OH - Former Pike Co. Deputy (Clyde Franklin Sanders) Found Guilty Of Gross Sexual Imposition

Clyde Franklin Sanders

Original Article

04/30/2013

By Matt Lucas

A former chief deputy at the Pike County Sheriff's Office was found guilty of one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony, on Monday when he appeared before visiting Judge Jan Corzine in the Pike County Court of Common Pleas.

Clyde Franklin (Frank) Sanders, 50, was arrested by the Pike County Sheriff's Office in 2011 and charged with one count of gross sexual imposition, two counts of kidnapping, one count of rape, and one count of endangering children. The rape and kidnapping charges were first-degree felonies.

On Monday, Sanders pleaded no contest to the charge of gross sexual imposition and was found guilty of the charge, according to the Ohio Attorney General's Office, which handled the prosecution of the case through Assistant Attorney General Emily Pelphrey.

In 2011, a term of the Pike County Grand Jury returned a five-count indictment against Sanders, alleging that between October 2008 and January 2009, he engaged in sexual activity with a child who was under the age of 10. At the time of his 2011 arrest on Five Bucks Road, Sanders was living in Beaver.

Due to Monday's plea, the case will not go to jury trial. Pelphrey declined to be interviewed on Monday, but the Attorney General's Office said that sentencing of Sanders will take place at a date yet to be determined. Sanders is represented by attorneys from Yavitch and Palmer Co., LPA, and Bowen and Keck, both Columbus firms.

---

CO - Former DPD officer (Hector Paez) sentenced in sex assault; judge grants rare appeal bond

Hector Paez

Original Article

03/01/2013

By Blair Shiff

DENVER - The former Denver police officer, Hector Paez, was sentenced Friday for sexual assault and kidnapping.

Paez, 33, was convicted after being accused of driving the woman to a secluded spot and forcing her to perform oral sex in March 2010.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison for the kidnapping charges. Following that sentence he would serve ten years to life on the sexual assault charge.

Paez claimed that he took the woman to a secluded location to question her about a drug dealer.

In a very unusual circumstance, the judge is allowing the former officer to avoid prison time while he appeals his conviction if he can post a $100,000 cash or property appeal bond.

In response to the judge's decision, the Denver District Attorney Tweeted, "WOW, Judge in Paez case grants him a bond while he appeals his conviction."

See Also:

• Jury finds Denver cop guilty of felony kidnapping, sex assault

---

NH - Lawyer (Lisa Biron) found guilty in child pornography trial

Lisa Biron

Original Article

01/10/2013

Prosecutors say woman used girl as sexual object

Lisa Biron, 43, was accused of videotaping the girl having sex with two men. Biron faced eight federal indictments on charges of child sexual exploitation, transporting a child across state lines to produce child pornography and possession of child pornography, and was convicted on all of them after the jury deliberated for less than an hour.

The trial began Wednesday, with prosecutors calling to the stand two men who said Biron videotaped them having sex with the 14-year-old.

The final witness for the prosecution was an FBI agent who specializes in computer forensics. He testified that he retrieved pornographic images from a computer that had Biron listed as the owner. He said a confiscated iPhone also had a sexually explicit video involving the girl.

"It was difficult to present because you were presenting very graphic evidence to people who aren't exposed to this on a daily basis, but in terms of putting the case together, it was relatively easy because the evidence was created by the defendant herself, and it was video evidence that really does speak for itself," said U.S. Attorney John Kacavas.

A couple of phone calls recorded while Biron was in jail led off closing arguments for the government. In one call, Biron was heard talking to her father and saying of the 14-year-old girl that "she had a part in this."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen Fitzgibbon said the call is typical of Biron placing the blame for her problems on a young girl.

Fitzgibbon told the jury that this is a very straightforward case about a woman who used the girl as a sexual object and videotaped it. She said the evidence is clear that Biron took the girl to Canada to make the video and that she exploited the girl, encouraging her to drink, smoke marijuana and have sex.

