-01-27T23:21:00.000-05:00

Original Article

01/27/2012

By John H. Tucker

A sex case that began in Missouri and passed through Pennsylvania continued its path all the way to Washington, where this week U.S. Supreme Court released an opinion that poses just as many questions as answers when it comes to sex-offender registration laws.

In a 7-2 ruling (PDF) announced January 23, the justices declared that sex offenders who registered as such prior to the 2006 signing of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act need not re-register as sex offenders if they move across state lines, reversing a previous ruling by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.

The case originated with Missouri native [name withheld], who was convicted of a sex crime in 2001 and registered as a sex offender in 2005 after leaving prison. When he moved to Pennsylvania in 2007, he chose not to re-register as a sex offender and was arrested, convicted of violating the Walsh Act and sentenced to eighteen months in prison. He sued.

The Walsh Act, named in memory of a young Florida boy who was kidnapped and murdered, significantly beefed up sex offender sanctions by implementing new laws and requiring sex offenders to re-register no longer than three days after moving across state lines.
- And Adam's death was never determined to be by a sex offender, it's just an assumption. The kid was brutally murdered, by, they say, Ottis Toole, who was a known serial killer, so why aren't they putting all murderers on an online registry?

The Supreme Court ruling now exempts sex offenders with older sex-crime rap sheets who take up residences in new states. It also challenges legislators to create their own registration laws. But until that happens, the ruling not surprisingly has some child-protection advocates and lawyers miffed.

"My thought is if you are a sex registrable offender and you want to go somewhere, well go to Pennsylvania. Because as of yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court said that's okay, it's not against the law to go to Pennsylvania and work and live and apparently you don't have to register there-- at least not at this time," Dee Wampler, a Springfield defense attorney, told local News Channel KSPR.

But the seven-judge majority argued that applying the Walsh Act retroactively would open up too many cans of worms, and that new laws are best left up to state attorneys general. Writing for the majority, Justice Stephen Breyer stated: "The problems arise out of the fact that the Act seeks to make more uniform a patchwork of pre-existing state systems. Doing so could require newly registering or re-registering "a large number" of pre-Act offenders. That effort could prove expensive. And it might not prove feasible to do so immediately."
- What about the fact that retroactive punishment is an ex post facto law, which is unconstitutional?

The dissenting judges made an odd couple. Conservative justice Antonin Scalia and liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg argued that the Adam Walsh Act protocol should apply for pre-Act offenders.

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CA - Still playing the sex offender shuffle, and following in Florida's foot steps?

2012-01-27T22:42:00.004-05:00

Original Article

01/27/2012

By Leigh Paynter

STOCKTON - The Stockton city government had a highly publicized eviction of homeless squatters at a shanty town down in Mormon Slough last week.

However, further down the Slough, by Jefferson and A Streets, a different campsite was quietly dismantled; it was the long time home to dozens of sex offenders.
- I'm sure shanty towns like this are all over the country, they recently shut down one in Florida helped created by Ron Book and his pals in the legislature, by passing draconian residency restrictions.

"All of them, the 20 that were there, couldn't find housing that was compliant with Jessica's Law," California State Parole Delta District Administrator Julie Kaplan said. "Homeless shelters they can't go to, because they're family shelters with children and women. Some found businesses that gave them permission to stay on private property."

Kaplan said when transient sex offenders are evicted, the parole agents have to scramble to keep tabs on them.

The California State Parole District in Stockton currently has 20 transient registered sex offenders under its watch. San Joaquin County Probation Department has seven homeless sex offenders. Both agencies track sex offenders with GPS ankle bracelets.

"We get five minute increments on a map that show exactly where that offender has been," SJC Probation Department Assist. Chief Stephanie James said. "We can also set up exclusion or inclusion zones and if the offender steps somewhere where he shouldn't be, his agent is notified immediately."
- So what about them being homeless due to the draconian residency laws? Remove the residency restrictions and this wouldn't be an issue.

One homeless registered sex offender said the GPS device must kept charged.

"We're tracked. A computer tells them exactly where we're at and it sets off an alarm if you're violating," said the offender, who wished to remain anonymous.

Kaplan said a week after the city's eviction of Mormon Slough, many of the 20 registered sex offenders are now back at Mormon Slough. The campsite now sits further out of view from the above neighborhood on A Street.

"They let their parole agents know they were moving back or near that area," Kaplan said.

On Wednesday afternoon, a homeless sex offender registered at the probation department that he was now staying in Mormon Slough.

"We did verify that this morning that he was in fact at Mormon Slough yesterday," James said.

James had no probationary sex offenders staying in Mormon Slough prior to the city eviction last week.

While law enforcement agencies know where homeless sex offenders are at all times, citizens do not. The state sex offender online registry does not list the last known location of transient sex offenders.

"It's unnerving, because you don't know who's down there or how many," said a mother living in the neighborhood above Mormon Slough.

"We went down there to play on dirt bikes and saw a lot of tents," said 17-year-old Tracey Jenkins.

Jenkins found out sex offenders were living below her neighborhood after she and her friends stumbled onto their camp.

"Now I can't go anywhere by myself and I stay away from there. It freaks me out," Jenkins said.

