TN - Tipton County cracks down on sex offenders

Original Article

04/29/2013

By Justin Hanson

COVINGTON - (WMC-TV) - Action News 5 received an inside look at how one Mid-South county is cracking down on sex offenders living in their neighborhood.

It was a combined effort from the Tipton County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Marshals and others as the county made unannounced visits to sex offenders in Tipton County – making sure they are in compliance with the law.

Covington resident [name withheld] was just one of 21 handcuffed and taken to jail on Friday and over the weekend.

[name withheld]'s arrest was part of a two day sex offender compliance check in Tipton County.

Action News Five was not only part of ride-along, but there to see those sex offenders heading to jail.

"We've recovered even pornography from some of them, a gun from one of them and the list goes on," said Tipton County Sheriff Pancho Chumley.

Chumley takes crimes against children seriously.

That is why he wants sex offenders living in his county to know he or his deputies could come by at any time to make sure they are following the law.

"We don't want to go out, and one of them have a gun at their house and another one looking at pornography. We're making sure they're doing what they're supposed to do and if they're not, we're locking them up and if they don't do that, they can leave," said Chumley.

He said if they leave the area, they are required to let his department know the change of address.

Sex offenders are also not allowed to be within a certain distance of children.

"They're not going to be able to do what they want to do, they're going to be monitored by police," said Memphis Police Department Lt. Wilton Cleveland.

Officials said registered sex offenders are likely to commit a second sexual offense – that is why making unannounced visits to homes is so important.
- Not based on the facts!

"Here in Tipton County, it does take a village to raise a child and we're going to watch out for each other as much as we can, especially the children," said Chumley.
- No, all it takes is a responsible parent!

Those arrested will face a judge for the first time May 14. They will all stay on the sex offender registry and some could get jail time.

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OK - Sex offender compliance checks find few astray

Original Article

Well if people would look at the facts instead of just believing what they want to believe, they will see that most offenders obey the laws, as shown in this article, and most to not re-offend.

04/24/2013

By Dylan Goforth

CHEROKEE COUNTY - Two days of compliance checks on convicted sex offenders living in Cherokee County turned up good news and few offenders.

District 27 District Attorney Brian Kuester said of the more than 100 checks done, only a handful of sex offenders were found out of compliance.

“It does happen (that they’re out of compliance),” Kuester said. “But based on the numbers we’re seeing, maybe not as often as we might think.”

“It’s good news. The public can take some solace in the fact that at least, based on today, the vast majority of offenders are living where they’re supposed to be living.”

Kuester said the low numbers of offenders means that efforts such as this week’s operation work and are needed.

“I don’t think those low numbers take away from the operation,” he said. “It validates it, in a way. It means the offenders know that we will follow up and check where they live.”
- Not really, it just shows that offenders are obeying the laws put into place, no matter how draconian and unconstitutional, not because your compliance checks are working, but you keep drinking the kool-aid.

The operation, which included officers from six agencies, also exposed two situations that required law enforcers to take action.

[name withheld], 70, was arrested early Tuesday during a check after authorities said they found evidence of vast amounts of child pornography at his home.

Elizabeth Crockett, an investigator on Kuester’s staff, said [name withheld]  who was convicted in 2002 of lewd or indecent proposals/acts to a child and received a 10-year suspended sentence, admitted to viewing child pornography.

“He said he’d been looking at it since July of 2012,” Crockett said. “We obtained a search warrant and got a computer, 10 hard drives, about 30 VHS tapes that need to be analyzed.”

Crockett said the evidence would likely be sent to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Kuester said two children were removed Tuesday from a home that was in terrible shape.

Authorities were in the Briggs area looking for [name withheld], 55, when the children were found.

“There were a couple children found in just horrible living conditions,” Kuester said. “(Department of Human Services) came and took the kids. That was one benefit of the operation. Those children are safe and will be placed in a better environment.”

[name withheld] was arrested a few miles away after it was discovered he wasn’t living at his registered address.

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Qualls, who was part of the operation, said it appeared to be working.

“Based on what we’ve seen, it looks like most people are in compliance, which is what you want to see,” he said. “I hope we do more of these. I’d like to do at least two a year.”

Video Link

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FL - Marion Co. increasing sexual offender monitoring

Original Article

04/12/2013

MARION COUNTY - A trip to Ocala's Tuscawilla Park is supposed to be care-free, but Angela Emrick watches her young daughter's every move.

She's concerned about the 660 registered sex offenders and predators who live in Marion County. All of them are featured in a flyer published by the sheriff's office.

Now, detectives are being much more aggressive to find offenders who fail to report where they're living.

"That is a huge concern. I think about that a lot. Where they're at, if they're being tracked and monitored. I have a 4-year-old and it's a huge concern wherever we go," Emrick said.

Judge Cochran of the Marion County Sheriff's Office said the law is clear.

"If they're not doing what they're supposed to do, we're going to put them in jail," Cochran said.

Five have been put in jail since the sheriff turned up the heat April 1. Another four were put in jail Friday. The state wants the county sheriffs to visit each registered predator every three months and every offender once a year.

"Well, here at the Marion County Sheriff's Office we're going way beyond that. If it's a predator, we're knocking on their door once every 30 days," Cochran said.

Offenders will get visits every 90 days, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Moms at the park approve.

"It's important for them to be documented and verified. That's important," parent Stephanie Fire-Smith said.

