TX - Lawmakers hear bill on indecent exposure

Linda Harper-Brown

Original Article

04/16/2013

By MICHAEL BRICK

AUSTIN (AP) - Lawmakers are considering raising the penalty for repeat offenders convicted of indecent exposure.

In a hearing before the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Linda Harper-Brown of Irving aimed her bill (HB-1628, PDF) squarely at a registered sex offender in her home district with more than 20 convictions.
- So if he had so many convictions, then the system failed!  You don't need another useless law to fix this issue, or to just get your name on something to make you look "tough!"

Under current law, each conviction counts as a class B misdemeanor. Her bill would make the second offense a class A misdemeanor and the eighth offense a state jail felony.

Harper-Brown said the man she had in mind has repeatedly knocked on windows to get the attention of children before exposing himself. He has also approached a church and a beauty salon.
- So in some states, this is child molestation, so is this not the same in Texas?  Guess not.

Law enforcement officials said repeat offenders abound. Harper-Brown said that "you learn something new every day."

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TN - Uhhh… What? Former Tenn. Politician (William Lee Blakely) Arrested For Masturbating Out Car Window While Going 90 MPH

William Lee Blakely

Original Article

04/09/2013

By Andrew Kirell

And… this happened.

A former Tennessee politician was arrested and charged with indecent exposure after he allegedly masturbated out his car window while driving 90 mph on Interstate 26 earlier this year. Apparently this is not a new multi-tasking endeavor for the former Mount Carmel vice mayor — the charges mirror complaints made him against him several years ago that were never fully investigated. And now he’s facing up to all of them.

William Lee Blakely was charged with one count of indecent exposure after a female motorist alleged that he “fondled himself” and made obscene gestures while they drove next to one another on the highway.

Now that he’s been arrested for the charges, several women have come out to testify about similar stories in the past. “It seems that every victim would tell the same story. But I knew all the victims did not know each other,” Kingsport Police Detective Terry Christian told WJHL.

According to each of the women testifying, Blakely’s high-speed masturbation super fun time started out the same: he’d wave to get the drivers’ attention, escalating to a honk, and then partially crossing over into their lanes.

“After the waving, it turned into a lot of beeping, him grabbing his chest area, and asking me going ‘please, please’ with his hands, may I… show me yours,” witness Kelly Street said.

“He was taking his hand, wetting his mouth, and masturbating,” another witness said.

“At over 90 miles per hour, he had his penis out … he was masturbating… and that’s when it got really, really bad. I wouldn’t look over any more,” Street added.

Detective Christian lamented how Blakely’s indecent acts “went on for so long and nobody’s addressed it.” Apparently the department received dozens of phone calls reporting similar behavior over the last three to four years, all from victims ranging between ages 16-65.

Watch the report below, via WJHL:

Video Link

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NC - State Rep. Tim Moore Advises Women To ‘Duct Tape’ Nipples To Avoid Arrest

Original Article

This country has gone completely insane! What is wrong with breasts? It's our opinion that if this was the norm, then there would also be less sexual assaults.

02/14/2013

By Michael Allen

The North Carolina State House Judiciary Committee recently approved House Bill 34, which makes it a felony to purposefully expose “private parts for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire.”

According to WRAL.com, the bill's definition of “private parts” includes a woman’s “nipple, or any portion of the areola.”

Women could spend up to six months in jail for a first offense. However, any incidental nipple exposure by breastfeeding mothers would be exempt.

State Rep. Sarah Steven said that women could use pasties or nipple coverings: “They’d be good to go."

“You know what they say, duct tape fixes everything,” added State Rep. Tim Moore.

State Rep. Rayne Brown is co-sponsoring the bill because GoTopless.org activists held a topless women’s rights rally in Asheville, North Carolina last summer.

“You’ve got local governments passing ordinances to protect themselves from just this thing,” Brown said. “These folks don’t need to be doing that, but they do it because they’re not sure about the law.”

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TX - Planned Parenthood CEO (Tony Ray Thornton) arrested for public park sex crime

Tony Ray Thornton

Original Article

03/14/2012

A Planned Parenthood CEO has been arrested in Lubbock, Texas after being charged with indecent exposure. Tony Ray Thornton, President and CEO of the Lubbock affiliate, was arrested and released on bail Tuesday.

LUBBOCK - Thornton, 56, was charged with indecent exposure after accusations that he exposed himself at a public park. He was arrested at the park in the vicinity of the baseball fields, around 3:30 PM.

Thornton has not returned to work following the incident and he has not spoken to reporters or issued any statements. The national headquarters of Planned Parenthood has not issued any statements.

According to Texas Penal Code, indecent exposure involves the display of one's "genitals with the intent to arouse the sexual desire of another person."

Thornton has worked for Planned Parenthood for several years, and has been a vocal proponent of anti-life issues. He has also spoken out against pregnancy, saying that, "Without this program women will not have access to birth control [drugs and abortifacients]. They will get pregnant."