A few neighbors in the neighborhood above Mormon Slough said they still feel safe in their neighborhood despite the sex offender campsite.

"They keep to themselves mostly," one mother said. "If they keep a good eye on them, then it's fine."

Homeless sex offenders on parole must register every 30 days at the nearest police station. Those on county probation report to their parole agent every Wednesday.

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Is Crying Rape The New Guilt After One Night Stands?

2012-01-27T16:30:00.003-05:00

Original Article

01/27/2012

By Cacy F.

Let's get this out of the way: rape is a horrible, horrible crime committed against a person. It's a war crime in our community, it's a tactic that's been used since the dawn of humanity to control and eradicate tribes in times of war, it's a tool for shame, and it's a tool to enforce power.

Rape is not about sex.

STORY: Investigators Don't Believe Kelly Rape Accuser!

That said: Is rape also used to assuage guilt when someone is busted for cheating? Is rape an escape clause? The answer is yes, sometimes it is.

Like everyone else in the NYC area, I was shocked when I learned that Greg Kelly, son of police commissioner Kelly and host of a FOX news morning program, was accused of rape. Days prior to this news, I listened to a story a friend told about a visitor from the UK who was accused, arrested and charged with rape in a NYC nightclub two weeks ago.

The friend received oral sex from a young lady in a bathroom but when the young lady's boyfriend saw her talking to the dude, the boyfriend became suspicious. Questioned about their association, the lady said she was raped.

I thought of this case when I heard about Kelly's. Actually I thought, "this lady probably was disappointed that she was a one night stand and was hurt when she realized Kelly had no interest in her beyond their tryst in her law office." Throw in a boyfriend situation and we have a rape case.

It's reductionist and simplistic, but it's likely that's what happened. Whatever the case may be, no one rebounds after being accused of rape. When Kelly gets back to work, all people will think about when they see him on TV is that he was accused of rape. The woman will get back to living life anonymously.

When Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former head of the International Monetary Fund, was accused of rape last year, it made worldwide news. His accuser, a hotel maid who was basically a hustler, cried rape after having consensual sex. I think this lady, with dollar signs in her eyes, thought she saw a sucker after she realized who this white man was; and wanted to cash in by calling consensual sex rape. The proof is in the tapes she's on describing her encounter to a "friend" in jail.

I've read accounts of soldiers being tried for rape because the woman didn't want to be late for work, police arrests, and less. One Hofstra University student invited five men to have sex with her. She accused them of rape because she didn't want to be labeled as a tramp by her boyfriend.

Why? Why are women accusing men of rape when, in some cases, it's not? I think it's an issue of defense, power and fear of being labeled.

As marginalized members of society, I think some women, who after being used for sex by men, or willingly let themselves be used for sex but then feel shame, figure out that crying rape is the only way to empower themselves out of emotionally charged situations, situations that some of them have willingly agreed to participate in.

Situations like cheating. If you are cheating on your boyfriend, husband, whatever, you shouldn't be with that person in the first place. These cheaters would rather destroy someone's life than admit that they f---ed someone other than their man whom they don't love. How crazy is that? Stir crazy.

And guess what? These false accusers will not be prosecuted.

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FL - Florida Sexting Law Protecting Minors from Unfair Offender Registration

2012-01-26T23:20:00.001-05:00

It's about time Florida did something good for a change. I am not sure if this is a recent video, but it was uploaded to YouTube today.

Video Description:
This news segment explores the impacts of a new Florida law creating a separate offense for 'sexting' by minors, to provide law enforcement with an option instead of charging kids with child pornography offenses, which would require sex offender registration.

Video Link

Parental Quandary Considered: The Sex Offender Next Door Is Not the Problem

2012-01-26T22:01:00.001-05:00

Original Article

01/26/2012

By KJ DELL’ANTONIA

C.’s quandary was simple, and read something like a nightmare (or the opening sequence of an episode of “Law and Order”). She’d received notice from the local sheriff that a registered sex offender was moving into the house next door to hers. This was no “Romeo and Juliet” misunderstood teen, but someone with a genuine history of preying on young men and boys, although not as young as C.’s toddler son.

A few days after C. wrote me, a friend e-mailed from Newton, Mass. A popular second-grade teacher at her local elementary school had just been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a girl and filming it, and of posting to an international Web site that trafficked in child pornography. Rather than a sullen, mug-shot figure from an offender registry, this was a teacher described as “beloved,” one who took kids rock climbing and whom many parents adored. Which suggested to me that perhaps the biggest danger of having a sex offender next door might not be the sex offender himself, but that it might blind one to the dangers that could lie elsewhere.

The most respected commenters picked up on just that. Chris Martin put it simply: “Next door is pretty bad but we must remember that most perps live in the same house. Mine did.”

This doesn’t mean commenters weren’t sympathetic to the need to warn a child about the known danger. Maggie wrote:

In this situation I would certainly tell my kids they were not allowed in his house, no matter what he said. I would also tell them that, at one time in his life, he did something bad to children and I don’t want anything bad to happen to them. I would also point out that sometimes people can change and grow, so I’m not going to be unfriendly to him. But I would tell my children point blank that they are never to be alone with him, no matter what. I would point out other adults they might turn to instead, should the need arise — perhaps a neighbor, a teacher, a police officer.