"Someone's got to do it to keep us safe and our children safe. It's great that he's taking the initiative to do more," Emrick said.

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GUAM - Operation Deviant Shield checked on 300+ sex offenders

Original Article

The operation should be called "Operation Gestapo Goose Stepping," or something like that. Why do all these registry compliance checks get published in the news and have some idiotic title to them?

Oh, and you'll notice they said nothing about anybody being arrested for a new sex crime! Shocker I know!

04/05/2013

By Mindy Aguon

Guam - The Guam Sex Offender Registry is updated on a daily basis. It is meant to be a resource for the public to utilize to know where dangerous convicted sex offenders reside. A special operation recently wrapped up as officials sought to ensure the addresses are accurate.

In the last week dozens of Superior Court of Guam probations officers, marshals and Department of Corrections Parole Services Division personnel have been canvassing the streets of the island. Chief Parole Officer Mike Quinata says they were engaged in Operation Deviant Shield looking to identify where sex offenders on Guam reside.

"We were going around verifying residences of sex offenders. There's certain categories of how many years they're supervised based on what they're convicted for," he explained.

By law those who are convicted of certain sexual offenses are mandated to inform authorities of their whereabouts even when they change their address. The Guam Sex Offender Registry contains the list and location of convicted sex offenders as well as a classification of each offender so the public can know where these individuals live and work in the community. "From our side we had 51 active parolees that are on the Registry," said Quinata. "And there are also some former parolees on the Registry and because we know their residences we kind of complement one another on where to locate them."

Quinata says in some cases, the individuals relocated which left law enforcement to search for them and ask family members to help locate the sex offenders.

During Operation Deviant Shield, authorities checked on more than 300 offenders. It's an exercise that has been done for the last three years and helps law enforcement keep a closer eye on their activities while out of jail. the penalty for failing to report and register is a federal offense and in recent months the us attorney's office has pursued federal charges against those who are not complying.

While residents can view the Guam Sex Offender Registry online, Quinata says in the age of technology it's as easy as breaking out your smartphone. "There's an app, Life360, if people have that application it shows you where all the sex offenders are living on the island," Quinata explained.

Quinata adds that operations like Deviant Shield have opened up the lines of communication among various law enforcement entities.

Video Link

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NC - Knock and talk should be called stalk and harass!

Original Article

If you are not on probation or parole, then you don't have to answer the door or any of their questions, and we'd recommend you don't either. Just show them your ID, and leave it at that, don't answer any questions.

01/24/2013

By Alicia Banks

SHELBY — A Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office SUV followed close behind an unmarked law enforcement vehicle. Both navigated the tight streets behind Holly Oak Park in Shelby.

Four men emerged from the two vehicles. They walked to the front door of a brick home on Osborne Street. A woman answered the door and spoke briefly to Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman.

“I spoke with the registered sex offender’s mom who told us where her son worked,” Norman said. “That information was consistent with our last visit.”

Sheriff’s office deputies conducted surprise “knock-and-talks knock-and-harass” across the county Wednesday. They visited about 104 homes.

The unannounced checks by the sheriff’s office are an effort to make sure registered sex offenders are staying in compliance with state laws.

“We want to ensure more safety from these individuals,” Norman said.

The county has 236 registered sex offenders. Some are currently detained in the county jail or in N.C. Department of Correction facilities in the state.

Multiple visits each year

The sheriff’s office is required, by law, to check on registered sex offenders at least once a year.
- Yes, once a year, after they register, to check that they are living where they say, but that is it, and anything more is harassment.

Deputies focused on three categories of convicted sex offenders during the two-day operation this week: aggravated, those who engaged in violent or forced sexual acts with someone of any age or younger than 12 years old; recidivists, or repeat offenders; and sexually violent predators, persons convicted of violent sexual offense with a mental abnormality or personality disorder.

“We do it multiple times per year,” Norman said.
- Which is basically harassment!

The department conducted a similar operation on Halloween, when sheriff’s deputies visited about 60 registered sex offenders across the county.

There isn’t a specific time when the knock-and-talks knock-and-harass happen, Norman said.

Protecting children

Deputies from various divisions, including community-oriented policing, school resource and patrol officers, assist with the operations.

“We haven’t had an increase in personnel in more than 10 years,” he said. “We can put these operations together in as short as a day and half’s notice.”

Norman said it’s “absolutely necessary” for his department to routinely check on sex offenders living in Cleveland County. He stressed the importance of protecting children through all means possible.
- Whatever you say!  If you really wanted to "protect" children through "all means possible," then you'd be taking the kids away from their parents, since most sexual abuse happens by those the child knows.

A N.C. General Assembly law bans sex offenders from using social networking sites such as Facebook because children are permitted to use them.
- Which is also unconstitutional!

But the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled Wednesday that an Indiana law banning sex offenders from using social networking sites is unconstitutional, noting it restricted free speech.

“I absolutely don’t agree with it,” Norman said. “Once you commit a crime and are on the registry, you give up your rights and any others that put you in contact with juveniles.”
- As long as you are on probation or parole, we would agree, but after that, you get those rights back, and it's unconstitutional, period, doesn't matter what you think, and just because someone is on the registry and lost some rights, doesn't give you the right to do anything you wish to those people, that is called harassment and corruption!

Twenty registered offenders will likely have follow-up visits in the coming days. Norman said fewer restrictions on offenders could cause them to recommit similar crimes.
- It could, that is a no-brainer, but does it?  Not based on the many studies out there which you all are ignoring!

