You can say that Brian Mastre of WOWT 6 Omaha is a Mastre-Baiter

What a poorly written sweeps week fluff piece. Mastra-baiter writes about a single anecdotal example and proclaim that "pedophiles" and "predators" are "slipping under the radar" based upon a single unique set of circumstances. We have this bloated government blacklist of more than 900,000 people, including children as young as age 9, and instead of questioning why we have so many people on this list who aren't a danger to society, Mastre-baiter point to a single anomaly and report it as if it is some kind of epidemic. This is why people distrust the mainstream media.

https://www.wowt.com/content/news/Inconsistent-sex-offender-laws-give-pedophiles-predators-a-chance-to-slip-under-the-radar-565127992.html

Inconsistent sex-offender laws give pedophiles, predators a chance to slip under the radar

By Brian Mastre | Posted: Mon 9:00 PM, Nov 18, 2019  | Updated: Mon 10:57 PM, Nov 18, 2019

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) -- Today marks the 76th day Michael Brandstrom has been locked inside the county jail in Council Bluffs. He won’t be getting out anytime soon after admitting last week to kidnapping a 4-year-old girl who was wandering around his apartment complex in September and taking nude photos of her with his phone.

"That poor girl will never get her innocence back, ever. It’s nauseating," one neighbor said to 6 On Your Side.

They said heard from 6 News reports that he was arrested years ago for a child sex crime in North Dakota.

“This is just mindblowing,” another said, wondering why Brandstrom wasn’t on the sex offender registry?

6 News asked Investigator Jon Hilz with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s a pretty acceptable practice that if you have to register in one state, you’d have to register in another,” he said.

Hilz has spent the last four years making sure the county’s 250 registered sex offenders followed the rules regarding where they live and work and visit.

“You just want to prevent further offenses on folks by registered sex offenders,” he said.

Before the Iowa kidnapping, Hilz never had to check on Brandstrom — even though he had been convicted in another state of terrorizing a little girl — because Brandstrom wasn’t required to register in Iowa.

Or in North Dakota. Or anywhere.

The reason baffles investigators to this day.

On Aug. 30, 2011, Det. Conley with the Grand Forks Police Department brought Brandstrom into an interview room to get some answers.

The suspect was 20-years-old at the time.

“Tell me how you touched these kids so I can tell them it wasn’t their fault," Conley is heard saying on the recording.

Officers had received complaints that Brandstrom and his friends were inappropriatel y touching girls on the swing-set and monkey bars at a trailer court playground.

“I remember lifting them up onto the monkey bars, guiding them across in case they accidentally fall," the suspect is heard responding on the recording.

For more than an hour, Brandstrom wrestled with his answers and the apparent truth.

“You don’t want that child to keep wondering, 'Why me? Why me? Why me?' " the detective says.

Eventually, Brandstrom told Conley this about his 6-year-old victim: “I’m sorry for tickling the little girl’s vagina, and that I deeply regret it.”

In November 2012, Brandstrom pleaded guilty to terrorizing. The judge sentenced him to three years of supervised probation. She did not require him to register as an offender against children, even though terrorizing is one of the crimes that fit the requirements.

Two weeks later, Brandstrom was found with child pornography — numerous pictures of female minors depicting sexual conduct — on his computer in his bedroom.

His probation was revoked, and another judge eventually sent him to prison for three years. He also ordered Brandstrom to complete sex offender treatment while in prison — and yet, he still didn’t have to register as a sex offender.

Those in Iowa who became Brandstrom’s new neighbors don’t get it. If you’re supposed to take a sex offender class while locked up, logically speaking – shouldn’t you have to register as a sex offender, too?

Legal experts tell 6 News that judges in North Dakota are allowed to deviate from the registration requirement under certain circumstances.

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said that's not the case here.

“I don’t think our judges have that type of discretion," he said. If someone is convicted of a certain crime, you’re forced to register as a sex offender."

But if states continue to operate with different sets of standards, how can the public know if they have dangerous neighbors?

While Brandstrom went from a North Dakota playground to the one in the middle of his Iowa apartment complex — and it’s eerily similar — there’s one big difference between sentences and the judge’s order: With his recent conviction for taking nude photos of a 4-year-old, Iowa law requires Brandstrom to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The two North Dakota judges involved in this case are both retired now. One is a practicing attorney; 6 On Your Side emailed her twice for comment but did not hear back.

Jenny Day of KYMA 11 in Yuma AZ is 99% WRONG on re-offense rates but has a simple one word fix

I can think of a more fitting award for this bimbo...

Not only did she cite only one bogus stat, she made it a point to use that stat TWICE in this sweeps week fluff piece. Her stat is just an ass pull from a victim cult known as Amberly's Place.

She should just do her reporting wearing a shirt saying 97% of stats are made up, who cares about the other 4%"

But a simple fix could change this article, just add the word DON'T before the word "re-offense" and it would be correct.

https://www.kyma.com/news/released-to-reoffend-news-11-investigates-the-sex-offender-next-door-1/1142360703

Released to Reoffend: News 11 investigates the sex offender next door
By: Jenny Day 

Posted: Nov 14, 2019 06:57 PM MST

Updated: Nov 14, 2019 06:57 PM MST

News 11 investigates the sex offender next door:

Statistics show 99% of child sex offenders reoffend, yet they are still being released into our community. 

We spoke to police, probation, victim advocates, lawmakers and even knocked on the doors, of those who have spent years in prison and now have to register as a sex offender for life.

Convicted sex offenders have to inform law enforcement of where they'll be living, even if homeless these predators have to tell police something - even under the bridge off First Street is sufficient. Every time they move, police put it on social media, those who live nearby are alerted and we put it on the news. The goal isn't to instill fear, rather keep you informed.