The “sex offender next door” raises a gut reaction. As M.D. said, a home should be the safest of all environments. In C.’s situation, “I would lose that feeling of security and more importantly, it would forever change the way I parented my children.” M.D. would move without hesitation, but as many of us noted, C.’s ability to sell her home is probably compromised. It’s one thing to find a way to deal with the sex offender next door, and another to buy into the problem.

Readers had excellent suggestions for how C. can cope. “Convene a meeting of neighbors,” suggested Eleanor. “I would also use the occasion as good reason to really connect with friends in the neighborhood, with special attention to communicating with each other about the whereabouts of our kids,” Boo agreed. “I would not act paranoid, but matter-of-fact about the dangers that apparently exist all around us. At least this sex offender is known, and hopefully easily avoided.” SM suggested a good fence and a security system, and many, many commenters had good words with which to address the situation with a child. If all of us practice what we preach in that respect, our children should be prepared to handle the gravest of situations.

But do we? It’s easy to say we talk to our children about the risks, and harder to do, and especially to do well. No one wants a sex offender to move in next door, but it’s that Newton second-grade teacher who should heighten our fears, and our awareness.

“Mr. E,” as he was called, underwent a check of his state criminal history before he was hired by the school district, and posted a more extensive background check when he registered to offer baby-sitting services on Care.com (a popular child-care Web site). “No red flags were raised,” reports the Boston Globe, because there were no flags to raise. The teacher in question, David Ettlinger, had never been convicted of a crime — and still hasn’t been.

So while my sympathies are still with C., I’m not finding myself inclined to go look at our state’s sex offender registry tonight. Instead, I’m wondering if I’ve really had all these talks I mean to have, and think I’ve had, with all of my children. Do they really understand what’s O.K., and what’s not, and what they need to tell me about? Do they know that I’ll believe and protect them no matter who or what?

The thought of a sex offender next door is bad enough. But the sex offender I never see coming is the one I’m really worried about.

Letter: Sex Offender Laws Ignore Future Victims

2012-01-26T21:28:00.000-05:00

Original Article

01/26/2012

To the editor,

Hopefully you have seen some of the comments that were posted beneath the letter to the editor entitled "Sex Offender Awareness Needs to Improve" by Suzanne Arena. I am one of the commenters and felt compelled to write a letter in the hopes that it will be published and receive the same consideration and attention that Ms. Arena brought to the issue.

Ms. Arena is right about one thing: awareness is important. Sexual assault of children and adults is absolutely something that not just Cranston, but the entire country needs to manage better. It's clear by the steady yearly increase of registered sex offenders - nearing 750,000 at the end of 2011 - that despite constant, stricter sex crime legislation, sex crimes continue at the same rate. We need to re-examine our approach.

Sex crime isn't prevented by talking about how bad it is, putting up posters of convicted offenders, or ensuring lifelong punishment for registrants. Sex crime is prevented by becoming aware of the facts. A US Department of Justice Study cites that 93-97% of children under 17 know their abuser (the younger the child, the higher the likelihood). 73% of victims 18 and over know their attacker. Another US Department of Justice Study puts recidivism rates of convicted sex offenders between 3.5 to 8.5%, and these numbers are confirmed by many additional state and independent studies.

By focusing all of our resources, efforts, and attention on registered offenders, we are ignoring the overwhelming majority of current and future victims. Community notification and posters only work if that individual is going to re-offend, and statistics from many different sources say that's extremely unlikely. Community notification and posters, along with every single sex crime law that exists in this country, singularly target the group of people who are probably the least likely to commit a new sex crime. Those who have never been reported or caught carry on with their lives, untouched and unscathed by any of the laws created to keep predators at bay. How will printing flyers and posters help the child being abused by the beloved baseball coach, youth minister or favorite uncle who looks and acts just like everyone else, never accused of a crime in their life? Or the woman whose successful, sociable ex-husband who has learned to hide his rage issue seeks revenge by raping her? NOTHING. Sexual assault of any kind, on any human is horrifying and elicits many strong emotions. That is precisely the reason we must be careful to separate emotions from effectiveness.

Lastly, it is a flat-out insult to victims of any kind of traumatic experience to insinuate that they are left with a "life sentence". Just like victims of a bad car accident or natural disaster - who aren't at fault in any way for their experiences - recovery should not and is not dependent upon punishment of someone else. Recovery is something that depends solely on the victim's desire to become a survivor and allow themselves to be empowered by what they have been through. Holding on to anger and the need for revenge forever is a "life sentence". There is a line between being supportive and passionate about healthy recovery for victims, and keeping them in a constant state of powerlessness.

If you want to help prevent sex crimes, learn.

- Shana Rowan

www.endsexcrime.com
www.iloveasexoffender.blogspot.com

NE - Nebraska A State of Shame

2012-01-26T13:34:00.004-05:00

PART 1:

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PART 2:

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CA - Police chief (Lisa Solomon) accused of sexually assaulting her officers

2012-01-26T13:16:00.000-05:00

Lisa Solomon

Original Article

01/26/2012

By KAREN VELIE and DANIEL BLACKBURN

Law enforcement officers have names for the girls offering them sex on the beat: Badge Bunny. Holster Sniffer. Uniform Jumper. Handcuff Hugger. In Paso Robles, brethren in blue have one more: The Chief.