There is no word on whether Thornton will continue his employment with Planned Parenthood.

UPDATE: An announcement from Planned Parenthood board chair, Mariah Sharpe states that Thornton is on leave and will not return to duty as head of the organization.

The police report lists a 43 year-old male victim. Police have not commented if there were children in the vicinity.

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FL - Sheriff busts breast-baring teens, photo taker

Original Article

So is this officer going to arrest every female at Mardi Gras, Spring Break, etc who bears their breasts?

08/04/2010

By Bart Pfankuch

The photo-taker could be deemed a registered sex offender

CHARLOTTE COUNTY - A lawman's work is never done, apparently even for a sheriff in an unmarked cop car who sees girls flashing their breasts at passing motorists.

That very thing happened last night to Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron, who was driving around to National Night Out community safety events when the girls exposed their breasts at him, according to a sheriff's press release.

Cameron was driving on State Road 776 near County Road 771 around 7 p.m. Tuesday when he saw the girls flash him and other drivers. He turned around to confront them when he saw a motorist drive up and snap a photo on his cell phone of the naked girls, the release said.

Cameron detained all three people, and all were later arrested.

The two girls, who turned out to be 15, were arrested on indecent exposure charges; their names were not released, though the release pointed out that one is a local girl and the other is from another state. They were booked and released to parents.
- So, will they also possibly be on the registry as sex offenders?

Meanwhile, 33-year-old [name withheld] of the 6500 block of Coliseum Boulevard was arrested and charged with felony possession of photos of sexual performance by a child and a misdemeanor charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Authorities confiscated evidence, including [name withheld]' phone that held the photo of the girls, the release said.

If convicted, [name withheld] could face five years in prison and could be deemed a registered sex offender.
- You will notice, only the MALE who took the photo, could be a sex offender, but not the FEMALES who exposed themselves in public.

The sheriff's office press release concludes with a message to the media: “Don't even ask as the evidence photo will NOT be released since they are juveniles.”

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CO - Colo. Cops Want To Put Brakes On Naked Bike Ride

View the article here

Seems like Colorado has several naked events, like the Naked Pumpkin Run and the Nake Bike Ride.  I wonder if the police are going to keep their word and arrest many of these people and put them on the sex offender registry for exposing themselves to kids and others?

06/13/2009

BOULDER (CBS) - The police chief in Boulder wants to put the brakes on the "World Naked Bike Ride."

Cyclists plan to ride in the buff as a form of protest during the Saturday's planned ride in Boulder.

Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said officers will enforce Colorado's indecent exposure laws and responds to complaints, reports CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver.

"I think it's a bit overkill, and we're not really hurting anybody," said Ryan Van Duzer, naked rider.

The Boulder County ACLU argues the ride isn't indecent exposure, it's about the first amendment right to free speech. "It is political speech. They are making a political statement about oil," said Judd Golden with the Boulder County ACLU.

Colorado's indecent exposure law states "a summons can be issued to anyone who knowingly exposes his or her genitals when such conduct is likely to cause affront or harm."

"They have a right to be upset, but I also think they can obviously turn their head," said Scott Gilleon, naked rider.

Last year, 75 naked riders turned out. That number may be fewer this year, with police threatening to issue tickets.

"You'll have more riders, actually, because when someone tells you you can't do something ... that's when you want to do it," said Gilleon.

"They say they're going to bust us, I believe them. So, I'm not going to go full nude," said Van Duzer.

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View the article here

'World Naked Bike Ride' invades NYC tonight!

Even though it's dark and dreary out today you might want to pack your sunglasses in case you happen to run into a mob of nude cyclists later this evening.

According to their Facebook page, the inaugural NYC ride starts at 23rd Street near the West Side Highway at 5pm. Beware because the "event type" is listed as "causes" and "protest" so there should be a few sights for sore eyes.

A quick look (beware there are actual naked people visible) on the "World Naked Bike Ride" website says, "In the beginning of WNBR, the message was balancing protesting against oil dependency and celebrating the power and individuality of the human body. In 2006, there was a shift towards simplifying the message and focusing on cycling advocacy. While the ride does include and appeal to participants from social nudity circles, the rides is not focused on promoting social nudity directly as much as cycling."

Hopefully the NYPD won't get all beat-down happy, as they've been known to do in the past to "activist cyclists..."

Video of the event in Colorado

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"The mood and temper of the public in regard to the treatment of crime and criminals is one of the most unfailing tests of a civilization. We must have a desire to rehabilitate into the world of industry, all those who have paid their dues in the hard coinage of punishment." - Winston Churchill (Bill Of Rights)

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CO - Naughty but nice - Naked pumpkin runners dont deserve sex-offender status

View the article here
And what about these folks in California, mooning trains?

You see, people are ok punishing people, until they are the ones being punished. If a person is labeled a sex offender for streaking, urinating in public, or having consensual sex when they are young, then, the law is the law, and they should be punished as well. Yes, this is insane, and I do not think they should be punished, but what about all the others who have been punished for similar incidents? Are you going to set them all free?