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SC - When are the police going to check up on gang members and other criminals? Or are they scared to?

Original Article

I guess it's okay to murder someone in cold blood, rob them, sell them dangerous drugs, etc!

10/31/2012

By Laura Thomas

CHEROKEE COUNTY - It's not something to think about, just on Halloween. Law enforcement agencies across the Upstate are keeping tabs on registered sex offenders throughout the year.

Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller says his office launched a new program last October to keep a better watch on registered sex offenders.

"It just helps us to keep things from falling through the cracks," Mueller said.

Deputies now check on several of the 180 registered offenders in Cherokee County each month.

Since starting the program, Mueller says they've found 3 people in violation.
- So you are using this to justify your hysteria campaign is working? Ex-sex offenders already have one of the lowest recidivism rates around, but we don't see you going after more dangerous criminals.

He says there are plans in the works to step up the checks here even more.

Next year, deputies will get mobile laptops in the cars.

The Sheriff says that new technology will allow deputies to have the offender list with them at all times, so they can check up on them even more often.

"Because our guys can be in a neighborhood, he can instantly pull up and so, okay, we got a sex offender here, I'm going to drop in and check on him," Mueller explained. "Ultimately, we want to protect the community and so that's what we're going to do."
- Isn't that called harassment?

7 On Your Side checked in with other counties across the Upstate.

In Spartanburg County, deputies verify a portion of the sex offender registry each month.

In Greenville County, the Sheriff’s Office says they check the address of each registered sex offender at least twice a year.

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office says they do at least 2 address checks on each sex offender once every 6 months.

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NM - Repeat Sex Offender Numbers Low in County

Original Article

09/19/2012

By Patrick Lohmann

Every Halloween night, between 30 and 50 Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputies spread out all over the county and knock on the doors of registered sex offenders, as a reminder that the county knows where they are and what they’re doing.

The Halloween blitz is just one of the tactics the Sheriff’s Department says could be behind the county’s remarkably low sex offender re-offense, or recidivism, rate.
- Come on, you are taking credit for something that is already low, recidivism.

Of more than 1,200 registered offenders that include sex offenders as far back as the 1970s, the sex offender registry unit has identified only seven who have re-committed a sex crime since 2009 – or 0.6 percent who re-offended over that three-year period.

Fourteen Bernalillo County sex offenders released in 2010 did end up back in prison within 18 months of their release dates, but they were there for such things as failing to register as an offender or for probation violations, according to data from the New Mexico Department of Corrections.

“We do have a very low recidivism rate in Bernalillo County,” Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Sam White said. “We believe part of that is our proactive stance.”
- There is a low recidivism rate across the county, not just New Mexico.

Data regarding sex offender recidivism rates are hard to come by.

A New Mexico Sentencing Commission study followed 126 sex offenders released from state prisons in 2004.

The study is still only in draft form and has not yet been reviewed by the Department of Corrections, but according to the draft, 5.6 percent of offenders went back to prison after committing a new sex offense between 2004 and when the study began earlier this year. More than 35 percent of the total number of sex offenders were sent back to prison, but largely for probation violations.

A national Bureau of Justice Statistics study is in the works that will look at sex offender recidivism for offenders released in 2005. The bureau’s last study found that 5.3 percent of almost 1,000 sex offenders released in 1994 re-committed a sex offense within three years.

That rate is considerably lower than for violent offenders, 61 percent of whom were arrested for similar crimes within three years, and for property offenders, who had a recidivism rate of almost 74 percent, according to the same BJS study.

White said he doesn’t know what his department might be doing differently than other counties, but it does make prevention of sex crimes a high priority. He said deputies use their spare time to check up on sex offenders at their homes.

“Any rate is not low enough,” he added.

Registry effective?

Whether the sex offender registry is effective in preventing sex crimes depends on whom you ask.

Gov. Susana Martinez, who specialized in prosecuting sex crimes during her career as a district attorney, said Bernalillo County’s low recidivism rate doesn’t necessarily mean offenders aren’t re-offending, just that they’re not being caught.
- And your statement doesn't mean it's true either, you could say that about any crime!

“The vast majority of my cases involved delayed reporting by the children (victims) because they are afraid, they are threatened that something bad will happen if they tell,” Martinez told the Journal. “That allows an offender to re-offend many times.”

That’s why Martinez said the registries are so effective, because they allow parents to monitor offenders who might be re-offending without punishment in their neighborhood. Martinez has also pressured the state Legislature during her time as governor to become fully compliant with the Adam Walsh Act, a 2006 federal sex offender registration law.

The state’s sex offender laws do not require offenders to scan palm prints in addition to fingerprints, which is out of compliance with the federal act, nor do they have a juvenile sex offender registration, GPS monitoring or email notifications for when an offender moves into a neighborhood, said Regina Chacon, the state Department of Public Safety spokeswoman.

Despite this, New Mexico has so far avoided fines of between $100,000 and $250,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice, since it is one of many noncompliant states, Chacon said

Sen. Cisco McSorley, D-Bernalillo, voted against the Adam Walsh Act each time it came before the Legislature, and received a standing ovation after speaking at the national Reform Sex Offender Laws conference in Albuquerque.

McSorley said the Adam Walsh Act is a politicized, unfunded mandate that doesn’t differentiate between the worst predators and offenders convicted of milder crimes. As a result, he said, law enforcement and parents are unable to zero in on who poses the greatest threat.