A flurry of complaints and mounting formal grievances alleging sexual misconduct, illegal management practices and retaliation have been lodged against Paso Robles’ first female chief of police, Lisa Solomon. Those known to have made accusations against the chief include five current and former police officers, as well as a growing record of non-sworn police department personnel.

The criticisms against Solomon include allegations of sexual assaults, many committed in the presence of others, repeated affairs with a list of subordinates, and bearing a child out of wedlock fathered by a former lieutenant in the department.

The city has retained the services of an outside investigator to look into the numerous complaints, officers say. Solomon, 43, is married to a San Luis Obispo police officer. She has not responded to detailed emails from CalCoastNews asking for comment.

Numerous officers and department staffers contend that crossing Solomon is dangerous. They say their boss threatens them with trumped-up criminal charges if they rebuff her advances or question her management practices.

After Officer T.J. McCall filed a grievance with the city claiming Solomon grabbed his penis while he sat in his car, city officials hired an outside investigator to interview officers about other allegations of unwanted sexual contact.

Former officer Dave Hernandez said he told the investigator of an instance in 2007 when Solomon also touched him inappropriately. In August, Hernandez and another officer in full uniform entered a saloon then called the Crooked Kilt, to do a bar check.

Solomon, who had been out on the dance floor, approached Hernandez in a room full of people and allegedly pushed the officer’s face into her breasts.

“She grabbed my head and pushed it between her breasts,” Hernandez said. “I was shocked.”

View the entire article

CA - AB-1522 to Protect Spousal Sexual Assault Victims

2012-01-26T11:11:00.000-05:00

Original Article

01/25/2012

By Melissa Anderson

California divorce law states that the breadwinning spouse must pay alimony to the other party. The one exception to this rule is if the spouse you are divorcing attempts to murder you. That could all change if bill AB-1522 (PDF) is passed. Sadly, we have to pass a bill to protect victims of sexual assault. The Crystal Harris case in San Diego currently going on has brought attention to this issue.

“I hope this law can get changed...because it would help everyone...not just me,” Crystal Harris stated in an earlier interview. Her horrific ordeal has been ongoing for years. As a successful financial consultant in San Diego, and now single mother, Harris supported her out of job husband for years. Their rocky, abusive, relationship took a turn for the worse when Shawn Harris raped his wife. Shawn was charged with oral copulation, rape, and sodomy. He was found guilty of the oral copulation attack that Crystal caught on audio tape. He is currently serving 6 years in prison.

Adding insult to injury, Crystal was ordered by Judge Gregory Pollack to pay Shawn $1,000 a month in spousal support while Shawn was awaiting trial and until he was sentenced. She will also have to pay $47,000 in his legal fees. The judge did allow Crystal’s to not pay Shawn while in prison, only because us taxpayers are paying for his inprisonment. Upon his release, Shawn will have the right to go to court and not only get spousal support again, but also have the opportunity to ask for more.

Judges in these cases have the right to exercise discretion, meaning they can make the victims pay less or nothing at all. They do not have to add in paying the court costs, legal fees, and other stipulations. Judge Pollack, for reasons he has not expressed, seems to have a lack of compassion and concern for the victim in this case, Crystal Harris.

Bonnie Dumanis (San Diego DA) and Toni Atkins (Democratic Assembly Women in San Diego) have proposed bill AB1522. This bill would amend the current law, protecting spousal victims not just from attempted murder, but also to spouses who have been sexually assaulted.

AB 1522 is currently in the process of becoming a bill with 12 Republican and 12 Democrats supporting the bill. You can find more information about the bill on the web, the John and Ken Show on KFI AM640, and various San Diego media outlets.

TX - Wylie police suspend 3 over lewd behavior, child pornography claim

2012-01-26T10:43:00.000-05:00

Original Article

Notice how the news and media protect this mans identity, but if it were someone from the general public, their photo would be blasted everywhere.

01/25/2012

By JASON WHITELY

WYLIE - The Wylie Police Department put a veteran patrolman on paid administrative leave on Tuesday after questions of lewd behavior and child pornography surfaced late Monday night.

The pictures allegedly taken from the policeman's home computer aren't just personal, they're pornographic.

"It's absolutely not reflective of this agency or the police profession," said Det. Venece Perepiczka a Wylie Police spokeswoman.

Images posted on the internet show what appears to be the officer in a sexual act with a woman. Another picture shows a woman posing naked next to a Wylie police badge and doing an obscene act with a Glock pistol.

But even more concerning are pictures of child porn.

They're all believed to have been stolen from the policeman's personal computer and then sent to every e-mail address in his contact list on Monday night.

Even though Wylie named its officer under investigation, News 8 has decided not to reveal his identity, since he has not been charged with a crime.
- Yet if it were you or I, they'd be naming names, even without being convicted?

In addition to suspending him, Wylie also put a female dispatcher and another civilian employee on paid administrative leave because they appeared in some pictures.