11/11/2008

You would have thought that, after letting 60 birthday-suited cyclists pedal through the streets of Boulder in June, that city's police chief would have turned the other cheek when it came to the 10th annual Naked Pumpkin Run.

But whereas none of the daytime World Naked Bike Ride participants (who protested America's dependence on foreign oil) were charged with a crime - "I think the police department tries to reflect the values of our community. . . . I think our community values are pretty tolerant of civil disobedience," Boulder police Chief Mark Beckner told The Daily Camera after the mass spokes streak - the pumpkin heads could face serious punishment that doesn't fit the prank.

As partygoers lined the Pearl Street Mall close to 11 p.m. on All Hallow's Eve, more than 100 nude runners donned pumpkins on their craniums for a traditional sprint in the buff. This time, though, a dozen of the streakers were cited for indecent exposure - a Class 1 misdemeanor that carries the penalty of having to register as a sex offender.

This would be an unusually harsh punishment for a group of revelers who included research scientists and University of Colorado students. Colorado's criminal code defines indecent exposure as knowingly flashing one's genitals in a circumstance "likely to cause affront or alarm" to the viewer. Since the late-night Pearl Street crowd was there to view the run, it's likely there was much more amusement than alarm.
- Well, what about all the other people who may have just been out on the town, possibly with their kids, and they saw a bunch of naked people?  I'm sure that startled them!

If the pumpkin runners had been charged with public indecency, they would not face the stigma of being on a sex offender registry. But ironically, the criteria for public indecency - having sex or masturbating in public are among them - may be even less appropriate than indecent exposure for the nonsexual streaking that haunted Boulder.

The saga of the naked pumpkin streakers has revealed much more than sprinters' derrieres; it has also revealed the need for a legal exemption. A college prankster clearly should not be tarred with the same sex-offender status as a pervert flashing his private parts at vulnerable victims.
- A legal exemption?  I agree, but you cannot say something is a law for some, but not all.  If it's a law, then it's a law, period!

"The Colorado General Assembly and the (Sex Offender Management Board) conclude that sex offenders are dangerous because of the harm they cause to victims and their risk to re-offend," states Colorado's Convicted Sex Offender Site. "The SOMB believes that community safety is paramount and comes before the needs of the offender. The primary goal of sex offender management is to prevent the offender from victimizing any other person."
- Well, the statement above, is total BS!  Not all sex offenders are "dangerous!"  And making a blanket statement like that, is absurd.  Many recidivism studies show, that sex offenders are LESS LIKELY to commit another sex crime, once released from prison, and I have many, here.  If you care to know the real facts?  These studies show the recidivism rates of sexual offenders is 5.3% or less.  Also, where is the link to this so called study from the SOMB you mention above?  I'd like to see it.

Did the streakers have victims or cause harm? Is community safety compromised by their antics, other than by the runners' compromised vision from peering out of a jack o'lantern?

Obviously the possible punishment does not fit the crime, and would water down a list of dangerous sexual offenders by including harmless jokers.
- The registry is already watered down.  This "reporter" apparently did not do much homework before writing this article.

The nude running pack on Halloween night has grown over the years, and we understand if Boulder would rather not see it continue to expand - perhaps reaching thousands at some point. It's entirely reasonable for the city to draw the line and try to deter or dissuade the trouser-droppers. But there must be options to citing them with an offense that dumps them in with sex offenders, such as closing down the street party or finding some other charge to file against them.

But to do that, Boulder would first have to lay down reasonable ground rules, and then apply them consistently - bare-butted bicyclists and pumpkin-headed streakers alike.

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CO - Sex charge worries streaker

View the article here
And what about these folks in California, mooning trains?

11/07/2008

By Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Now that the general election's over, let's get on to more important matters: Justice for the Pumpkin 12.

Recent University of Colorado graduate Eric Rasmussen, 23, is among the 12 runners ticketed Halloween night for indecent exposure after running naked with a wobbly orange squash on their heads along the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder.

If convicted, he and 11 others could be required to register as sex offenders. Like many of the Pumpkin 12, he is finding a lawyer.

Rasmussen said it was his first time streaking. He had a great time - until he saw 12 police awaiting him and 150 other naked people at the courthouse.

The officers gave Rasmussen, who hails from suburban Chicago, time to get dressed before recording his vitals.

"I was thinking a minor fine or community service or something," Rasmussen said Wednesday. "I was not thinking of sex offender."

Now, he's scared. You can hear it in his voice.

"I was under the assumption there would be safety in numbers - it didn't occur to me that it would be OK for the police just to take 12 people and disregard the other couple hundred."

Rasmussen, who wants to pursue a career in public relations, is hopeful the charge won't stick, since he doesn't believe anybody was offended by his nudity - except perhaps, the police, who signed his citation as witnesses.