"It doesn't mean something is going to happen, doesn't mean they're a violent person, we want you safe and to be alerted,"  Sgt. Lori Franklin said, of the Yuma Police Department.

In Yuma County, sex offenders are living among us.  "I don't know if we have more, or we are just reporting more," Stephanie Pla said, from Adult Probation.

On average - 60 people are on probation at a time, in Yuma County.  "We see a lot of child pornography, putting cameras where they shouldn't be and there's been an upswing in revenge porn," Pla said. Over the years, she's seen her share of success stories.

"They get married, have kids, get a good job and get back into society - there's nothing more rewarding." But she has also seen the other side. "A lot of it has to do with control. They are very narcissistic, they don't care who they hurt, as long as they can please themselves," Pla said.

We set out to ask them for themselves. After knocking on several doors, some convicted sex offenders told me to get off their property, others chose to tell their story.

"It involved me and my step daughter. She told her mom I was molesting her friend, but I was just fixing her bra."  This man spent decades in prison. He was convicted in 1981 for sexual conduct with a minor then again in 2001, for the attempted molestation of a child.

I asked, "Do you think you're a danger to children?  He replied, "I have grand kids. No!"

The Yuma County Sheriff's Department has listed him as level three, meaning he's been deemed the highest risk to re-offend - yet after serving his time, he is now a free man. "I don't really care what the public thinks, because I don't have to answer to the public."​​​​​​​

He took part in sex offender rehabilitation programs while in prison - that he says did help - possibly even shed light on a motive,  sharing with me, he was molested by his father, starting at just four years old. He says he endured that torture another 12 years.  "I assumed the same mindset, my core beliefs got warped."

Statistics show it is indeed often someone you know. "94% of the time, it's a family member,"  Dianne Umphress said, who started the family advocacy center, Amberly's Place in Yuma, 20 years ago. It's grown into an empire. She said, "We have five sexual assault nurse examiners on call 24-7. The youngest victim we've had was just four months." And the oldest to date - 85 years old.

In the first year, Amberly's place saw 48 victims come forward - now, they help about 2,500 people each year.  And still sexual assault is the most under reported crime; one in six women have a story to tell. "Seeing broken people come in here, and they leave not quite so broken, that's where my passion comes from," Umphress added.

Her motivation also comes from a murder that remains a mystery today. "Amberly was a young girl, she was murdered in her own home and sexually assaulted in 1996," Umphress said.

It was around the time, Dianne was building this safe haven for victims of abuse, to have a place to come forward and get help. She was given the blessing by Amberly Mendoza's mother. Since then, Amberly's name, story and legacy have helped change the lives of thousands of now survivors. "Even when the worst thing happens, there's life after abuse. You can survive. You can still have a happy life," Umphress said.

Through this story, I learned silence is the biggest factor for why abuse continues.

Everyone agrees, more needs to be done. Again, Amberly's place statistics have stayed the same for 20 years, showing 99% of child sex offenders re-offend.

Police catch the predators, probation keeps an eye on them, so change would really have to come in the form of a new law. I reached out to several lawmakers. Congressman Paul Gosar, (R) Arizona said, "It defies common sense that these offenders receive light sentences, and are often released into society when the data shows high risks of recidivism." He says he is looking for legislative solutions to 'hold these horrendous offenders accountable, and keep america's children safe.'

Representative Walter Blackman (R) Arizona, said in part, "There are some who believe we should include sex offenders as part of the criminal justice reform debate," but he says he can't support that.

And, Representative Tim Dunn (R) Arizona says "Longer prison sentences for violent, high risk sex offenders are only a partial solution – there also needs to be cooperation at the state and local levels to ensure that resources exist to both reduce recidivism and keep our communities safe."

Those convicted of child sex abuse serve between five years to life in prison, then those released are on probation for ten years to life. "Sex offenders are not allowed to be released early. They have to serve their entire sentence," Pla said.

Probation often includes drug and alcohol tests and random - surprise check ins. We just happened to be there for one. Officers showed up, as we were door knocking.  Registered sex offenders are also required to hand over the passwords to every electronic. The internet opens up your child, to a world of sexual predators.

ADDENDUM!

KYMA 11 attempted... BUT NOT SUCCEEDED... in making corrections to this brown journalism piece. Below is what they wrote, but honestly, this attempt at correction is virtual turd polishing.

According to the Department of Justice, the recidivism rate for sex offenders hovers around five percent after three years and 24 percent after 15 years.

According to SMART - The office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking, for pedophiles - it shows the highest rate for boy molesters after 15 years was 35 percent and for girls molesters, 16 percent.  A study conducted by Harvard Medical School shows recidivism rates between ten and 50 percent for pedophiles.

News 11 first reported that 99 percent of child sex offenders reoffend, after an interview with Diane Umphress, of Amberly's Place. Umphress clarified her comment by stating that  99 percent of pedophiles cannot be cured, meaning they will not lose their urge for children. Umphress says this number comes from a recent training done by National Children's Advocacy Center in Washington D.C.  https://www.nationalcac.org/

Exact re-arrest rates are not known, because these sex crimes against children often go unreported. Amberly's Place reports only one in nine children ever report abuse.