“New Mexico citizens are less safe today because politicians have been trying to prove how strong they are against sex crimes,” McSorley said. “They’re diluting our efforts at getting the most serious predators.”

The national conference for Reform Sex Offender Laws, an organization that claims sex offender registries are ineffective and unjust, was held at an Albuquerque hotel earlier this month to the dismay of some residents and law enforcement officials who were concerned about the conference’s proximity to schools.

Lloyd Swartz, the organization’s New Mexico branch president and a registered sex offender who was convicted of sexual assault in Texas in 1987, said the response to the conference by the city and residents underscores the need to have a conversation about sex offender laws, which he said are bad policy written out of emotion, not data.

“How do we put this hysteria aside, put all these misconceptions aside, and sit down and have an honest conversation?” Swartz said. “We need to acknowledge that what we’re doing may make us warm and fuzzy inside, but it’s not working.”

Swartz said the registry misinforms parents about who threatens their kids, and parents should instead learn to identify signs of a possible sex offender within their homes or neighborhoods.

“It’s telling people to look the wrong places, so they can’t protect themselves,” Swartz said during the conference at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center on Sept. 7.

Both Martinez and Swartz said the vast majority of sex crimes are committed by perpetrators who know the victim – as relatives, neighbors, coaches or through other means.

While Swartz argues that’s a reason the registry is not effective, Martinez said that fact makes the registry all the more important, because parents need to be able to find out if their acquaintances or family friends pose a threat to their children.

“If you are a convicted sex offender, I as a parent have a right to know,” she said. ” … You can’t teach a parent what to look for.”
- The only reason you have that right, is because of the law, you really aren't entitled to know who lives around you, and yes you can teach parents what to look for.

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CA - Operation Overkill (Part Deux)

Original Article

Every year (see last year) the Wilmington police carry out "Operation Overkill" with Swat teams, FBI, assault weapons, helicopters, etc. You'd expect they were going after Osama or something! What a waste of money!

08/29/2012

By Christina Villacorte

With a helicopter gunship overhead and drug-sniffing dogs on the ground, about 100 law enforcement officers swarmed a Wilmington neighborhood late Tuesday and arrested 14 registered sex offenders for various parole violations.

Joe Martinez, a parole administrator with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said a search of the sex offenders' motel rooms and apartments turned up pornography, cocaine, marijuana and an unauthorized knife.

"What'll happen is that the sex offenders will be placed in custody, and on a parole hold," he said. "So even if they had a million dollars, they cannot bail out of jail for a while."

Dubbed Operation Safe Haven (Overkill), the parole sweep involved more than a dozen federal, state and local law enforcement agencies banding together to check on 60 sex offenders clustered within three blocks near the twin Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

About 40 of the sex offenders gave their address as Harbor Inn.

"Prior to 2006, you didn't have this clustering of sex offenders," Martinez said. "When Jessica's Law was passed, it prohibited any sex offenders from residing within 2,000 feet of any K-12 school or park, and there's not a lot of areas that comply with those law requirements."
- Yes, thanks for pointing that out.  The very laws being passed by the legislature is what is causing this clustering and wasting of money!

Around 11 p.m. Tuesday, teams of parole agents, probation officers, federal marshals, police officers, immigration officers, social workers from the county Department of Children and Family Services, and several K-9 teams entered the sex offenders' motel rooms and apartments.

They rousted the occupants, some of whom had been asleep, tied their wrists with plastic zip ties, frisked them, escorted them outside, and then searched through their things.

"Zero tolerance," a parole agent told one of the teams searching for banned items at the motel.

DCFS's multi-agency response team was summoned after boys, ages 3 and 4, were found living in one of the apartments with their mother and her boyfriend, who was convicted decades ago of attempting to rape an adult woman.

The social workers found no signs the children were being mistreated and decided to let them continue living in the apartment with their mother while an investigation is ongoing. The boyfriend was found in possession of pornography and taken into custody.

Operation Safe Haven (Overkill) comes several weeks after residents held a town hall meeting to express concern over the high concentration of sex offenders in their midst, and rising crime.

According to the California Megan's Law website, there are 179 sex offenders in the Wilmington ZIP code.

Martinez said the community became alarmed after a man exposed himself to two girls walking to school in July. The man remains at large.

Aside from the CDCR, other agencies that participated in the raid were the US Marshalls Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Bureau of Immigration and Customs; SWAT teams from the state prisons in Lancaster and Chino; and police, parole and probation officers from different cities in Los Angeles County.

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TN - Police Cracking Down on Those Breaking Sex Offender Laws

Original Article

Just because someone wears the "sex offender" label doesn't mean they are a child molester or pedophile.

08/25/2012

By Daniel Hight

Memphis – Draw a one mile circle around the intersection at Corning and N. Trezevant and you’ll find almost 40 registered sex offenders. Most of their crimes are violent in nature.

Sex offenders violating the rules are a city-wide problem. Police arrested [name withheld], [name withheld], [name withheld], [name withheld] and even women like [name withheld] and [name withheld], just to name a few.

“Just to actually look at that person you honestly cannot tell that person would be a sex offender, so you don’t know who is living next door to you,” said Christine Grandberry.

A sweep by the Memphis Police Dept. landed 20 sex offenders in jail this week for violating sex offender laws. Police have warrants out for 30 more.