"The lawyers I've spoken to have tried to convince me it won't go that far," he said. "They don't think a judge would want to have 12 people hurt for the rest of their lives because of this act when nobody was really offended."
- You see, people know these sex offender laws are life ruiners, thus the highlighted statement above.

He and nine others go to Boulder County Court on Dec. 17; two others will appear Jan. 12.

Those cited include Oleg Abramov, 30; Carly Howett, 29; Erika Barth, 32; Ty Tuff, 28; Natalie Ziemba, 20; Scott Wisdom, 21; David Packert, 23; Robert Mohr, 28; Matthew Bruce, 27; Kevin Maddaford, 28; Sabrina Collins, 44.

In Boulder, the 10th annual Naked Pumpkin Run is a hot issue. The core question: Should these 12 face punishment?
- No, but if they are not punished, then the people currently on the registry for public urination, streaking, etc, should be set free as well.  You cannot punish some, and not others, that is not justice.

Denver legal analyst and trial lawyer Scott Robinson said people should think twice before disrobing in public. A pumpkin can't save you, although a prosecutor just might.

"(Prosecutors) generally view a streaker as somewhat different than the individual who exposes himself to another for sexual gratification," Robinson said. "But there is good reason not to take off your clothes and put a pumpkin on your head. You may as well wear a sign on your head that says, 'Arrest me.' "

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CA - Sex offenders' reform depends on education

View the article here

11/03/2008

By Narsu Rao

Registered non-felony sex offenders should be given a chance to attend college and become better citizens. Rehabilitating those who have erred in the past is as integral a part of the community as ensuring people's safety and security. Denying higher education to those who genuinely want to reenter society hurts their chances of building stable new lives.

Proposition 83, approved by 70 percent of California voters in 2006, bars all registered sex offenders - whose crimes range from forcible rape to indecent exposure - from living within 2,000 feet of a public or private school or a park where children regularly gather. And under a new bill, sex offenders are ineligible for Pell Grants, the nation's premier financial aid program for low-income students, starting July next July.

All this is good in the interest of children and families. We should make every effort to protect society from sexual predators. But making it difficult for registered sex offenders to reform their lives does not help the situation.

It is worth noting the flaws that exist in the record keeping of sex offenders. Many with serious charges declare themselves "homeless" and leave without a trace, while some with minor offenses suffer the consequences for the rest of their lives.

It is only fair to give registered offenders a second chance, as long as they are psychologically stable and committed to living decent lives.

This would not compromise campus safety. In order to allow sex offenders the option of integrating back into society while ensuring the safety of others, colleges should deal with applicants on a case-by-case basis. Through a careful screening and interview process, colleges should be able to admit those who are truly ready to rebuild their lives.

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CO - Naked runners face registering as sex offenders - Indecent exposure is a sexual offense

View the article here
And what about these folks in California, mooning trains?

Funny how they boo the police, in the non-Nudity video below, when it is about them. A sex crime, is a sex crime. So now, all the skinny dipping, streaking at games, or at events like this, are a thing of the past, thanks to the puritans!  You can find more videos at YouTube about this event.

11/03/2008

By Laura Snider (Contact)

Twelve of the runners who streaked the Pearl Street Mall on Friday night wearing nothing but pumpkins on their heads will have to register as sex offenders if they are convicted of indecent exposure.

The 10th year of the Naked Pumpkin Run started as usual — with laughter, beer and a whole lot of pumpkin carving. But the nude run, which has grown in recent years to include well over 100 people, ended with police citing 12 of the streakers for indecent exposure, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Police have warned runners in the past that the activity isn’t legal, but this is the first time officers showed up en masse to enforce the law.
- Only 12 of over 100?

Now the ticketed runners, whose names have not yet been released, will have to register as sex offenders — a scarlet letter that could mark their professional and personal lives for years — if the charge of indecent exposure sticks.
- And it will end their careers, and lives.  Welcome to the 21st century of shaming, witch hunts, etc!  I bet many of them, were all for the sex offender registry, now lets see what they think about it, if they are actually charged and made to register, which I doubt!

“It’s very nasty,” said Alexander Garlin, a local lawyer who has experience defending sex-related criminal charges. “Over the years, the system, the way of responding to individuals who are called sex offenders, ultimately has become institutionalized. There’s a whole industry around this, and certain critics have charged that the industry is too much one-size-fits-all.”

Convicting a naked pumpkin runner of indecent exposure in court, however, may not be completely straightforward. According to state law, the prosecution must show that the defendant “knowingly exposed his genitals to the view of any person,” which is the easy part in this case, and that the exposure likely caused “affront or alarm” to someone.
- Well, when it involves a person urinating in the woods, or on the side of the road, this has never been an issue.  Maybe now, they will change the draconian laws, that are sweeping many into their large nets, and ruining careers and lives!

The “affront and alarm” is the obvious place to begin a defense, Garlin said. In the case of the pumpkin run, which didn’t start until nearly 11 p.m., many of the people packed onto the mall said they were there specifically to see the nude runners.