"It was just very difficult, and I don't think I should say much more than that," said juror Peter Evans. "The evidence was pretty overwhelming, and the decision, I'm sure, was accurate."

The defense called no witnesses. Defense attorney James Moir told the jury things are not as clear as prosecutors claimed. He said the case is not about whether Biron is a good or bad person but rather, whether the government proved each element of the charges against her.

Read the entire article here

---

CO - Cañon City resident proposes sex offender ordinance

Original Article

10/15/2012

By CARIE CANTERBURY

Ken Rief wants more to be done to protect children after murder of Jessica Ridgeway
- Once again, there is no proof that this girl was sexually abused or killed by a known or unknown sex offender, but society, as usual, wants to punish all ex-sex offenders for the deeds of a murderer.

Cañon City resident Ken Rief proposed Monday that the city council consider creating a sex offender ordinance during their regular council meeting.

"I'm sure we all know that we have a problem in this county with child predators," he said, citing the recent abduction and murder of Jessica Ridgeway of the Denver metro area, the alleged sex assault of a girl in Cody, Wyo., and a reported abduction in Pueblo.

"I'd like to know why we haven't tried passing a city ordinance restricting where sex offenders may be -- near schools, libraries, city parks," he said. "Why they're allowed to give out candy on Halloween."
- Because, as you do, they have rights!

Rief said he believes the issue is a significant problem, but he doesn't see anything being done about it.

"There are a lot of cities throughout this country that are going to these sex offender ordinances, and, of course, the ACLU is coming in and shutting them down, but I think that we need to try to do something like that," he said. "I think that our kids are the most important things that we have on this planet, and I just don't understand why more isn't being done."

Rief said he has written to city council members, congressmen and senators regarding the issue.

"I'm almost offended that nobody is doing anything about this," he said. "We need to do something to send a statement saying we're not going to put up with this stuff anymore."
- So why don't we have a registry for all ex-criminals then?  You see, it's not about being fair and protecting everyone, it's all about punishing the scapegoat, the ex-sex offender.

City Attorney John Havens after the meeting said there are no local ordinances, and he is not aware of any state laws that restrict where convicted sex offenders may live or spend their time.

"Some jurisdictions have done that, and some states have done that and he is very correct, the ACLU files suits wherever these efforts are made," he said. "They're not always successful, but you're into very expensive territory and you go through several levels of court."
- They file suit because you are running on emotions instead of facts, and passing unconstitutional laws.

---

NC - Man removed from sex offender registry after spending 25 years in prison, found innocent of rape and kidnapping!

---

The Kidnapping Hysteria

Original Article

05/09/2012

By John Stossel

If you have kids, you are probably worried about them being kidnapped. Your kids are probably worried about it, too. How could they not be after seeing all the publicity about abducted children?

In television public-service announcements the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children warns, "Every day 2,000 children are reported missing." Center president Ernie Allen told me, "Our goal is to reach into every home and to generate that key lead that leads to the recovery of a child. We need to send a message to the American public that this is serious."

That's a noble goal, but there is a downside. Kids tell me that all the talk on television about kidnapping worries them. Dozens of 7-to-12-year-olds I interviewed for "20/20" said abduction was their biggest fear. One little boy said he worries every night "because I'm asleep and I don't know what's gonna happen."

Scaring kids might be justified if abductions were common. But the media make the problem look far bigger than it is. The stereotypical kidnapping, where a child is abducted by a stranger and murdered, ransomed, or kept for a significant period of time, rarely happens. In fact, there are only 100 or so such cases every year.

Those abductions are tragic, but kids are more likely to be caught up in a tornado. Maybe we should have warnings about that, with lots of pictures to put everyone on edge.

The Center for Missing Children is a piece of the Fear Industrial Complex. It raises money by scaring us.