Duane Pohlman of Cincinnati's Local 12's sweeps week fluff piece attacks registrant for daring to reform the laws

No, it isn't me or anyone I know. But if Ohio starts background checks before allowing anyone to speak out against bad legislation, it will be bad for this entire movement.

https://local12.com/news/investigates/local-12-investigation-leads-lawmakers-to-consider-background-checks-at-ohio-statehouse

Local 12 investigation leads lawmakers to consider background checks at Ohio statehouse
by Duane Pohlman, WKRCTuesday, October 15th 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WKRC) - A day after a Local 12 Investigation revealed that a child sex predator hid his criminal background when he met with some of Ohio’s most powerful lawmakers and other leaders, State Rep. Tom Brinkman says he has asked whether better background checks are needed to find out who is really meeting with legislators.

NOT AWARE

Brinkman made it clear he was not aware James Kronenberger, the founder of Fair Treatment Reform and Re-entry (FTRR), was a registered sexual predator who had been found guilty several times over nearly four decades for sex crimes against young children.

CLICK HERE FOR LOCAL 12 INVESTIGATION, “HIDDEN PAST”

“If I would have known the information, things would have been a little bit different,”Brinkman said, conceding he not only met with Kronenberger, but worked with FTRR to draft a prison and parole reform bill -- a proposed mandate reforming Ohio’s prison system as well as providing early parole to non-violent offenders.

When I spoke with Kronenberger nearly two weeks ago, he said he often met with lawmakers, including Brinkman, as he pushed for prison and parole reform at Ohio’s statehouse. When asked how often he met with lawmakers, Kronenberger told us, “I come down here, usually two to three times a week.”

NOBODY ASKED

Kronenberger admitted he didn’t tell any of the state’s powerful lawmakers about his convictions for sex crimes against children as young as 5 years old, nor did he discuss details of his convictions for enticement, attempted kidnapping and harassment that led to him spending nearly 25 years in prison.

When asked why he withheld the information, he said, “I just never thought of it,” adding, “Nobody asked.”

Brinkman confirmed he and his office never vetted Kronenberger. No one on his staff even conducted a simple Google search.

“None was done at all,” Brinkman conceded.

TERRIFYING

“It’s terrifying,” said Bret Vinocur, the founder and president of Block Parole, Inc, an organization dedicated to keeping violent offenders in prison for their maximum sentences.

“You would think that members of the legislature who are working with people would vet them,” Vinocur said, after learning that lawmakers never conducted a basic search to find out who Kronenberger was.

Vinocur then quickly turned to question the validity of Brinkman’s bill calling for prison reform.

“The whole bill is tainted,” Vinocur said.

BACKGROUND CHECKS?

But Brinkman insists prison and parole reforms outlined in his bill are still needed but says the fact that Kronenberger didn’t disclose his disturbing past is a big problem.

“I wish I would have known who I was dealing with. There’s no question about that,” he said.

Now, Brinkman confirms he has asked the human resources office at the Ohio legislature to determine whether background checks should be made available to lawmakers before they meet with individuals like Kronenberger.

Remember when the Miami Herald used to be awesome? Now they're the South's NY Daily News

The Miami Herald's "environmental reporter" Adriana Brasileiro wants to remind us that Hurricane Dorian sideswiped Epstein's private island. I remember years ago when the Miami Herald would expose government corruption. Now the once-great paper publishes brown journalist reports on par with the NY Daily News.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/weathertopstories/hurricane-dorian-sideswipes-jeffrey-epsteins-notorious-pedophile-island/ar-AAGsCIC

Hurricane Dorian sideswipes Jeffrey Epstein's notorious 'Pedophile Island'

By Adriana Brasileiro, Miami Herald  17 hrs ago

MIAMI — With the U.S. Virgin Islands right in Dorian’s path, one infamous place was feeling the worst of the hurricane on Wednesday: Jeffrey Epstein’s “Pedophile Island.”

Little Saint James Island, the hideaway where the wealthy hedge fund manager allegedly trafficked girls for sex and entertained politicians and businessmen, was on what’s informally known as the “dirty side” of Dorian and could potentially face winds of up to 70 mph as the system passes the Virgin Islands.

The dirty side, or right side of a system when looking at it from above, typically packs the most powerful winds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The dirty side of the storm is worse due to the direction of hurricane winds, which rotate counterclockwise. The strength of the storm on the dirty side is the hurricane’s wind speed plus its forward velocity, according to NOAA. The absolute worst spot in a hurricane is on the dirty side closest to the eye of the storm.

Epstein’s island was raided by FBI and police earlier this month as the investigation into the hedge fund manager’s alleged sex trafficking of girls continued despite his death on Aug. 10. Epstein’s case was reexamined after the Miami Herald published the series “Perversion of Justice.”

Dorian continued to move northwestward after crossing the U.S. Virgin Islands near St. Croix, according to the National Hurricane Center. The newly formed hurricane was about 45 miles northwest of St. Thomas as of the Center’s 5 p.m. update on Wednesday. The fourth named storm of the season is on track to pass over or near Puerto Rico’s east coast and could develop into a Category 3 hurricane by the time it reaches Florida’s coast Monday morning.

Dorian strengthened in the early hours on Wednesday to near hurricane level and was forecast to bring up to 6 inches of rain to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Isolated areas could see up to 10 inches of rain and life-threatening flash floods, surf and rip current conditions.

As forecasters predicted a likely Florida landfall, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon for 26 counties in Dorian’s path, spanning the east coast from Duval to Monroe counties.

Nearly all of the intensity models show Dorian becoming a stronger hurricane in the next two days as it passes near or to the east of the Turks and Caicos islands and the Bahamas by Friday and Saturday.