“How does a jury figure out if someone is guilty (of affronting and alarming) beyond a reasonable doubt?” Garlin said. “I would guess the average Boulderite is not likely to be affronted or alarmed — entertained, maybe.”
- Well, they seem to have no problem with it's someone "accused" of a sex crime against a child.  They should have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, on ANYTHING!  But they don't, because the DA's get to look tough on crime, and move on to the next victim, and make more money, etc...  It's a business, and without the sex offender business, many people would not be as rich as they are, just look at John Walsh, Mark Lunsford, etc...

If the cited runners don’t want to test their luck in court, they could try to plead to a lesser charge. In this case, the obvious alternate would be “public indecency.”
- NEVER TAKE A PLEA!!!!  IT'S NOT A DEAL, PERIOD!!!!  These people are going to be suckered into a plea deal, by some DA scaring the hell out of them.  And when they take that plea, their life is over!

Oddly, public indecency may sound worse on paper — it includes doing such things in public as having sex, masturbating or fondling someone else — but it carries far less serious consequences. Public indecency is a Class 1 petty offense and does not require registration as a sex offender.

“Public indecency has a real kicker — it’s generally nakedness plus some pretty hard-core conduct,” Garlin said.

Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said his officers cited the runners because “first of all, it’s illegal,” he had a high enough staffing level that night and he was concerned that the event was getting out of hand.

“This isn’t OK,” he said. “It is against the law. You can’t do this with immunity.”

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CO - Naked pumpkin runners ticketed in Colorado

View the article here
And what about these folks in California, mooning trains?

So I wonder if their will be 12 more registered sex offenders who have their lives ruined?

11/02/2008

BOULDER – Boulder police have ticketed about a dozen people running naked on the street while sporting freshly gutted pumpkins on their heads as part of an annual Halloween event.

The citations for indecent exposure Friday night came as dozens of other costumed revelers, including a man with a red cape and a sword, chanted to police officers to let go of the streakers and "find real criminals."

The event known in Boulder as the Naked Pumpkin Run has been held for 10 years. This year it drew a huge crowd, prompting concern from police.

Boulder police Chief Mark Beckner says officers "wanted to do something before (the event) got out of hand."

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CO - Sex offender sweep hailed as a success

View the article here

10/27/2008

Story By: Jeannette Hynes

At least 51 convicted sex offenders in Colorado are back in jail, after a statewide sweep that involved 37 agencies, including Colorado Springs Police, Pueblo Police, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Department of Corrections, and U.S. Marshals.

Authorities are calling the weekend sweep a success, saying assigning that many officers and agents for one purpose made every arrest worthwhile.

In Denver, U.S. Marshals arrested a man for failing to register, and they say they also found child pornography in his home, and plan to check into his roommate.

Pueblo Detective Jeff Shay said #80 on the "Most Wanted" list, Reggie Rodriguez, turned himself in, after learning he was wanted by federal authorities.

"We had officers all the way out in Kim, Colorado, looking for him," explained Shay. He said they were following up on several tips that were coming in from the community.

Pueblo Police arrested nine wanted sex offenders. Colorado Springs Police arrested 11.

Studies show, when a convicted sex offender does not comply with registration rules, it is very likely that person will offend again. That's why authorities conducted this weekend sweep - to try to track down as many people as they could who hadn't registered with local authorities.
- Really, I don't believe you, show me this so-called "study!"  I can show you many which prove otherwise, here, here and here.

"If they're a continual problem, and not being monitored, chances are they're violating and reoffending without anyone knowing it," said David Floyd, Supervising Deputy for U.S. Marshals.
- Yeah right, and I guess you are a fortune teller as well!

These sex offenders' convictions include indecent exposure, rape, sexual assault, and sexual assault on a child.

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CO - Football game's streaker was Madden's son

View the article here

So why isn't he labeled a sex offender? I am sure there were children there who saw this, and it was a sex crime, but, he's the son of a state representative, and laws do not apply to them, we all know that.

10/25/2008

By Heath Urie (Contact)

House majority leader says 17-year-old son regrets running naked Friday night

A 17-year-old boy arrested Friday night for streaking in front of about 6,000 football fans at Boulder High School is the son of a prominent state legislator.

State House Majority Leader Alice Madden (Email), an influential Boulder Democrat, confirmed Saturday that her son, Tom, was arrested for what she called a "pretty stupid" stunt.

"Every year it seems like someone streaks at this football game," said Madden, an attorney and member of the state Legislative Council. "Unfortunately for us and our family, this year it was our son."

The teen was arrested during half-time at the cross-town rivalry football game between Boulder and Fairview high schools.

Fans saw the streaker running across Recht Field, carrying a fake sword, which his mother said was to represent his pride in the Fairview Knights.

Tom Madden, a junior at the school, managed to dodge several security guards before he fell over a fence and was caught. He was booked at a Boulder juvenile detention center and later released to his father.

"I think he's in shock that something he thought was funny could end up being something very, very serious," Alice Madden said. "My husband and I are very disappointed. We've talked about it a lot and he faces punishment at home and he's going to have punishment at school."