Amillia Guffin’s brother, [name withheld], is one of those arrested in Operation DNA. She says her family has tried to get him help for the last 20 years, but couldn’t. She says he would target kids headed to and from the nearby school.

“Who is going to protect the kids coming home from school and not only that, that was my brother, so you have the parents that were ready to bust his head open,” said Guffin.

He was still in jail Saturday night and Guffin couldn’t be happier. She as well as others around town believe it’s important to protect children.

“I don’t think it’s right for them to be messing with no school kids or nothing like that, that’s foul, that’s foul altogether,” said Mario Young. “I hope they get them all. I really do.”

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MI - Midland County deputies conduct sex offender checks

Original Article

08/26/2012

Midland County sheriff's deputies have been conducting one of four yearly checks to verify addresses of registered sex offenders.

Between Aug. 7 and Thursday, deputies checked 161 homes in the county, including each township, the Village of Sanford and the City of Coleman. The break down of visits to homes is as follows: City of Coleman, 4; Edenville, 8; Geneva, 5; Greendale, 9; Homer, 10; Hope, 6; Ingersoll, 6; Jasper, 4; Jerome, 17; Village of Sanford, 3; Lee, 37; Lincoln, 10; Midland, 3; Mills, 10; Mount Haley, 9, Porter, 9; Warren, 7; and Larkin, 4.

No violations were found.

The Michigan Sex Offenders Registration Act requires offenders convicted of a misdemeanor to verify their address once in the beginning of each year, according to the Michigan State Police.

Offenders convicted of a felony must verify their address quarterly during the first 15 days of January, April, July and October. Failure to register is punishable by a graduated penalty ranging from a 93-day misdemeanor to a four-year felony.

Convicted offenders must also report a change of address within 10 days or face a four-year felony.

According to the Michigan Sex Offender Registry, there are 254 registered sex offenders living in Midland County.

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WA - Deputies conduct sex offender sweep in King County

Original Article (Video)

06/30/2012

KING COUNTY - Deputies and detectives with the King County Sheriff’s Office tracked down accused and convicted sex offenders in the area throughout Saturday.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News followed deputies all over King County as they closed in on an accused sex offender in the morning.

According to deputies, the 26-year-old sex offender was at his home and under surveillance for days. The man was wanted by the state of Arizona for leaving the state where he was accused of raping a teenager.

KIRO 7 reporter Stacy Sakamoto spoke with a neighbor of the man who said he had no idea the man he was living next to was accused of a sex crime.
- Just more proof that most people could care less who lives around them, only those who let the fear mongering media and politicians spook them, check the registry.

“I mean, for safety for the community too. You know, we were worried about my wife and my daughter. I mean it’s kind of a scary deal,” Ron Pereira said. “He seemed all right. He came over to get a dog one day in the backyard and I talked to him up at the house with his dad, his parents. Seemed like a normal person.”

Another sex offender was also arrested in Federal Way during the round-up. According to the sheriff’s office, the 46-year-old man failed to register as a sex offender which is required by law.

“Unfortunately for this individual, he stopped doing that several months back. So, through a lucky break, we were able to locate somebody who knew him,” said Todd Underwood with the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Underwood and his partner picked the man up in a Walmart parking lot.

“Lots of hours of work at the desk. Lots of research, things like that just to get these guys, but it’s worth it. Satisfying,” Underwood said.

On Saturday afternoon, deputies arrested a substitute teacher accused of possessing child porn. According to the sheriff’s office, the man has been charged but was not in custody.

Video Link

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MO - Marion County cracks down on registered sex offenders

Original Article

06/21/2012

By Brooke Hasch

HANNIBAL - The Marion County Sheriff's Department hit the streets this week for one of the largest registered sex offender checks in its history.

The department usually checks on a few of the county's 115 registered sex offenders every few months. Officers want to make sure the sex offenders are living where they're registered.

KHQA's Brooke Hasch rode along as deputies met with almost all of the county's registered sex offenders during a two-day investigation.

"Most of the ones we're checking in on, they've done more than a little picture on a phone. Some of them have had sexual contact with children ages 15 and down," Deputy Eric Jones said.

Jones teamed up with James Tapp with the U.S. Marshal's Office out of the Eastern District of Missouri, in St. Louis on Tuesday. With a file in hand, the two went door to door looking to place faces with names. They were one of four teams dispatched to separate locations around the county. The search that began in Hannibal and later extended throughout the county resulted in four arrests.

"We're basically checking on them to make sure what they're telling us is, in fact, true of where they're living, where they're working. It's basically just for the safety of our community as a whole," Sheriff Jimmy Shinn said.

When no one was home, the Hannibal duo checked on their place of employment. They even checked a local motel. Less than two hours into the check, the call came in.

"Just spoke with our sheriff. He said one of our sex offenders wasn't in compliance with the rules and regulations, so we're on our way over there to help," Jones said.

"One of our teams, they came to their third residence of the day, to a residence on Richmond Street, and came in contact with one of our sex offenders and searched the residence. We located a computer and found what we believe to be child pornography on the computer," Shinn said.

His name--64-year-old [name withheld], of Hannibal. Charged with possession of child porn back in May of 2002.

"When you've already been convicted of a sex offense such as this person has, we will seize the computer and we'll apply for a search warrant to basically search the computer more in depth to see what we can find," Shinn said.

If convicted, [name withheld] could face up to seven years in prison.

"Out of the nine searches we've done thus far today, only one has not been in compliance. So all in all, everybody seems to be following the rules and guidelines the state has set forth for them," Jones said.