©2019 Miami Herald

Visit Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Ben Briscoe of WFMY News seems shocked registered persons have mailboxes within 1000 feet of a school

Just wait until this dumbass reporter discover registrants shop at grocery stores and order pizzas just like non-registrants.

https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/2-wants-to-know/2-wants-to-know-measured-the-sex-offenders-mailbox-near-a-greensboro-school-is-legal/83-70aa185d-d9cc-4397-aad5-379e7a85fc1a

2 Wants To Know Measured. The Sex Offender's Mailbox Near a Greensboro School Is Legal
Legal experts say it's allowed under North Carolina's "open to multiple interpretations" law.
Author: Benjamin Briscoe
Published: 1:03 PM EDT June 28, 2019
Updated: 6:09 PM EDT June 28, 2019

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Registered sex offenders are not allowed to live with 1,000 feet of a school in North Carolina, but what about if their mailbox is right next to a school? It is happening in Guilford County. A few steps away from the mailbox of a registered sex offender is a sign marking the end of a school zone for Northern Guilford High.

By the numbers: 2 Wants To Know mesaured. The mailbox is 81 feet away from a bus parking lot, it's 492 feet away from the school sign and grass where sports teams practice. It's close enough that some neighbors are posting their concern on the Nextdoor app.

One writing: "The kids that live on our street are at risk. Somehow our justice system has let this man into this beautiful community so close to the kids at our schools."

And another added: "I know, it's a nightmare!"

While it may be a nightmare, the person is following the laws of North Carolina, according to the Guilford County Sheriff's Office.

The Sex Offender Registration department said they were too busy for an on-camera interview. But added that there is no law in North Carolina requiring deputies to come out and check the 1,000 feet in person.

Instead Guilford County law enforcement uses the Geographic Information System mapping system to check compliance.

They measure from the property line of a school to the property line of where the sex offender lives. In this case it happens to be more than 1,600 feet away. The house is down a country road, with a lake in-between and a hike from the mailbox. 

No standardized state measuring method.

Each county can also measure in different ways. Some like Guilford use a straight line, others measure by the path of the roads because they think it takes into account natural barriers like a lake.

And some measure from the offender's property line. Others from the walls of the house. It's so confusing, the UNC school of government posted a blog talking about how the law was open to "multiple interpretations."

That's because North Carolina law just says the sex offender may not reside "within 1,000 feet of the property on which any public or nonpublic school or child care center is located."

Compare that to a state like Kentucky which clearly spells out the measurement "shall be taken in a straight line from the nearest wall of the school to the nearest wall of the registrant's place of residence."

Joe Khalil of Fox 40 Sacramento doesn't like being corrected on the fact people cannot be "arrested for pedophilia"

One of my pet peeves is reporters using terms like "arrested/ convicted for pedophilia."

So a fellow activist contacted this reporter after he posted the following in a news article:

https://fox40.com/2019/06/17/police-departments-doctored-photo-of-alleged-sex-offender-leads-to-new-policy/

"In the original photograph, 36-year-old **** happened to be wearing a T-shirt with a campaign logo of a man running for Congress. At the time, **** was being arrested for pedophilia."

At least Joe Khalil eventually updated the page to remove the offensive term, and I would have left it at that, but then the reporter insisted on defending his use of the term and was offended by the notion that the term is offensive and improperly used. Thus, he gets recognition on this blog.

https://twitter.com/JoeKhalilTV/status/1140776359351816192

This EGAD-sden Times OpEd is the the worst OpEd I've ever seen

Whoever wrote this couldn't even stand by their statements. Thus, the entire editorial board deserves this award.

https://www.gadsdentimes.com/news/20190613/our-view-message-to-naysayers---alabama-got-this-one-right

OUR VIEW: Message to naysayers — Alabama got this one right

Posted Jun 13, 2019 at 2:20 PM

Updated Jun 13, 2019 at 2:20 PM

   

We’ve never hesitated to chide Alabama’s lawmakers for actions that have been fruitless upraised middle fingers to the federal government, or have produced ridicule outside the state.

So to be fair, we’re going to offer them support for the latest thing that has landed them in the headlines, in cable news discussions and on partisan political websites or blogs.

Gov. Kay Ivey this week signed into law a bill requiring anyone convicted of a sex offense against a victim under age 13 to undergo “chemical castration” before he can be paroled from prison.

For every man who just winced at “that word,” no actual surgery is involved. The bill, by Rep. Steve Hurst, R-Munford, requires inmates to begin taking, a month before their scheduled release date, a drug that inhibits their production of testosterone, the hormone that powers the male sex drive.

They must continue taking the drug (and paying for it out of pocket) until a judge tells them they can stop. Otherwise, they go back behind bars to complete their sentences and could be charged with an additional Class C felony.

The idea is that reducing testosterone will make an offender less likely to repeat his crime. There is evidence — the director of the National Institute for the Study, Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Trauma Alabama shared some with the Washington Post — that the practice can lower recidivism rates.

Alabama is not out in the ether with this. Six U.S. states — California, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Wisconsin — and the territory of Guam also can impose the requirement as a condition of release, sentencing or supervision for a convicted sex offender.

However, it’s Alabama that’s being lambasted for “a return to the dark ages” in a headline on Salon, referencing a quote from a state ACLU official who opposes the law, saying it “presents serious issues about involuntary medical treatment, informed consent, the right to privacy and cruel and unusual punishment.”

Well, an inmate who doesn’t want to undergo the procedure absolutely can say “No.” He just doesn’t get parole.

The testosterone-reducing drug does carry side effects (anemia, bone loss, breast growth, depression, diabetes, hair loss, heart and kidney issues, and weight gain). We trust that will be stated up front — if not, it should be, and medical screening should be done before the drug regimen starts — so an inmate can balance those downsides against the upside of getting out of a cage when choosing what to do.