She said she does not know whether the teen will be suspended from school.

"He said he wishes he could take it back," Alice Madden said. "I think the whole process was one (of him) thinking it was very funny and what happens at these games, and now he realizes everyone else and the police take this far more seriously."

The boy faces a class-one misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure, Boulder police Sgt. Pat Wyton said Saturday.

The charge carries fines ranging from $500 to $5,000 and/or a sentence of six to 18 months in jail.

Wyton said it's also possible that a judge would order the teen to register as a sex offender, although that scenario is unlikely because a judge might view the stunt as less serious than other indecent exposure offenses.
- Of course, he's the son of someone who is known and liked, so he will get slapped on the wrist!

"It's a kid running across a field as a prank ... I'm sure he's going to get some kind of referral or restorative justice," Wyton said.
- They would not say that if it was a 30 or 40 year old man, now would they?  HYPOCRISY, IT'S THE AMERICAN WAY!

Alice Madden, who will leave the state House in January due to term limits, has been a supporter of such programs.

Earlier this year, she co-sponsored a bill including restorative justice programs -- such as mediation -- in the juvenile justice code. The bill was signed into law in March.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Heath Urie at 303-473-1328 or urieh@dailycamera.com.

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OK - Sex Offenders On The Job

View the article here

10/09/2008

By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6

TULSA -- Sex crimes create a lot of fear and receive a lot of attention. Much has been said about where sex offenders live, but have you ever wondered where they work?

Tulsa has about 400 registered sex offenders right now. The News On 6 obtained a list of where each and every one of them works. Some of the jobs might surprise you because they are inside your very home.

Even after sex offenders serve their time, they are treated differently than any other criminal. In addition to registering their address with police, they can't live in 95% of the city, near schools and daycares. That even applies to people whose victims weren't children.

People have police measure and start campaigns to get certain neighbors to move. They do it because they want to protect their children, but the truth is sex offenders are around us on a daily basis.

The list of jobs for Tulsa's registered sex offenders says approximately 30 are cooking and serving our food at restaurants. Another 25 are driving around making deliveries. They are washing cars, hauling trash, cleaning offices, cutting hair, taking our temperature and more.

Most interesting, though, is more than 70 of them are actually working inside our homes, as carpet cleaners, painters, cabinet builders, electricians, plumbers and handymen.

Police say it's rare to have a registered sex offender commit a crime because of access gained through their job. They say a stable environment is a good way to keep them from re-offending and stability often means having a job.

"The ones out there where we don't know where they're at, not telling us where they're working or going to school, those are the ones we're concerned with," said Tulsa Police Sgt. John Adams.

Police actually fear the laws that limit where sex offenders can live have increased the number of people who go underground and don't register.

"Two years ago, we had 550. Now we have less than 400," said Tulsa Police Sgt. John Adams. "I don't think 150 have left the city."

If you're worried about sex offenders working in your home, you should ask the company the name of the person they're sending, and then check the police department's sex offender registry.

Some of the careers on the list that really stood out included a minister busted for having obscene photos, an attorney convicted of indecent exposure, and two former teachers.

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MN - Fergus streaker won’t face felony charge

View the article here

Video and a couple polls are at the site above.

10/07/2008

By Dave Olson

A streaker whose one-man show upstaged the homecoming band at a high school football game in Fergus Falls, Minn., will not face felony charges, a prosecutor said Monday.

The runner made his appearance about 8:20 p.m. Friday, sprinting the length of the Fergus Falls High School football field before disappearing into some woods north of the school, where he hid for 30 minutes before revealing himself to officers.

“He was cold,” Fergus Falls Police Capt. Steve Adams said, referring to the 15-year-old suspect who was wearing only a hat, a mask, and shoes and socks.

The youth was taken to a juvenile detention center in Moorhead, where he was held until being released on Monday, according to Adams, who said Friday’s incident “was the talk of the town.”

Otter Tail County Attorney David Hauser, who was at the game and saw what happened, said he couldn’t release many details because of the suspect’s age.

Without confirming what the youth may be charged with, Hauser said his office considered several possibilities, including disorderly conduct and gross misdemeanor indecent exposure.

The latter charge is applicable, he said, because young children were present.

A felony charge of indecent exposure, which could require sex offender registration, is not being considered, Hauser said.

Indecent exposure can be a felony if there is a prior conviction for criminal sexual conduct.

High School Principal Dean Monke expects the district to take disciplinary action against the student, but hasn’t decided on the exact punishment.

“This incident is still under investigation and pending,” he said, adding that when the district makes a decision, it will only discuss the punishment “in very general terms” to protect the student’s privacy.

Both Adams and Hauser said they could not remember dealing with other cases of streaking, which became something of a craze in the 1970s.

Monke said he felt the incident, the first of its kind in his 12 years with the district, marred a jubilant homecoming game.

“We’d rather not have this kind of distraction,” he said. “We’d rather let the music halftime show and the game speak for themselves.”