Video Link

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MO - Sex Offender Sweep (Lies as usual)

Just the usual exploitation and lies by the police department, so they can maintain their job security, media gets ratings, companies make money, and politicians look "tough" while doing nothing! In our opinion of course!

Sex Offender Recidivism


Video Link

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NV - Where are sex offenders allowed to live? NBC Reno Investigates

Video Description:
Unlike many other states, there are currently no state laws restricting where registered sex offenders in Nevada can live. Tier 3 sex offenders can have residency restrictions placed on them during parole, but following parole, all sex offenders can live where they choose.

Video Link

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TX - Sex offenders unaccounted for

Original Article

See the video at the link above.

06/13/2012

By JESSICA HOLLOWAY

AUSTIN - Federal, state and local law enforcement officers say sex offenders are falling through the cracks.

[name withheld] is one of those men. He was last seen in Austin two years ago. The 51-year-old is wanted for possession of child pornography, failing to register as a sex offender and more. Authorities fear he now lives somewhere in Central or South America.

How many more out there are like him? How can this be stopped? KVUE's Jessica Holloway has been investigating.

They live all around us, with numbers growing rapidly.

"It's very scary to know there's that many people around who would hurt children. As a parent, my biggest fear is what kind of world my children are growing up in," said father of two Devin Steuerwald.
- As long as you obsess over the registry and who lives around you, not a very bright world!

Steuerwald lives not far from where Department of Public Safety's most wanted sex offender is accused of molesting children in Austin.

"I have two daughters. If their innocence was taken away by somebody, that would be unimaginable," said Steuerwald.

Keeping track of sex offenders is perhaps the most difficult job of all. U.S. Marshal Hector Gomez hunts them down.

"We can't lock them all up. We realize jails only have so much room," said Gomez.

According to both the Austin Police Department and DPS, 70,000 registered sex offenders live in Texas. Of those, 2,200 are unaccounted for, 1,400 registered sex offenders live in Austin, and of those approximately 50 have stopped checking in with police.

"You mind if I come in?" asked APD Officer Sam Tannous. He and a partner conducted a routine daily inspection at a group sex offender home in East Austin.
- If they are not on probation or parole, then they do not have to let you in, not without a warrant!

"One of the guys took off," said a sex offender who lives at the home.

"He took off?" asked Tannous. "Yes. He cut his ankle bracelette and ran."

APD does its best to monitor the sex offenders with a short staff of two officers, three detectives, a supervisor and an assistant. They keep track of hundreds of felons.

"I think it's the sheer numbers of sex offenders in Austin, those coming in, those leaving, keeping track of them all, really it's a numbers game," said Sgt. Liz Donegan. She's in charge of APD's SOAR Unit. SOAR stands for Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration.

Currently there is no database that allows police to keep tabs on sex offenders once they move to another state. Gomez has a solution.

"It would be to have some mechanism in place where all sex offenders are placed in a National Crime Information Center, the NCIC System. It would elevate them to a national wanted status and get them extradited back to their home state," said Gomez.

It's something that would put families like Devin Steuerwald's at ease.

"If you cross that line, yeah you should be tracked, and you should be known where you are at all times. I would love to see a big effort put towards that," said Steuerwald.

Failing to register as a sex offender is a felony and could send violators back to prison.

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OH - Sex offenders to be Checked on More Often

Original Article

06/12/2012

Police went door to door Monday night, checking to see if offenders were living where they said they lived.

A joint task force of city, county, and federal authorities focused on the most dangerous and predatory offenders, who are required to register at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for life.

Authorities said of the 131 doors they banged on, they found seven offenders were not in compliance.With dozens of sex offender files in hand, authorities planned to spend the next week trying to track down around 350 of Montgomery County's most violent sex offenders.

"We're doing a sex offender compliance sweep to make sure you say you're staying where you say you're staying at," a deputy said.

"Mind if I come in?" a deputy questioned of one sex offender Monday.
- If you are not on probation or parole, you do NOT have to let them in the door.

Authorities checked every sex offender's home for mail addressed to the offender, and other personal items to verify the offender is actually living there.

"Sex offenders have one of the highest levels of recidivism," Sr. Inspector Bill Taylor said.
- Once again a lie! It's not high, it's one of the lowest of any other criminal, and we have MANY STUDIES to prove that.

"You can't cure certain levels of these sex offenders. So if you're a mom living next to a predator, most moms are going to want to know that. You're not going to want your kids playing in his yard."
- Sure, not everyone is wanting help, that is a fact, but if you just assume you cannot "cure" them, then what's the point? Also, just because someone is labeled a "predator" doesn't mean they are after kids!

"It's good because there are a lot of kids around here," said Shontee Clomenan, who lives next to a sex offender.

Authorities say the majority of sex offenders do tell the Sheriff's office their correct address.

"For those that do, they have no enemy with us," Taylor said.

"We aren't confrontational, we're not there to embarrass them or cause them any additional stress."
- You may not be there to cause additional stress, but your mere presence does just that. If you want to help eliminate the stress, you should come in an unmarked car and street clothes, not a sheriff's car and full police uniform.

"Convicted rapist [name withheld] is compliant, but he was still less than happy to see officers at his front door Monday."

"They just list rapists as sexual predators, and mine isn't a sexual predator," [name withheld] said.