Anyone sentenced to prison for a sex crime against children generally goes on a permanent sex offender list even if he (or she, although this law is useless with that gender) serves every second of his term. Because society has judged that offense to be especially heinous and recidivism rates are so high, those folks basically forfeit, until death, any real right to privacy.

And again, nobody’s using a scalpel here, so we fail to see the cruelty and unusualness, unless someone’s going to stretch that definition to include inconvenience or not giving someone a break (who hasn’t exactly earned one — we’re talking about the convicted here, not the accused or suspects).

This isn’t a “give ’em the meds and be done with it” fix. The treatment only works on people who have a true sexual attraction to children — and that’s not everyone in prison. There are people with sick minds, filled with sick fetishes and fantasies that they turn into reality for assorted reasons, sometimes just out of sheer evil. This law won’t stop those types of predators.

The likelihood is that it will be applied judiciously if not rarely, given that the most vile sex offenders aren’t likely to have much success with the parole board.

Still, this could cut into some truly unacceptable numbers — the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network reports that more than 57,000 U.S. children were sexually abused in 2016, and we’ve reported the increased number of local cases requiring the James M. Barrie Center for Children’s services.

That’s why we think this effort is justified, even if the gains are small, and should be vigorously defended against the inevitable constitutional challenges. Alabama got this one right.

Unex-SPECHT-edly, reporter discovers registered persons have something called "rights"

Well, to be fair, it is a shock to registered persons anyone recognizes we aren't in Nazi Germany so we have something called "rights."

https://www.wkbw.com/news/i-team/loophole-in-state-law-allows-nursing-home-sex-offenders-to-go-undetected

Loophole in state law allows nursing home sex offenders to go undetected

Convicted rapist lives at Newfane Rehab & Health

Posted: 3:24 PM, Jun 06, 2019  Updated: 5:17 PM, Jun 06, 2019
By: Charlie Specht

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — **** -- who was convicted of raping someone at knifepoint 30 years ago -- moved to Newfane Rehabilitation and Health Care center in January.

But it wasn't until 10:45 a.m. Thursday that the state alerted the Newfane community that the Level 3 sex offender lived there.

7 Eyewitness News tried to ask Newfane Rehab administrator Craig Shaffer why residents weren't notified until Thursday, but he did not return a message left for comment.

According to state law, the nursing home doesn't have to tell residents, their families -- anyone -- about Mitchell's criminal past.

Even the State Health Department acknowledges nursing homes in New York are not required by law to notify residents that the man or woman in the next room is a sex offender.

A similar issue with a sex offender happened two years ago at the Waterfront Center nursing home in downtown Buffalo, when Thomas Moore -- a sex offender -- allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at the nursing home.

So why are these men allowed to live at nursing homes in the first place?

Because, according to experts, even sex offenders have rights.

“We as a society cannot impose a heavier burden upon this person and say, ‘Well, even though the court system released them into the community, we don't want them in our community,’” said Florina Altshiler, a Buffalo attorney.

Residents -- even those who are elderly or without access to computers -- must take the initiative to look up that information on their own. Altshiler said nursing home officials could face civil lawsuits for not doing more to protect residents.

“The question will hinge on what notice - if any - did that nursing home have, and what action - if any - did they take upon receiving that notice?” she said.

That doesn't sit well with State Assemblyman Patrick Burke of South Buffalo.

“People have a difficult decision to make when they're placing a loved one in a nursing home, and they should have that information available, too,” Burke said. “So not just the residents who may have to live with the sex offender, but also those who are a part of making that decision for their loved one.”

Rachel Cardin from Virginia's News 3 seems shocked registered persons might enjoy a day at the beach

Just wait until this reporter finds out that unlike Kim Jong Un in "The Interview," we pee and poop like non-RSOs. I can see the headline now:

"Can we can SOs from the can? Live on-the-scene exclusive interview with John on the john."

https://wtkr.com/2019/05/22/sexual-predators-living-among-us-could-be-sharing-the-beach-with-your-child/

Sexual predators living among us could be sharing the beach with your child
POSTED 12:00 AM, MAY 22, 2019, BY RACHAEL CARDIN, UPDATED AT 10:24AM, MAY 22, 2019

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. – The Virginia State Police monitors the state’s sex offender registry, which currently has 32,000 violent and non-violent offenders.

Of that number 10,674 are living among us — 3,011 of whom are in Hampton Roads.

The misconception, troopers say, is that every sex offender is a child molester. That is not the case, but of the more than 3,000 registered sex offenders in our area, 75 percent of them are violent offenders: convicted of crimes like rape, molestation or a sexual crime involving a child.

Violent offenders do have stipulations upon their release or end of parole. Many are banned from schools, school buses and day-care centers, or anywhere children might be.

Sex offenders are, however, allowed in public places. That means a sex offender, convicted of a violent or non-violent crime, could be walking next to you at the mall, playing with your dog at the park or laying in the sand next to your family at the beach.

Troopers have 47 officers and 36 civilians assigned to the sex offender unit in the state. These people make sure sex offenders register with the state and they check in to be sure the information in the registry is correct and up to date.

A registered sex offender has to let the state know within three days of any address, name or mailing address changes. They have to be constantly notifying troopers of their whereabouts; where they work, where they go to school and so on. An email or social media change has to be registered with the state within 30 minutes of a change.

Troopers say many sex offenders have served their time and they stay in compliance with all their requirements because they do not want to catch another charge, and possibly go back to jail. There are some, however, who do not like to follow these rules, which is why troopers routinely check in on these offenders.

Parents must be vigilant and aware of their surroundings when it comes to being in a public place with your children. Troopers encourage parents to look up the address of their home, work and their child’s school or day-care so you know where the sex offenders are.

