UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh PA barred a registered person from attending the birth of his child

Feel free to call or write to express your disdain:

UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
300 Halket St,
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(866) 696-2433

https://www.wpxi.com/news/investigates/sex-offenders-in-hospitals-sex-offender-removed-from-the-hospital-during-the-birth-of-his-child/1011221817

Sex offender removed from the hospital during the birth of his child
Updated: Nov 21, 2019 - 11:48 PM

PITTSBURGH - Many of the stories we bring you on a daily basis here at WPXI are clear cut. They're right or wrong. But this one had us here in the newsroom debating and even questioning ourselves. It's one of those rare instances where you see both sides.

Ken Moore is a registered sex offender but never thought that would keep him from seeing the birth of his third child.

"I did what I did," said Ken Moore. "I understand that was wrong and it's something I have to live with. I was there for my other two and this one, I got to see pictures and that was about it."

Moore pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in 2017, served 49 days in jail and was released on probation. He must register as a sex offender for 25 years, and he's not allowed to have unsupervised visits with his children. 

Moore admits he did something wrong by downloading images and movies, but he says he's now getting counseling and therapy and he says he's never harmed anyone.

Moore lives apart from his wife and children now, but in October he went to Mageee Women's Hospital with his wife for the birth of their third child. After he got his wife set up in her room, he went to tell security about his conviction. His counselor and probation officer told him he should alert security as a precaution.

"As soon as I told that guy his eyes got big and everybody started walking around and an officer came up beside me and he told me I'm sorry," said Moore. "I'm glad that you came up and came forth with that, but we're going to have to have you escorted out of the building."

"Did he give you a reason why?" asked reporter Rick Earle.

"I asked and he said, 'Because you're on Megan's Law. It's against our policy for you to be here,'" said Moore.

Moore said he was escorted off the property and wasn't even allowed to retrieve his belongings from his wife's room. He eventually got a ride home from Oakland and missed the birth of his son. UPMC told Target 11 that patient care and safety is their highest priority.

UPMC officials sent us this statement: 

"We understand the sensitivity involved when the father of the baby is found to be on the registered sex offender list. Under those circumstances, it is within the discretion of the hospital administration and security whether to permit him to visit the baby and/or his partner/wife. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis."
Magee would not elaborate on the decision to remove Moore before the birth of his child.

Moore says security offered to escort him to the room the next day, but he declined fearing that he might be arrested. He finally got to see his son when his wife returned home.

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.

Bigoted Georgia State Senator Greg Kirk makes it obvious the intent of GA's GPS monitoring law is punitive

Earlier this year, the GA Supreme Court declared lifetime GPS for people not on paper was unconstitutional. Now the Georgia legislature is back in session, deciding how they can try to circumvent this ruling. REPUBLICAN State Senator Greg Kirk is making his intentions clear. Greg Kirk is already a controversial figure for being discriminatory policies against the LGBTQ community, so his quotes below aren't shocking to anyone who knows this clown.

https://www.valdostadailytimes.com/cnhi_network/lawmakers-grapple-with-supreme-court-ruling-on-sexual-predator-monitoring/article_27353418-fb3e-11e9-a49d-df101a5fb7eb.html

Sen. Greg Kirk, R-Americus, sponsored a Senate resolution last session to convene a study committee to examine how Georgia laws could satisfy the court ruling but also keep communities safe from dangerous sexual predators who are likely to reoffend.

“I want to send a message that if you’re a sexual predator Georgia is not the place you want to be. You don’t want to live here, you don’t want to come here, you certainly don’t want get caught here, we don’t want you in our state and messing with our children,” Kirk said during the committee meeting. “Children are vulnerable and we need to do everything we can to protect them at all times and all costs. There’s certain lines in life that when you cross, you don’t get a redo, there’s certain things you just don’t get a redo on and that’s one of them in my opinion.”

https://georgiarecorder.com/brief/georgia-high-court-pushes-lawmakers-to-fix-sex-offender-monitoring/

“I don’t know what the answer is,” state Sen. Greg Kirk, an Americus Republican who sponsored the study committee. “But at the end of the day, if you’re a sexually dangerous predator, I want you followed for life in the state of Georgia.”

Laura Valdes of the Yolo Co CA persecutor's office doesn't seem to understand how GPS or crimes occur

As the old saying goes, the lights are on but nobody's home.

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/10/30/tracking-sex-offenders-gps-power-outages/

Could GPS-Tracked Sex Offenders Go Unmonitored During Power Shutoffs?

By Shirin Rajaee
October 30, 2019 at 7:10 am

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Hundreds of thousands of Californians remain in the dark as another round of planned power outages hit California. Parts of 29 counties and nearly 600,000 customers are affected. And now the shutoffs are raising new concerns that violent offenders could take advantage of the outages.

Victims rights groups say the fear is real. They want to make sure offenders using tracking devices are being monitored.

“They’re not only worrying about electricity in their home, and water from their well, but they have to worry about their perpetrator not being monitored,” said Laura Valdes, victims rights advocate with the Yolo County District Attorney’s office.

With no electricity, sex offenders are not able to charge their tracking devices, which need to be recharged daily.

“If their GPS monitors are not able to be re-charged, they have an excuse, a free ticket to re-harm their victim or someone else,” she said.

Sacramento County supervising probation officer Clifford Foster said that during critical incidents, officers increase their staff and home visits.

“We’ll have extra officers going out and checking up on our offenders,” said Foster. “When we notice someone’s device is not charging, we’ll have field officers bring batteries that are charged.”

He adds, “through the device, we can send messages to the client to call us.”

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and several county probation departments say there have not been any issues.

“GPS devices worn by parolees hold a charge for an extended period of time and agents are alerted and monitor low-battery status,” CDCR said in a statement.

State and county agencies are monitoring closely and say there is no increased safety risk.

“We are making every effort possible to keep in contact with all clients, no matter what conditions they have with their GPS,” said Foster.