"What Wylie administration will be investigating is the officer's conduct and how that relates to him being a police officer here," Det. Perepiczka added.

But Wylie also asked the Texas Rangers to launch an investigation, along with the Garland Police Department, since the Wylie officer actually lives there.

"We contacted him at his home," explained Ofc. Joe Harn, a Garland Police spokesman. "He was very cooperative. He gave us consent... and we did take his computer."

The veteran patrolman has worked at Wylie for 13 years.

He used to be a sergeant but was demoted to an officer, Det. Perepiczka confirmed, though it's uncertain why.

The policeman's telephone is disconnected and he did not immediately respond to an e-mail Tuesday night.

Garland Police said officers will get a search warrant to look at the officer's computer, but it might be a couple weeks until they figure out what, if anything, is on the hard drive.

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CA - Former Police Cadet (Jose Luis Capacete) Arrested On Rape Charges

2012-01-26T10:30:00.002-05:00

Jose Luis Capacete

Original Article

01/25/2012

SANTA ANA (CBS) — A former police academy cadet and armored car company employee faced charges of sexually assaulting a prostitute, police said Wednesday.

Jose Luis Capacete, 39, of Baldwin Park, primarily targeted illegal immigrants and may be responsible for multiple rapes in Orange County, said Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

Capacete made his first appearance in court Tuesday on felony charges of sodomy by force, oral copulation by force and two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, according to court records. His arraignment was postponed until Feb. 9.

KNX 1070′s Mike Landa reports a search of the suspect’s home uncovered several pieces of potential evidence including three handguns and a Taser gun.

Police also found “items that belong to six females not related to him,” Bertagna said.

Capacete was being held without bail.

He is accused of abducting a woman walking in the 300 block of South Harbor Boulevard on Dec. 24, taking her in his 2001 Chrysler Town and Country mini-van to the 1600 north block of Harbor, where he allegedly sexually assaulted the woman, Bertagna said.

“He bound the victim in the car, took her clothes off and when he was done with her he pushed her out of the car nude and threw her clothes on top of her,” Bertagna said.

Police connected Capacete to the crime through an undisclosed piece of evidence that ended up on the pile of clothes, Bertagna said.

Capacete was arrested Friday, Bertagna said.

He works for the Brinks company in Garden Grove, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether he was a security guard, Bertagna said, adding the suspect does have a gun permit.

Capacete also put himself through a police academy and has been applying for law enforcement jobs, Bertagna said. He has a prior arrest for solicitation of prostitution, Bertagna said.

Santa Ana investigators suspect he may be involved in another attack in Garden Grove, and they are working with Homeland Security officials on another case, Bertagna said.

After a search of his home on Friday, investigators suspect there may be several more victims, Bertagna said.

Anyone with information was asked to call (855) TIP-OCCS.

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PA - Reaching out to Pennsylvania

2012-01-26T01:02:00.000-05:00

Sent to us via the contact form and posted with permission.

By Anonymous:
ReformSexOffenderLaws is reaching out to the families and loved ones of those registered on Megan's Law in Pennsylvania.

"Family members, even those who do not live with registered sex offenders, experience harassment, threats, violence, economic hardships, difficulties with housing, and psychological stresses simply because they are related to a sex offender. Whether intended or not, the criminal justice system, via SORN policies, extends punishments to a wide swath of society beyond sex offenders." - Jill Levenson - Collateral Damage:Family Members of Registered Sex Offenders (PDF)

We understand how much of a negative impact these laws cause to the children of those on the registry. That is why it is so important for you to speak up now more than ever.

We are joining hands to come together and inform legislators, members of congress, and local representatives about the collateral consequence these laws have to the family members and children. Most of them are just uninformed and need to see for themselves the impact this has on good people.

- Contact us by clicking the link below -

http://www.reformsexoffenderlaws.org/contact.php?from=state&id=40&contact=prim

Someone Worth Dying For

2012-01-26T00:12:00.002-05:00

Video Link

LYRICS:
You might be the wife,
Waiting up at night
You might be the man,
Struggling to provide
Feeling like it's hopeless

Maybe you're the son,
Who chose a broken road
Maybe you're the girl,
Thinking you'll end up alone
Praying God can you hear me?
Oh God are you listening?

(Chorus)
Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I wanna believe, I wanna believe that
I'm not just some wandering soul
That you don't see and you don't know
Yeah I wanna believe, Jesus help me believe that I
Am someone worth dying for

I know you've heard the truth that God has set you free
But you think you're the one that grace could never reach
So you just keep asking, what everybody's asking

Chorus

You're worth it, you can't earn it
Yeah the Cross has proven
That you're sacred and blameless
Your life has purpose

You are more than flesh and bone
Can't you see you're something beautiful
Yeah you gotta believe, you gotta believe
He wants you to see, He wants you to see
That you're not just some wandering soul
That can't be seen and can't be known
Yeah you gotta believe, you gotta believe that you
Are someone worth dying for

You're someone worth dying for
You're someone worth dying for

TX - 4 Reasons Why Your Small Business Should Hire An Ex-Convict

2012-01-25T23:44:00.001-05:00

Original Article

01/13/2012

By Jhaneel Lockhart

A criminal record is usually not the kind of qualification most employers have in mind when looking for new hires.