"Sexual predators are for kids and mine was an adult."
- This is not true. You can be a predator if your victim was an adult.

For the offenders who weren't home Monday, officers left a flyer on their door, telling them to contact the Sheriff's office within the next 24 hours to confirm their whereabouts.
- What if they are out of town or visiting friends?

If an offender turns up non-compliant, a warrant is issued for the violator's arrest.

Video Link

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CA - U.S. Marshals raid Antelope Valley sex offenders

The following was sent to us via the contact form and posted with the users permission.

04/24/2012

By Anonymous:
This morning at 8am pst The U.S. Marshals, Local Sheriff and Parole department conducted a raid on my home. They called it a "Compliance" Check yet they had the Marshal service with them as well. I am 34 days from parole discharge, have been "Compliant" the entire time, and have never seen U.S. Marshals raid with the parole department. AR-7 pointed in my face and my Girlfriend forced from bed so they could tear apart my entire house and throw dishes and food out of our cabinets. I have not seen any news reports as of yet, I just wanted to let you all know he "Gestapo Tactics" are still going on out here.

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NM - Lawyer critical of sex offender address checks

Original Article

04/30/2012

By Joe Vigil

A Santa Fe lawyer is blasting the U.S. Marshals Service plan of going door to door to verify the addresses of convicted sex offenders in New Mexico. KOB Eyewitness News 4 broke the story last week of "Operation Cleanup."

Marshals plan to check the addresses of the nearly 3,000 registered sex offenders in the state as a matter of public safety.

Santa Fe lawyer Jason Flores-Williams, and the group Reform Sex Offender Laws New Mexico, have concerns about the plan.

Flores-Williams said other law enforcement agencies already check addresses of sex offenders, and wonders why federal authorities are getting involved in something delegated to the state.

"This is nothing more than another gutting of the constitution--a government publicity stunt designed to harass and intimidate that does nothing to enhance public safety," Williams said.

He is telling sex offenders who are not under supervision that they may videotape any encounter at their home with law enforcement and they should get the names of officers who visit.

U.S. Marshals told KOB they have no plans to enter homes. They said they do not have to go inside to check addresses.

They also said they are not conducting the operation on their own. According to the U.S. Marshals, "Operation Cleanup" is an ongoing joint effort between the Marshals Service and state, county and local agencies.

Marshal Conrad Candelaria responded to the plan as a "publicity stunt." He told KOB Monday that he is insulted hearing that. Marshal Candelaria said it is not a stunt to hold people accountable for horrendous acts against families and children.
- And horrendous acts against children also include many other criminals, yet you are not doing this for those!

He also said the Marshals Service also works hard to bring fugitives to justice, including chasing and capturing those who flee to Mexico.

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DE - “Operation Second Wind” Focuses On Sex Offender Compliance for Tier II Offenders in New Castle County

Original Article

And guess what? The media continually says sex offender recidivism is very high, which we know is false, but here is yet another example that that is false. Out of all these people they checked, arrested, etc, none were charged with any new sex crime. Go figure!

04/26/2012

Operation’s Foundation:
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (video) was enacted on July 27, 2006. In addition to establishing a national sex offender registry law, the Act made significant changes to sexual abuse, exploitation, and transportation crimes. The Act created new substantive crimes, expanded federal jurisdiction over existing crimes, and increased statutory minimum and/or maximum sentences.

Operation’s Goal and Objective:
Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement team up and perform compliance checks on Tier II Registered Sex Offenders in New Castle County Operation as first phase in a statewide effort.

Participating Law Enforcement Agencies:

• Delaware State Police Sex Offenders Apprehension and Registration Unit
• Delaware Attorney General’s Office
• New County Police Department
• Wilmington Police Department
• Department of Corrections – Delaware Probation and Parole
• University of Delaware Police Department
• Newark Police Department
• Middletown Police Department
• Elsmere Police Department
• United States Marshals Service District of Delaware

“Operation Second Wind” was the result of a collaborative effort of numerous Law Enforcement organizations throughout New Castle County.

The joint compliance initiative combined approximately 48 Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Officers in New Castle County and took place randomly over a four month period beginning in January, 2012. The Operation culminated in a sex offender wanted persons round up the week of April 2, 2012.

During Operation Second Wind, 710 compliance checks were conducted in New Castle County of Tier 2 Sex Offenders. A total of 29 offenders were found to be non-compliant for a compliance rate of 96%. The focus of the enforcement phase of the operation included any wanted sex offender in the state of Delaware.

As a result of these enforcement efforts, there were 31 total arrests made during the operation. 27 sex offenders were arrested for Failure to Register/Failure to Verify; 2 sex offenders were arrested for Violation of Probation of prior sex offenses and 2 arrests were made for subjects with Capias’ on Failure to Appear for previous court appearances.

The U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Delaware opened 13 federal cases under provision of the Adam Walsh Act for ongoing investigation and potential prosecution based on information obtained during this operation.

Operation Second Wind demonstrates how through the collaborative efforts of all Law Enforcement agencies, when working together, can assist in making Delaware a safer place for our children to live and grow.

This is part of the Delaware State Police’s Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit’s (SOAR) ongoing effort to ensure our sex offender population is doing what they are legally required to do.