By Monday, someone had set up a special page on the social networking Web site Facebook commemorating Friday’s expose.

It contains comments from students and a photo of the incident, which stole the spotlight from the Fergus Falls football team. Fergus Falls extended its winning streak Friday to six games, leaving it undefeated.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Olson at (701) 241-5555. Reporter Mila Koumpilova contributed to this report.

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PA - Councilman drops predator crusade

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09/04/2008

Pastor cites flaws in proposal, which would have prevented offenders from living in Easton.

By EDWARD SIEGER - The Express-Times

EASTON - After trying unsuccessfully to revise a plan limiting where sexual predators can live, city Councilman Ken Brown has opted to withdraw the proposal altogether.

He hasn't, however, ruled out trying again.

Brown proposed prohibiting registered sexual predators from living within 2,500 feet of any school, church, child care facility, park or playground. The proposal effectively banned predators from living in Easton.

Brown decided during a public safety committee meeting Tuesday that more discussion is needed before city council should consider any residency ban.

The Rev. Susan Ruggles, pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church, has questioned why the ordinance indicates sex offenders have a 70 percent recidivism rate.

"That's just not true," she said during Tuesday's committee meeting.

Ruggles told council members Brown, Jeff Warren and Sandra Vulcano that no research has measured whether residency restrictions prevent repeat offenses.

The Colorado Department of Public Safety in 2004 tracked 130 sex offenders on probation for 15 months to monitor recidivism, according to Federal Probation, a professional correctional journal. Police rearrested 15 offenders for new crimes such as peeping or indecent exposure, according to the report.

Other municipalities have cited the 70 percent recidivism rate in their ordinances, which Ruggles considers a "scare tactic."

Ruggles reiterated her concerns that instituting a general ban lumps all offenders together. A parole board can decide whether a registered offender or predator poses a threat to the community before imposing any kind of restriction, she said.

And if parents are concerned about a "creepy guy" hanging out at the park, a loitering ordinance is more appropriate, Ruggles said.

While he tried to craft legislation that protects children, Brown said, he realizes any residency restriction cannot punish someone trying to legitimately re-enter society.

Reporter Edward Sieger can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at esieger@express-times.com.

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PA - Ex-official to stay on probation

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08/26/2008

Samuel R. Hozella III, a former Schuylkill Haven borough council vice president who exposed himself to a 10-year-old girl, must remain on probation, a Schuylkill County judge decided Monday.

Judge John E. Domalakes rejected Hozella’s request that his probation be terminated early, ruling there was no evidence Hozella had successfully completed his sex offenders program.

“I want him to continue that treatment,” Domalakes said of Hozella, 43, of Sinking Spring, who spent 45 days in prison in 2006 after having been convicted of indecent exposure and later found to have violated his probation.

As a result, Hozella will be on probation for almost two more years as the result of his conviction in a case that touched off a political controversy in Schuylkill Haven.

A Schuylkill County jury convicted Hozella on Sept. 6, 2005, of indecent exposure, while being unable to reach a verdict on a corruption of minors charge. Domalakes, who presided over Hozella’s one-day trial, sentenced him on Oct. 27, 2005, to spend three years on probation, pay costs and a $300 fine, enter the sex offenders program and have no contact with the victim.

Domalakes then revoked Hozella’s probation on May 17, 2006, and again on Aug. 4, 2006, after spending 45 days in prison for not participating in the sex offender program. At the second revocation hearing, Domalakes extended Hozella’s probation until May 21, 2010.

Schuylkill Haven borough police charged Hozella with exposing himself to the girl on Dec. 1, 2003, in the borough.

Hozella said Monday he believes he has been rehabilitated by participating in the sex offenders program.

However, Domalakes accepted the testimony of Berks County probation officer Michael S. Brown, who testified he talked on Friday with Hozella, who was reluctant to accept full responsibility for his actions.

“I found that to be unacceptable,” Brown, said.

Brown also testified that he had given Hozella permission to travel for work-related reasons, and that Hozella never asked him for permission to attend school-related events with his wife, Virginia Matias, and her daughter.

Hozella’s case became a political football in 2005 when Robert M. Reedy, a Republican candidate for mayor and former borough police officer, alleged Hozella’s fellow borough council members had pressured the police department to drop the charges.

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CA - Our View: Time to repeal Jessica's law

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People need to follow the money trail.  People are getting rich off the backs of sex offenders and the fear the media and politicians are spreading.  I wonder who has stocks in the GPS and other markets?

08/14/2008

By now it should be apparent that California voters made a serious mistake when they passed Proposition 83, the 2006 ballot initiative popularly known as Jessica's law.

The law requires lifetime monitoring of sex offenders -- not only those charged with child sexual abuse and rapists whose victims were adults, but also those convicted of consensual sex with a teenager and even misdemeanor indecent exposure.

It bars offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park.