Businesses also profit from our fear. Brinks Security pushes apprehension about child abduction in commercials for home security systems. One terrifying ad is reminiscent of classic horror movies.

And we in the media profit from fear.

"For the media, child kidnapping is a gold mine," says David Glassner, author of the Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things. "It can go on for weeks. It's not a one-shot thing. The child is still gone, you can keep following it. Is there a new lead? Then finally, if they're discovered, that's the grand finale."

Nancy Grace has become a CNN superstar by featuring grisly crimes including child kidnappings, complete with an upbeat soundtrack. And NBC's "To Catch a Predator" has become a call to arms for parents by making it seem as if nearly everyone online is out to sexually solicit your kids.

The media have parents scared stiff, says Dan McGinn, who runs focus groups. Some parents won't let their kids out of their sight.

"When they talk about their kids and the risk of kidnapping, the numbers become irrelevant. It doesn't matter if it's 100 kids in the United States or 10,000. They really believe 'it's my child and I could minimize that risk,'" McGinn told us.

During a focus group McGinn assembled for "20/20," parents said things like, "I won't let [my son] go to the restroom by himself" and "I do not let [my kids] go out by themselves in the yard, not even the front yard."

All this worry can't be good for our kids. One child told me, "Anyone could just grab me at any time. A lot more kids are getting kidnapped."

But more kids are not getting kidnapped.

Ernie Allen concedes the point. "The numbers of non-family abductions have been remarkably constant over the years."

But if that's true, isn't his organization needlessly scaring parents and children to death?

"We're trying very hard not to scare people."

But a child is much more likely to be hurt running into the street than kidnapped by a stranger.

"We don't want you to feel like you have to lock your child into a room and never let them out of your sight, " Allen says.

But his message certainly encourages people to do that.

That's a shame. Kids would benefit from being allowed to play in the yard or walk to school by themselves. They should be more vigilant about reckless drivers than potential kidnappers. They would learn to worry about the real risks.

Next week: what we should and shouldn't worry about.

John Stossel is co-anchor of ABC News' "20/20" and the author of "Myth, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get Out the Shovel — Why Everything You Know is Wrong." To find out more about John Stossel and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

---

AZ - Experts: Child abductions at home relatively rare

Original Article

Most children are kidnapped by their own parents (one study here), and many studies out there show this.

04/23/2012

TUCSON - Polly Klaas. Elizabeth Smart. Megan Kanka. The names are synonymous with a parent's worst nightmare: a child snatched by a stranger from the safety of her own home.

Now, police in Tucson, Ariz., are trying to determine what happened to 6-year-old Isabel Mercedes Celis. Her parents say they awoke on Saturday to find her missing. Police said a window was open with the screen pushed aside.

While officers are investigating all possibilities in her disappearance, experts say, abduction from the home is relatively rare, with just over 18 children taken each year.

"It's unusual, but it's not unprecedented," said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which is involved in the search.

Each year, 58,000 children are abducted by strangers and released, according to the most recent statistics. Of those, 115 were "stereotypical" kidnappings carried out by strangers who either killed the children or held them for ransom. And 16 percent of those were taken from home.

Nearly three quarters of the victims are girls, and 38 percent of them are 12 to 14. At 24 percent, the second largest victimized group is the one Isabel belongs to: girls ages 6 to 11.

In Tucson, the possibility that a kidnapper could be in their midst unnerved some parents.

"I put two-by-fours in their windows this morning," said Erin Cowan, who has worked with Isabel's mother at Tucson Medical Center and has a daughter, 7, and son, 12. "I guess you can't be too careful, sadly."
- So now, due to the knee-jerk reaction to this situation, what is going to happen if the house catches on fire? Are they going to be able to get out, or die because of two-by-fours?

Since Saturday, investigators and volunteers fanned across Isabel's neighborhood and an area landfill searching for clues. Volunteers posted fliers with a photo of Isabel -- about 4-feet-tall with brown hair and hazel eyes -- holding a school award.