A 97 percent compliance rate from a previous operation targeting Tier 3 offenders statewide coupled with a 96 percent compliance rate for this Tier 2 operation for New Castle County is indicative that the system and its inherent safeguards/checks and balances are lending themselves to knowing where the population of Sex Offenders is residing within our community. Similar operations for Kent and Sussex Counties are in the planning stages at this time.
- No it doesn't, IMO, it just shows that ex-sex offenders, for the most part, are complying with the laws, even if they are unconstitutional and draconian.  So of course the police are going to turn this into a way for them to "toot their own horn," and to make themselves look better to the sheeple, when in fact, it's the offenders who are doing what they are suppose to be doing, obeying the laws and not committing new crimes. 

U. S. Marshals Office Comments: “The Marshals Service for the District of Delaware was glad to be a participant in this operation with our State and Local Law Enforcement partners, in making sure that all provisions of laws regarding sex offender’s registration compliance were being met. We will continue to assist our law enforcement partners with apprehending those non-compliant and wanted sex offenders so they will be held accountable for their actions. The Marshals Service is committed to making our communities and neighborhoods safer places to live”.

Comments from Attorney General Beau Biden: “Sex Offenders have forfeited their right to be anonymous. Thanks to the constant efforts of the Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit, and periodic compliance checks like this, we’re ensuring that predators register and verify their location as required with the State. Knowing where predators are helps law enforcement and families keep our kids and communities safe.”
- Once again, it's not because of anything the police did, it's because ex-offenders are obeying the laws, and not all sex offenders are predators or have harmed children, but, they are the scapegoats for self serving politicians to use to exploit for their own personal gain.

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AL - 'Madison County Spring Cleaning' is huge operation to verify sex offenders

Original Article

HUGE is right! Do they really need SEVEN squad cars to go check on ONE person? What a waste of time and money!

04/12/2012

By Chris Welch

HUNTSVILLE - It seemed like something straight out of the movies or one of the "Cops"-type reality TV shows.

On Tuesday afternoon, a caravan of seven vehicles from the Madison County Sheriff's Office turned onto Ariel Drive into a Harvest subdivision.

One by one, the cars stopped in front of a house, the deputies spilling out of their cars and taking their positions - two on the left side of the house, four on the right, another in a black SUV that held K-9 Rambo and two others who approached the front door.

Some were in the foliage green, Army-like uniforms of the sheriff's SWAT team, others in the gray uniforms of the sheriff's reserve volunteers and one, Deputy Johnny Daversa, in the all black K-9 uniform.

When Deputy Cody Davis knocked on the door, the adrenaline started rushing and the heart started pumping just a little bit faster.

Would the suspect come out peacefully and surrender, start firing or head out the back door?

Nobody really knew.

These officers were among 65 taking part in "Operation Madison County Spring Cleaning" to verify 400 registered sex offenders are compliant with local and state sexual offender laws. The roundup included the U.S. Marshal's Office in Birmingham, Huntsville and Madison police, Madison County Sheriff's Office, Alabama State Probation Office and Madison County District Attorney's Office.

Madison County Sheriff's Office Investigator Brent Patterson said five of the sexual offenders have been arrested so far for noncompliance of the state and local sex offender laws.

"We've been planning this for 8 1/2 months," said Sheriff's Investigator Shawn McClure.
- Really?  Why do you need so much planning to just get addresses from the registry/database, and then go to their homes and verify if they live there?  Come on, this is nothing more than show-boating!

At the house in Harvest, a man came to the door and chatted outside with deputies and investigators. But he was not the sexual offender registered at the address. He told deputies, including Investigator Forrest Edde, in charge of this group, he had met the sexual offender in question once but he had never lived there. The homeowner told deputies he had been getting the offender's mail for two years and showed them a stack he was keeping inside.

"Deputy (Cody) Davis didn't see any evidence he had lived there," Edde said.

Because sexual offenders only have to report in to law enforcement every three months, and because of the shortages in law enforcement, it's not always easy to verify the address, officials say. Thus, the need for yearly roundups like these.

Satisfied the sexual offender wasn't at the Harvest address, the deputies got back in their cars and headed off to plan their second attempt at an arrest. Stopping on the side of the road near a grain mill in Harvest, the deputies went over the sexual offender's history, called up his address via Google Maps on their car-mounted laptops, made their plan and piled back into their cars.

The caravan headed to Sam Thomas Road in Huntsville and deputies again got out and took their positions near a dilapidated wooden house. There were no cars outside or signs of life until the deputies knocked on the door. It opened and a little dog came running out, barking.

The registered sex offender, thin and frail-looking with glasses, walked outside, chatted with deputies for a few minutes and then sat down on the steps. As it turned out, Edde said, the man was the sexual offender in question, but the person on a harassment warrant the deputies had planned to serve was actually the man's son of the same name, who was at work.

As deputies looked around the house to make sure the sexual offender was compliant, his grandchildren got off a yellow school bus and walked through the maze of police. Law enforcement officials aren't very sympathetic toward sexual offenders, but deputies said it was sad the children had to go through this, especially since their classmates on the bus had driven by.
- Yes, it is sad, especially when you come out in force instead of just one single officer out of uniform to check on someone.  It's pathetic if you ask me!

Children aren't normally allowed in the homes of sexual offenders, but if they're relatives and list in the court order it's OK, Edde said. The offender's son and his family had moved into the home to help his dad, who has been out of work for three years, keep the electricity on. Now, the son and means of support are in danger of going to jail.

As for the Madison County Sheriff's deputies and investigators, Edde said they'd done their jobs -- making sure sexual offenders are where they're supposed to be, and when they're not, reporting it.

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