But some managers know that formerly incarcerated employees can add value to their companies.

Mark Peters, CEO of Butterball Farms, Inc., a national supplier of specialty butters, regularly hires former prisoners and says companies should consider giving these workers a chance.

He's launching a study and wants other companies to participate in it to examine the benefits and challenges of those who have spent time behind bars, according to WWMT Newschannel 3.

While many employers remain skeptical about hiring ex-offenders, others extol the benefits of adding these members to your staff. Here are four reasons, in addition to the social benefit, why you should consider rehabilitated offenders.

They'll be looking out for you since you looked out for them.

Since most people who have spent time in prison find it difficult to get jobs and re-enter society, they'll likely be extremely grateful and loyal to any employer who gives them a chance.

“There's plenty of people I can hire that don't care if they work for me or the guy down the street,” said Peters. “I'd rather have somebody who's really engaged and helping my organization be successful. So if I help someone else be successful, they're a lot more interested in helping me be successful.”
The training they received in prison may be transferable to your job.

Many people who spend time behind bars are able to receive vocational training and participate in certification programs for GEDs and college degrees, which can help prepare them for employment and provide valuable skills that transfer across fields. It might also mean they are familiar with discipline and hard work.
They'll stay with you longer.

People who have been incarcerated greatly value their jobs when they get hired, according to the Travis County Offender Workforce Development Program in Texas. Their website says, "The ex-offenders in our program have demonstrated a commitment to leading an honest and responsible life. Finding employment is not easy for them--once hired they are not likely to quit--they are highly motivated to become long-term employees."
There could be tax incentives for employers.

Business who hire ex-felons within one year after they are convicted or released from prison may qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit which gives employers a maximum of $2,400 for each adult hired. Read the fact sheet here (PDF) for more information.

SCOTUS sorts through applicability of SORNA in Reynolds

2012-01-25T23:24:00.001-05:00

Click the image above to read the article

Carnal Knowledge

2012-01-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

This was sent in to us via the contact form and posted with permission.

By RC:
can some1 please help me with maby getting my record expunged? i got the charge win i was 19 years old for a girl i dated for a year .. iam 27 now a kid on the way and i every time i think iam getting ahead this thing bites be in the but .. i have alot of good people willing to talk on my behalf about my character .. i really just wanna live my life and not have this stop me from being successful and moving on.ive been sitting at the DA,S office tring to sit down with him and i talk to a couple of lawers but it seams like no 1 want to deal with me .. if any 1 could give me some info to help me out that would be great .. thanks

MT - Court rules that juveniles can be required to register as sex offenders

2012-01-25T17:50:00.001-05:00

Original Article

01/25/2012

By MATT VOLZ

HELENA — A federal appeals court has ruled that juveniles whose identities are otherwise protected can be required to register as sex offenders.

The 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals denied the argument by three Montana Native Americans who said they shouldn't be required to register as sex offenders for crimes committed when they were boys.

They cited the confidentiality provisions of the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act.

The three-judge panel upheld a lower court's ruling Wednesday that said Congress intended to exclude certain juveniles from those confidentiality provisions when it created the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The judges say the registration requirement is constitutionally sound.

Juvenile justice advocates say the ruling is short-sighted and represents an erosion of confidentiality protections given to youth offenders.

UT - Bill allowing some sex offender off register early approved

2012-01-25T17:37:00.001-05:00

Original Article

01/25/2012

By Ladd Brubaker

SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would allow a limited group of offenders to petition a court to get off Utah's sex offender registry after five years was approved Tuesday by the Utah House Judiciary Committee on an 8-4 vote.

Rep. Jack Draxler, R-North Logan, who is sponsoring HB13, said it gives those convicted of the "two least egregious (sexual) offenses" a chance to get off the state registry if a judge determines they're no longer a threat to society.

"I am trying to bring some opportunity for redemption from someone who's really paid the price and tried to get their life back in order," Draxler told committee members.

But other legislators expressed concerns that many who might be eligible under the proposal would be more serious offenders whose charges had been reduced by plea arrangements. Others worried that victims would be unnecessarily re-victimized.

In presenting his proposal, Draxler repeated the case of a convicted sex offender that he mentions often.

About 10 years ago, a 19-year-old man who had sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend was convicted of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. The couple later married and now has four children.

But because he has been required to be listed on the Utah Sex Offender and Kidnap Offender Registry for 10 years, he cannot go to the park with his children, attend his child's parent-teacher conferences and there are restrictions of where he can work and live.

Speaking in opposition to the bill, Mel Wilson, who represents the Utah Council for Victims of Crime, said, "This is one of the most difficult issues that we have presented before us in the criminal justice system."

"We're very sympathetic to the issue," he said, but added that the victims' council decided the bill does not adequately address the issue.

Wilson said council members looked over numerous probation reports and figure that of 250 offenders on the registry for the two offenses under the bill, "very few would fit what we called the Romeo-and-Juliet scenarios — only about two."

As of July 15, the sex offender registry listed 47 offenders who've been convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old, and 218 convicted of unlawful sexual activity with a minor (ages 14 or 15).