Someone should tell Tim Whyte that repealing Santa Clarita's unconstitutional residency restriction law was a "Black and Whyte" issue

Yes Tim, when you are playing football and it is 4th and 99 and the game is lost anyways, you still punt. Residency restriction laws are unconstitutional. Even you had to admit it. That is why the decision to repeal a blatantly unconstitutional ordinance was made.

Remember when USC was talking all that trash before they played Alabama a couple years back then lost 52-6? Well, your article is a lot like that, Tim.

https://signalscv.com/2019/05/our-view-sex-offender-law-fight-or-punt-city-choices-limited/

Our View | Sex Offender Law: Fight or Punt? City Choices Limited
May 19, 2019
Tim Whyte

By The Signal Editorial Board

Rock. Santa Clarita. Hard Place.

That about sums up the situation the Santa Clarita City Council was in this past week, when council members faced a staff recommendation to repeal a city ordinance restricting the residency of registered sex offenders.

Regrettably, the council members had only two choices: repeal the ordinance, or face a very long, costly and most likely losing legal battle.

What does this mean for you and your family? In a nutshell, it means registered sex offenders can pretty much live wherever they want. There are a few exceptions. For example, the state Department of Corrections can still prohibit a sex offender from living within a half-mile of a school, but only if their victim was a child.

But otherwise, rapists, child molesters and serial flashers in trench coats are free to live wherever they want.

Across the street from a public park, where small children play? Yep. Green light.

Next door to an elementary school? You got it — with, of course, the aforementioned exception. Just make sure you pay the rent on time.

Church? Library? Day care center? Check, check, and check.

Yet, the city didn’t have much choice.

At issue was the city’s ordinance, enacted after the 2006 passage of California’s Proposition 83 — approved by a whopping 70 percent of the voters — that facilitated restrictions on where registered sex offenders could live.

The Santa Clarita ordinance, in short, stipulated that no sex offender could live within 2,000 feet of local parks, schools, libraries or day care centers.

Sounds reasonable, right? However, Prop. 83, known as Jessica’s Law, almost immediately faced legal challenges from attorneys who stood up for the rights of sex offenders versus the safety and security of families like yours.

By 2015, the California Supreme Court had ruled such restrictions unconstitutional. (It bears noting that the Jessica’s Law cases did not impact Megan’s Law, which requires the addresses of registered sex offenders to be made available to the public.)

While we understand that sometimes the courts must apply constitutional principles to protect the rights of the few from the whims of the many, in the case of Prop. 83 the court has protected the few — the sex offenders — while putting the many at risk.

In the aftermath of the 2015 ruling, attorneys like Janice M. Belluci started targeting cities that had imposed residency restrictions on sex offenders. Belluci, who has filed at least 34 such lawsuits, sued Santa Clarita on behalf of an unnamed “John Doe” client.

Belluci told the city she would drop the case, if the city would drop its residency restrictions.

That brought us to Tuesday night. First, we thank the council for pulling the item from the consent calendar. This is the sort of item that should at least get the benefit of a discussion before the council vote. In that discussion, there were two major topics of note:

First, the Sheriff’s Department hasn’t been enforcing Santa Clarita’s sex offender residency restrictions for the past eight years. So, if you thought you were living in a city where sex offenders can’t live within 2,000 feet of your kids’ schools, guess again. They’ve been free to do so since 2011, regardless of what the city ordinance said.

We understand the rationale for non-enforcement. The legal environment clearly pushed in that direction. But boy, if our memory serves correctly, that little bit of non-enforcement sure happened quietly.

And second, as Councilman Cameron Smyth noted in the discussion, the city faced quite a dilemma: You could repeal the ordinance, and avert the lawsuit. Or, you could fight the good fight, perhaps taking appeals as far as possible, spending who knows how many tax dollars on legal fees, and still, most likely, lose.

Sometimes a “good fight” is worth fighting. And sometimes, you punt. Weighing the factors on both sides, we don’t blame the council for punting. We share in their frustration, because this feels like a decision that was not in the best interests of local families.

That’s the California we live in: Sacrificing the will of the voters, local control and the safety of our children, while protecting the rights of sex offenders.

Does it have to be that way? While we understand that the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station is taking additional measures to keep local sex offenders honest — like routine residency checks — we also implore our city leaders to explore other potential options.

Here in Santa Clarita, we must devise new measures that can be taken to protect our community’s children — where California won’t. 

Ted Daniel of Boston 25 derails career of registrant featured in a previous positive story because it is sweeps week

Ted Daniel of Boston 25 decided to join into the sweeps week fearmongering by destroying one man's career. His brown journalism is the reason why people on the public registry would want to legally change their names to be able to have jobs.

https://www.boston25news.com/news/25-investigates-no-one-is-tracking-how-often-sex-offenders-change-names/945403357

25 Investigates: No one is tracking how often sex offenders change names
By: Ted Daniel

Updated: May 3, 2019 - 5:35 AM

Registered sex offenders are legally allowed to change their names in Massachusetts and 25 Investigates found the State Sex Offender Registry Board does not track how often this happens. It turns out, neither do probate courts or law enforcement.

In January, Boston 25 News reported on Michael D. Stanley, a Brighton man who has gained national attention for his futuristic idea called Transit X. Transit X used solar-powered pods that travel on a network of thin, elevated tracks 15 feet above the ground. Stanley believes his company could revolutionize public transportation all over the world.

Days after the story aired, an anonymous tipster emailed 25 Investigates with information about Stanley’s past.  It turns out Stanley was born Michael D. Plusch. He legally changed his last name in Essex County back in 2013.