By the end of 2007, it was obvious that the law was a failure. Almost no local police agencies in California were enforcing it, partly because it was unenforceable and partly because even trying to enforce it proved prohibitively expensive.

Now the Los Angeles Times has added still more evidence of the law's failure. In addition to its monitoring requirements, Proposition 83 also established a system of mandatory psychological evaluations for sex offenders.

Like most other things about this law, that sounds like a good idea in theory.

In practice, as the Times reported, it has led to the state contracting with 79 psychologists and psychiatrists to do the evaluations.

Last year, 14 of them billed the state more than a half-million dollars apiece for those services. One billed the state for more than $1.5 million in 2007.

Such payments to contractors might be worthwhile if the evaluations were producing clear benefits. But it isn't.

The evaluations were supposed to be used to determine if sex offenders should be committed to a mental hospital after serving their sentences.

But the Times found that the number of commitments was essentially the same for the 18-month periods before and after voters approved the law.

The mounting evidence that this law is a failure is likely to produce new efforts to amend it.

Such efforts are a waste. This law is flawed beyond repair.

It's time to acknowledge the failure of good intentions and repeal Jessica's Law.

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OK - Oklahoma Sheriff Faces 35 Felony Counts- 467 yrs in Prison

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Mike Burgess, the sheriff of Custer County, resigned from the position he held since 1994 after 35 felony counts were filed against him for allegedly running a sex slave operation at the jail he worked at. He will appear in court for 14 counts of second degree rape, seven counts of forcible oral sodomy and five counts of bribery by a public official.

The sheriff surrendered to Oklahoma St More..ate Bureau of Investigation against. He was released from custody after posting $50,000 bail.

Burgess is accused of demanding that a female drug court participant in custody have sex with him, or else he would send her to prison.

12 other former jail prisoners have also accused the sheriff’s employees had them participate in wet t-shirt contests and gave cigarettes to prisoners who flashed their breasts. One prisoner even claimed that she had received more freedom after agreeing to have sex with Burgess, but later lost her privileges after she refused.

Burgess also has two counts of sexual batter, rape by instrumentation and subornation of perjury, in addition to one count of engaging in a pattern of criminal offenses, indecent exposure and kidnapping.

If convicted on all 35 counts, Burgess could be sentenced 467 years in prison.

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UK - Sex charge teacher took his own life

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08/07/2008

A TEACHER accused of sex offences took his own life by throwing himself off high cliffs, an inquest heard.

The body of Cambridge graduate Adrian Wolfson, 35, was found on the shoreline near Botallack in the far west of Cornwall on February 27 this year.

The inquest heard that five days earlier Mr Wolfson had pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual activity in the presence of a child.

A page has been set up on social networking website Facebook in memory of Mr Wolfson. More than 200 friends and former pupils have paid tribute to an "inspirational" teacher.

The inquest at Truro City Hall yesterday heard that Mr Wolfson had been a teacher for 12 years at Deansfield Primary School in Eltham, South London.

Police were called to Thamesmead Leisure Centre on February 20 following reports that a man had performed a sex act on himself in front of children.

The inquest heard that Mr Wolfson booked himself in at the Porthminster Hotel in St Ives on February 23.

Staff at the hotel became concerned on February 26 after four empty packets of painkillers were found in Mr Wolfson's room by a chambermaid. Mr Wolfson had booked himself in to the Wellington Hotel in St Just on February 26 and was last seen eating breakfast there on the morning of February 27.

Later that morning his body was found at the bottom of cliffs near Zawn Cove by the police helicopter.

The inquest was told that a letter found in Mr Wolfson's rucksack was addressed to "the person who finds me". The letter said that he had left a fingerprint on his spectacles to confirm his identity. He wrote: "This is the last place I have chosen to feel the wind in my face."

None of Mr Wolfson's family were present at yesterday's hearing. A statement from his father, Stanley Wolfson, said: "He was distraught and said he had been treated very badly by the people who arrested him and locked him up. When he left he gave me a big hug and told me he loved me, which he had only done once before when his mother had recently died. He had a massive circle of friends, he had had many letters of support and it is clear he took his own life."

Suzanne Ellis, a close friend, said she received a suicide note from Mr Wolfson dated February 24 and postmarked February 25. When asked by Cornwall coroner, Dr Emma Carlyon, if there were any triggers to Mr Wolfson's actions, Ms Ellis said: "He strongly denied the charges of indecent exposure in court and pleaded not guilty. There was press coverage which was difficult for him and his family. Allegations like this would destroy him and his family."

Dr Carlyon said the cause of death was multiple injuries caused by a cliff fall and said that he took his own life.

Immediately after the hearing Ms Ellis gave a statement to the WMN which described Mr Wolfson as a caring brother and son, a wonderful friend and an inspirational teacher.

She said: "One single, unfounded allegation was enough to blow apart everything he loved and had worked so hard for in his community.

"To be guilty by accusation is a perversion of justice. Adrian's resulting death is a tragedy for him and all those who loved him so much. It is also an indictment on our society and justice system."

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