Not all would qualify under Draxler's proposal. Eligible offenders must have completed any treatment the court may have ordered and must have no subsequent convictions, except for traffic offenses.

To be eligible, offenders also must have complied with all registration requirements.

Draxler said he will work with opponents of the bill to address their concerns before it goes to the full House.

MI - Should Teens Be Jailed for Sex Offenses? A Growing Parental Rebellion Says No

2012-01-25T17:23:00.001-05:00

Original Article

01/25/2012

By Abigail Pesta

Parents are fighting laws that imprison teens for sex. Prosecutors say kids should obey the law. Meet one young Romeo who didn't—and spent six years in jail.

Francie Baldino, a mother of two from Royal Oak, Mich., can tell you the day she became an activist against America’s sex-offender laws. It was the day her teenage son went to prison—for falling in love with a teenage girl.

“The prison term was unthinkable,” says Baldino. “He was just a dumb kid.”

Her son, Ken, was an 18-year-old senior in high school when he was arrested for having sex with his girlfriend, a 14-year-old freshman, in 2004. The age of consent in Michigan is 16. He got sentenced to a year in jail and three years’ probation. After that, when the two teens resumed their relationship—violating his probation—he got five to 15 years.

His mother is part of a surprising rebellion that has now spread to all 50 states: parents fighting against sex-offender laws—the very laws designed to safeguard their children. These parents argue that the laws are imposing punishments on their high-school sons that are out of proportion to the crime.

Baldino’s son, for instance, spent more than six years behind bars and today must wear a GPS device the size of a box of butter. Sometimes, he says, it loses its signal and sets off an alarm. “That’s really helpful when I’m at work,” says the blue-eyed 26-year-old, who wears stud earrings and works at a door-and-window store.

The cases these parents are fighting are highly complex, charged with emotion, and rarely black-and-white. The questions are profoundly difficult: Should the scales of justice be weighted in favor of the young? Is a sex crime somehow less terrible, if it involves teens?

No one keeps a tally of how many cases fall into this category nationwide. But there is one measure of the scale of the movement: there are now more than 50 organizations—at least one in every state—battling against prosecutions like these. Baldino’s group is Michigan Citizens for Justice, which she says includes more than 100 parents. Another group in Michigan, the Coalition for a Useful Registry, has around 150 parents as members, it says. Organizations in other states report similar numbers. One of the largest, Texas Voices, claims some 300 parents as members.

The cases they are fighting are highly complex, charged with emotion, and rarely black-and-white. The questions are profoundly difficult: Should the scales of justice be weighted in favor of the young? Is a sex crime somehow less terrible, if it involves teens? The judge in the Baldino case, Fred Mester, openly acknowledged the complexities. Referring to his own high-school days when handing down the prison sentence in 2005, he said, “Half my senior class … were dating freshman girls, and I suspect half of them would be in here today.”

Prosecutors say it’s simple: kids should obey the law, and parents need to keep their children under control. Paul Walton, a chief assistant prosecutor in Michigan, says Baldino’s son had only himself to blame: he was an adult, and he chose his own actions. “The court isn’t imposing restrictions because it’s fun—it’s the law,” Walton says. “You can disagree on the age of consent, but the law says that prior to that age, a person doesn’t have the ability to consent.”
- Mr. Walton, just wait until one of your children is slammed with the label, then let's see how you react.

Baldino is quick to say that she doesn’t advocate underage sex. And both she and her son admit he broke the law. He “did stupid things,” she says, including getting in a physical fight with his girlfriend’s father one evening in 2004—a fight that began the chain of events that led to the police being called, and his arrest for underage sex.

Baldino argues simply that the law should treat teenage lovers differently from pedophiles or violent sexual predators. “The punishment is too extreme for kids,” she says. “It’s a system that’s not working.”

ON A RECENT RAINY AFTERNOON, Francie Baldino steps into her kitchen and pulls out a favorite photo of her son as a toddler, dressed in a bee costume. Then she sits down at the table and describes the events that sent him to prison.

Baldino was a remarried mother of two when her son, Ken Thornsberry (who uses his father’s surname), met a girl named Emily Lester at a local Tower Records. The two teenagers were living with their fathers in the wake of divorce; both were struggling to find their footing at home and at school, says Baldino. They attended different high schools, but started spending all their free time together. Eventually, they slept together, although they certainly didn’t announce that to their parents.

Read the rest of the article

CT - Lawmakers discuss sex abuse reporting laws

2012-01-25T04:02:00.001-05:00

Original Article

01/24/2012

By Mark Davis

Hartford (WTNH) - The scandal surrounding Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has prompted colleges and lawmakers around the country to take a closer look at laws requiring people in certain professions to report when they suspect or witness child abuse.

"Remaining silent in the face of the kind of abuse that occurred at Penn State shocks the conscience,"said Commissioner Joette Katz, Department of Children & Families.

Connecticut State lawmakers heard Tuesday that it appears that college coaches are not among the dozens of professions listed as 'Mandatory Reporters' of child sex abuse under Connecticut law.

"Our research following this scandal reveals, however, that Connecticut's mandated reporting law...does not apply to youth, college, or university coaches," said Katz.