Stanley pleaded guilty, in 2010, to four counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 and served time in prison. When he got out of jail the sex offender registry board classified him as a Level 3 sex offender, considered most likely to re-offend.

In a follow-up interview, Stanley told 25 Investigates he changed his name after he was released from prison because his sex offender status made it difficult for him to find a job. He said it wasn’t to conceal his status, but to avoid search engines like Google.

"Even somebody with my background, education, and self-confidence had enormous difficulty in just doing basic life functions, housing, getting a job. The registry is one of the cruelest forms of shame and punishment that we can possibly have as a society.” Stanley said.

Nineteen states either prohibit or place limitations on sex offender name changes, but not in Massachusetts. In the Commonwealth, anyone can go to probate court and request a legal name change from a judge.

Attorney and victim advocate Wendy Murphy is not surprised a sex offender would want to distance themselves from their crimes. 

"This is a special category of crime we're talking about with high recidivism rates, offenders who are notorious for trying to evade compliance with the registry.  It's just hard to believe that neither law enforcement nor the sex offender registry board is tracking these name change situations,” Murphy said.

When you search the registry for Michael Stanley both his last names are on the website. His former name Plusch is listed as an alias. 

Andy Harris, a professor at UMass Lowell, has been studying sex offender registries across the country. He said the point of the registry is to keep track of where offenders are living and working.   Harris says a legal name shouldn’t be a factor if the offender reports it. 

"Anybody who is searching for that individual should be able to find that individual regardless of whether or not they changed their name in the system if that old name is appropriately reflected,” Harris said.

But what about offenders who aren't following the rules?

There are nearly 200 Level 3 sex offenders in Massachusetts currently in violation. We found that almost a third of them have multiple aliases. 

In a statement from a spokesperson for the Sex Offender Registry Board writes,

"A legal name change won’t allow a registered sex offender to evade detection because the Sex offender Registry Board maintains all offenders’ legal name changes and aliases in the database. This information is available to both law enforcement and the public, regardless of whether they search by a current or former name."

Stanley says he's stepped down as CEO of Transit X and is still hopeful that his vision to change the transportation world will succeed."You can't change what happened. I am so sorry for what had happened. I'm making the best of a second chance" said Stanley  "If you're trying to use a second chance to save the world which will help millions of people, I think that's a good use of a second chance."

Murphy disagrees. 

"When a sex offender changes their name, it defeats the purpose of the sex offender registry,” she said.

Anne Marie LaFlamme of WXYZ Detroit simply cannot believe people advocate against the registry

This smiling idiot is Anne Marie LaFlamme of WXYZ in Detroit. (For those keeping score, this is actually the second time this month we are featuring WXYZ crew. They must be drinking that Flint Water.)

The sweeps week article is bad enough to be featured here, but it was followed up by LaFlamme's Twitter rant after receiving criticism from anti-registry and registry reform activists, who questioned her shoddy yellow journalist reporting tactics. See the Tweets below the report.

If you want to educate Anne Marie LaFlaming Fucktard, then here's her Twitter and Facebook rants; on the Facebook link she refers to anti-registry respondents as "trolls." 

https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroits-most-wanted-sex-offender-sweep

Detroit's Most Wanted: Sex offender sweep

Posted: 3:34 PM, Apr 25, 2019  Updated: 10:01 PM, Apr 25, 2019

By: Ann Marie LaFlamme

(WXYZ) — Police have been working around the clock trying to lock up non-compliant sex offenders because they are such a danger to families in metro Detroit. But once they've exhausted all of their resources, they need you to help lock up Detroit's Most Wanted.

"We’ve conducted the sweeps, we’ve hit as many doors as possible, we need Detroit’s Most Wanted – we need the viewers of Detroit's Most Wanted – to help us find these offenders so that we can make sure a child doesn’t get victimized," said Deputy Rob Watson with the U.S. Marshals DFAT.

Statistics show Michigan ranks nationwide as the fourth when it comes to convicted sex predators at large. 

Michigan State Police: 12 sex offenders arrested in Macomb, Oakland & Wayne counties

"We have one of the largest populations of non-compliant sex offenders," Watson said.

He added that despite law enforcement's aggressive action in keeping people on the Michigan Sex Offender registry accountable, our state has a problem with offenders refusing to check in.

"It’s pretty simple, if they follow that then they’re not gonna be bothered," said Trooper Brenda Hoffmann with the Michigan State Police.

These men and women deciding to do things their own way, and refusing to let police know where they are.

LIST OF ALL NON-COMPLIANT OFFENDERS IN MICHIGAN

"They’re all convicted of the sex crimes that got them on the registry – different variables as far as the victims ages – we had some adults as victims, we had some children as victims," Hoffmann said.

That's why this week, Michigan State Police and the US Marshals pooled their resources and hit the streets locking up more than a dozen non-compliant sex offenders.

"They are predators, they are deviants and they could live next door to you," Watson said. "This whole program is to make people aware. Make people aware of their surrounding so that they know who is living next door to them."

Like Scott Bedola, of Clinton Township. He's a tier three sex offender. He's classified as the most dangerous of predators and is required to register for the rest of his life. He's been on the run since 2011.

"The problem is, when they choose not to register, there’s a reason why there doing that," Watson said.

CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR LISTED SEX OFFENDERS IN YOUR AREA

Marcus Bryant last registered in Hamtramck. He's convicted of trying to accost a child for immoral purposes. He was sent back to prison in 2017 for not registering and once again became a fugitive in 2018.

"The folks who are convicted of these crimes, we hope that they stop, we hope that they learn from their behavior, we hope that they get rehabilitated but the fact is we need to make sure that they’re not targeting anyone else," Watson said."