Her parents, identified by friends as Becky and Sergio Celis, told investigators they last saw the first-grader at 11 p.m. Friday. Her mother, a nurse, was at work Saturday when her father went to wake her at 8 a.m. and discovered her missing.

Police call the case a "suspicious disappearance/possible abduction."

"We're not ruling anything out of the investigation at this point because we really need to keep our mind open about all the information that's been brought to us," police Chief Roberto Villasenor said.

On Monday, FBI dogs -- one that can find human remains and the other used for search and rescue -- went through the home and turned up information that required a follow-up, but police declined to say what that was.

Officers are also interviewing sex offenders in the area. It has become standard practice for all abduction investigations.
- Yeah like ex-sex offenders go around all the time kidnapping people's kids!

When 12-year-old Polly Klaas disappeared during a slumber party in 1993 in California and was strangled by a man with a long criminal record, there were no police protocols, said her father, Marc Klaas.

"Every time a child would disappear, they would invent that wheel all over again," said Klaas, who travels the country speaking about child abduction. "Now almost every agency in America has some handle on how to launch a missing child investigation."

Polly's case served as a model for the FBI's first missing child protocol and also prompted California voters to pass the state's three strikes law, which requires harsh prison sentences for repeat offenders.

Congress didn't pass the federal Megan's Law until 1996, inspired by the case of 7-year-old Megan Kanka in New Jersey. She was raped and killed by a known child molester who lived across the street. Now federal law requires that every state have a procedure for warning neighbors when a sex offender moves nearby.

John Evander Couey, who took Jessica Lunsford from her home in Florida, lived just down the street. "He had an opportunity to stalk the family," Allen said. "He went in there for the child."

In the 2002 kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart in Utah, her abductor was a handyman the family knew and took her from her bed at knifepoint. Nine months later, motorists spotted her as she walked with her captors.

Investigations have changed since the days the milk carton was the best way to disseminate photos of missing children, as the world was reminded last week when authorities in New York reopened the 1979 case of Etan Patz. The boy was 6 when he disappeared while making his first unescorted walk to the school bus.

Now groups can quickly disseminate photos on the Internet and to the media in the hopes that anyone who may have seen something will come forward with information.

And while social media has worked miracles in spreading the word when a child goes missing, such tools are also used by predators to stalk young people, Klaas said.

"At the end of the day, if some guy out of nowhere sneaks into a little girl's bedroom and steals her without leaving a fingerprint, we're in a world of hurt," Klaas said. "It's like pulling a needle out of a haystack."

---

TX - Attorney: False allegations by Kimberly Smith led to Amber Alert and father to be arrested for a sexual assault he did not commit

Kimberly Smith

Original Article

02/14/2012

By Scott Gordon

Girl released into custody of family members Monday night

Jessica Smith, the 11-year-old Fort Worth girl who was the focus of an Amber Alert, admitted that her mother concocted a story about her father molesting her, which enraged her mother and led to the nationwide search, the father’s attorney said Monday.

The Smiths are in the middle of a nasty divorce and child custody fight.

NBC 5 has learned the girl made the admission to a school counselor on the same day police said her mother, Kimberly Smith, assaulted her and then disappeared with her that night.

Arrest warrants and affidavits claim Smith attempted to smother her daughter and threatened to kill Jessica and herself the day before Jessica was abducted. Read the full PDF documents here.

The two were found Sunday, hungry and exhausted, in a remote area of northern New Mexico, police said.

Jessica’s father, Phillip Smith, was charged with assault after the girl made the graphic allegations that he had assaulted her.

Phillip Smith’s attorney, Tom Pappas, of Dallas, said he expected prosecutors to drop the case as early as Tuesday.

"Clearly, the mom ran because she forced Jessica to fabricate these allegations and was about to be uncovered -- or had been uncovered,” Pappas said.

Melody McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Tarrant County district attorney’s office, said the charges still stand but the new information is being reviewed.