In fact, the University of Connecticut, which is nationally famous for its basketball program, apparently has no policy. The Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote Wednesday on establishing a child abuse reporting policy at UConn.

"My son went to the Jim Calhoun basketball camp," said Rep. Diana Urban, Select Committee on Children. "I, of course, assumed that the UConn campus would have in place a policy to keep my son safe and apparently they don't."

Current law, specifically requires high school coaches to report abuse, but coaches at the college level were apparently left off the list when the law was originally written.

In addition to school coaches, other 'Mandatory Reporters' include people in child care, all medical people, teachers, principals and guidance counselors, members of the clergy and social workers.

However, lawmakers also heard Tuesday that many people on the list don't really know what their responsibilities are.

"Your responsibility is, if you suspect that a child is being abused or neglected; you must, by law, pick up the phone and call the D.C.F. Hotline," said Jeanne Milstein, CT Child Advocate, "or make sure that a report is made to the hotline."

The law requires that you call the Department of Children and Families hotline rather than the police. That's one change they are talking about making.

GA - Proposal calls for sex offender nursing home

2012-01-25T03:51:00.001-05:00

Original Article

01/24/2012

By Marc McAfee

MILLEDGEVILLE - Neither the Governor nor the Georgia Department of Corrections would elaborate Tuesday on a plan to reopen a closed facility to house elderly sex offenders.

The proposal would spend $6 million to renovate the former Bostick State Prison, a Milledgeville facility that closed in 2010.

Treatment for elderly sex offenders is often more expensive in the regular system, and a specialized facility would service a population most nursing homes won't touch.

In a hearing last Wednesday, Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens said medicaid money could be used to treat the 150 inmates. It's not clear whether the renovated facility would keep the same amount of security infrastructure as the former prison.

"The governor believes this is the safest and most efficient way to ensure inmates needing medical care receive appropriate treatment while also keeping convicted offenders off Georgia's streets," read a statement from Governor Nathan Deal's office.

Several Milledgeville residents told 11Alive any jobs would be welcomed by the community. They said sex offenders already lived in the general prison populations around Milledgeville, and as long as they stay inside the gates, there shouldn't be any controversy.

"Most of them are going to be sickly and elderly and not able to hardly walk or get around anyway," said former corrections worker Richard Grable. "So there isn't any way they're going to pose any harm or threat to the community or the kids out in the community anyway."
- So why can't they stay at a regular nursing home then? It's just more government waste of money.

For the proposal to move forward, it would need approval from the state legislature.

FL - Sex offender numbers rise in Florida

2012-01-25T03:31:00.002-05:00

Original Article (With Video)

Keep in mind, this comes from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who have a vested interest in inflating the numbers, money..... Also see this item for more. You see, the states have duplicate entries for offenders, some have moved to a state, then left the state, but their listing stays on the registry, and some have died, but are still on the registry. Think about it. If they removed the people who do not live in the state anymore, or who are deceased, the fear mongering number would be a lot less. They get paid more money for the number of people on the list. Offenders move all the time, due to the draconian laws, so imagine how many duplicates you could have if an offender moved to three different states, and a long with all his/her aliases, could bring the list up drastically, and this is a fact, but nobody seems to be addressing this issue, why? Plus, the NCMEC only contacted police departments by phone to get the numbers, which I'm sure is not very reliable.

See Also: Bloated Registries - Why? So they can shock people from fear to get funding, etc?

01/24/2012

JACKSONVILLE - New data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shows the number of registered sex offenders in the country is increasing, and Florida ranks high on the list.

Florida has the third highest number of registered sex offenders in the country at about 58,000. California and Texas are ranked Nos. 1 and 2.

Trevor Brandl, who has a 2-year-old daughter, was surprised by a search of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's sex offender database in reference to his home.

"In a two-mile radius, 30 offenders or predators found. That's shocking," Brandl said.

When he heard that Florida is No. 3 in the country for sex offenders, he found it disturbing.

"To see Florida so high, it's a little scary," he said.

Kecia Harris was also unaware of how many sex offenders live by her.

"It's very scary, alarming," she said. "It makes me afraid for my nephew. If I want to have children, I might relocate."

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that the number of registered sex offenders has gone up 23 percent in the last five years. The 58,000 registered sex offenders in Florida represent 0.3 percent of the state's population.
- And why has this number gone up? Is it due to new people being arrested for stupid stuff, or offenders committing new crimes, or people dying and not being removed, or duplicate records in the database with different spellings, etc? After all, the data is entered by a human, which is prone to mistakes and different spellings, etc, or due to a person having multiple aliases. You notice, they don't justify why the increase, they just say it has increased, and leave it up to the public to assume it's due to more people being arrested, which I'm sure is most likely not the case.

Channel 4 crime analyst Ken Jefferson believes the numbers are up because a lot of emphasis is being placed on sex crimes. He said that no matter where you live, it's important to know who is a sex offender.

"If he was arrested for a sex offense against a child, you want to keep your children away from that area, make them aware and educate them," Jefferson said.

As a parent himself, Jefferson said other parents need to check the FDLE website on a regular basis because every time sex offenders move, the site is updated.

"As often as you feel it necessary, be it weekly, be it monthly, whatever, because they're moving around quite often," he said.