There's Kevin Cracchiolo of Eastpoint, Enson Lopez of Pontiac and Mark Putek of Westland.

SEARCH SEX OFFENDERS BY ADDRESS

"Maybe they’re targeting another child, maybe they’re harming somebody else and they don’t want people to know," Watson said.

River Rouge, Inkster, Lincoln Park, Mt. Clemens – these crimes and these offenders span metro Detroit.

"Sex offenders, male, female, every ethnicity it doesn’t matter," Watson said. "There’s no specific profile of sex offenders."

That's why Action News is working with law enforcement through Detroit's Most Wanted to give you the tools you need to hold these convicted sex offenders accountable.

"We really want the community to look at these pictures that we’re gonna put up – these non-compliant offenders," Watson said. "If you see these people, please contact law enforcement, let us know where these people are, we can only do so much with the information that we have.

Sex offenders prey in every neighborhood, and they could be hiding in yours. Click here to view a map to see where these men and women are near you.

On Peter Schorsch and Ron Book's DUI Arrest

Alcoholics don't need enablers excusing their bad behavior. But here is Florida's premier bought-and-sold political writer acting as Ron Book's enabler.

Ron Book has to EARN his rights back. But Ron says some people should NEVER get their rights back. Well, Ron should not earn his right to drive back.

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/289277-on-ron-books-dui-arrest

On Ron Book’s DUI arrest
There but for the grace of God go I.

About the breaking Ron Book story.

We don’t know much.

We do know that one of the state’s premier lobbyists — Florida Politics just reported that his was the top-earning governmental affairs firm during the 4th quarter of 2018 — was involved in an auto accident last night.

We know he refused to take a DUI test.

We know someone else was involved in the accident.

We know he was arrested and charged by Florida Highway Patrol officers.

We know car accidents can make people act as if they are out of their minds.

And we know that he is on medication to treat his cancer.

These things we know for sure.

We also know that those who love to hate will hate. They will spread and relish in misinformation and gossip. Some will even take a measure of glee.

But let’s hope the better angels of our nature — those angels who believe in forgiveness — compassion and understanding get the upper hand.

There but for the grace of God go I.

We all make mistakes. We all have bad days – some of us even have really bad ones. Today, one of the biggest names in The Process is having such a day.

I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but today I offer Ron Book — and anyone else involved — my thoughts and my prayers.

Thomas Checci from Staton Island Live and his slimy Op-Ed proposes registering low level registrants for life

This yellow journalist uses an anecdotal example to attempt to promote lifetime public registration of low risk registrants. Furthermore, he is promoting lifetime treatment where it is typically unnecessary; he erroneously assumes all registrants have sex addictions.

This is what happens when Staten Island hires the village idiot to write an OpEd.

https://www.silive.com/news/2019/01/sex-offenders-need-more-supervision-follow-up-programs-commentary.html

Sex offenders need more supervision, follow-up programs (commentary)

By Thomas Checchi | checchi@siadvance.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- One of the nearly 400 sex offenders living on Staten Island has done it again, this time for showing a photo of his genitals to his granddaughter.

His prior offense was molesting a 12-year-old girl. He served a state prison term from 2009 until he was paroled in 2011. He went on the New York State Sex Offender Registry as a Level 1 offender.

Even though the mother of this most recent victim made it clear to the Island’s Family Court that her daughter was not to be left alone with her paternal grandparents, and the court acknowledged he was registered sex offender, according to court documents obtained by the Advance. But the young girl was placed there anyway.

Six months later the offender showed her the photo and was arrested again.

While it’s clear the courts and law enforcement agencies that handle cases like this are caught in the complex web of regulations and protocols, a few simple changes would go a long way toward protecting the innocent from predators.

In the case the Advance exposed, following the most recent arrest, a temporary order of protection was issued and the grandfather was released on his own recognizance and is no longer living in the home.

When the grandfather went on the sex offender registry in 2011, he initially was not supposed to have any contact with children under 18 years old unless under the supervision of another adult. But once his supervision ended in 2013, those stipulations ended.

That’s a problem.

That regulation, for the even the lowest level sex offender, must remain in place for good.

Once a sex offender of any level is no longer under any form of supervision, parole or probation, the Sex Offender Registry Act does not say where they can or cannot live. It’s up to specific localities to deal with that through legislation.

Here’s something for Staten Island elected officials to consider: A local law that prohibits a convicted sex offender from living under the same roof as a minor.

MANDATED FOLLOW-UP THERAPY

Like alcoholism or drug addiction, sex offenders act out an anti-social, illegal and destructive behavior that’s part of their mental makeup.

Just as substance abusers enter and remain in recovery by attending therapy and 12-step programs, why can’t sex offenders be mandated to do something similar?

There are groups such as Sex Addicts Anonymous that would be appropriate for people like this grandfather. Why can’t sex offenders be required to attend?

Also, Level 1 offenders are considered “low-risk” of re-offending, and in New York, their names cannot be seen on the public registry. Instead, you have to call a hotline to confirm they are on it.

Level 1 offenders should be on the public registry along with those at Levels 2 and 3. Simple.

Once sex offenders are off supervision, local police agencies step in to monitor offenders to ensure they are in compliance with the law.

But the registry only serves as a source of information to make the public aware of offenders and has no role in actually monitoring them.

Ongoing monitoring and a required treatment program of some kind could prevent someone like this grandfather from committing a sex offense again.

For progress to be made, the courts, the Administration for Children’s Services, the Sex Offender Registry and other agencies involved must coordinate and reshape their efforts.