NBC 5 doesn't usually name alleged victims of sexual assault. But in this case, Jessica Smith recanted the allegations, and the revelation sheds new light on what led to the Amber Alert.

"It's unfortunate her mom put her through this and put her center in all this stuff and then did the crazy stuff she did,” Pappas said. “We're glad she's all right."

Jessica Smith will stay with grandparents for now, but her father hopes to regain custody within days, the attorney said. Jessica was released to the custody of family members late Monday night.

"He loves his daughter,” Pappas said. “The only thing he wanted is she's safe. As long as she's safe, everything else can be resolved."

Fort Worth police are awaiting the extradition of Kimberly Smith, who is being held in New Mexico.

---

GA - Man Tries to Carry Girl Away at Ga. Walmart

Original Article

I am so glad she was able to get a way! Stuff like this gets me so angry, because I know, more draconian laws are probably on the way, in this girls name. I hope not, but only time will tell.

02/09/2012

BREMEN - Authorities say a 7-year-old girl recalled her stranger danger training and was able to get away from a parolee who tried to abduct her at a Walmart store in west Georgia.
- The parole has nothing to do with a sex crime either.  He's not on the sex offender registry, so this is not a known sex offender.

Police Chief Keith Pesnell says 25-year-old [name withheld] of Austell, Ga., tried to take the girl Wednesday from a toy aisle while her mom was in a different aisle.

Security video from the store shows a man carrying the girl away, releasing her after she struggled to get away.

Pesnell says [name withheld] faces a charge of attempted kidnapping and was out on parole after being convicted of voluntary manslaughter in a suburban Atlanta county.

Atlanta TV station WAGA reports [name withheld] said he is innocent and denied the abduction attempt as he was being led into jail.

See Also:

• A Walmart Abduction Attempt — And What the Video Means

---

SC - Sex Offender Helps Rescue Woman from Kidnapper. Suspect a former Police officer!

Click the image to read the full article

---

NY - Former police dispatcher (Timothy Kaye) involved in kidnapping teen

Original Article

11/11/2011

ALBANY (NEWS10) - Two men are under arrest, including a former police dispatcher, for allegedly kidnapping a 15-year-old boy.

This case is still being investigated and state police spent the evening conducting interviews to gather more information.

Saratoga County's District Attorney says two men are under arrest for allegedly kidnapping the boy from Parsons Child and Family Center on Academy Road in Albany.

The two men were apparently with the 15-year-old for a few days in Saratoga County, where they allegedly had sex with the teenager in a motel.

One man charged in this case, 30-year-old Timothy Kaye, is a former Saratoga County Sheriff's Office and Ballston Spa Police Dispatcher.

The other man charged is 21-year-old Eric Loeser.

Both are facing counts of felony kidnapping.

At this point there's no information available on what relationship the two men had to the boy or how they were able to remove him from the Parsons site.

Saratoga County's DA Says they did take the boy without the facility knowing.

State police in Clifton Park and Parsons did not return our calls seeking comment.

Both men are still behind bars, being held without bail and are due back in court this Monday. State police are expected to release more information about this case, sometime Friday morning.

---

TX - Soldier Cleared Of Sex Assault Charges, By His Girlfriend (Danielle Marie Gates) Speaks Out

Danielle Marie Gates

Original Article

You can also watch the video at the link above.

10/03/2011

By Isis Romero

Heath Alan Kirk Accused, Then Cleared Of Rape

SAN ANTONIO -- A San Antonio man who was falsely accused of rape, spoke about his ordeal on Monday.

Heath Alan Kirk, 22, was arrested last week after his girlfriend, Danielle Marie Gates, 19, accused him of kidnapping and raping her.

After an investigation, police determined Gates claims didn't add up.

"I went to jail for three days, to the detention center," said Kirk. "My bond was set at $100,000, and I knew there was no way my family could pay that, so I just kind of sat there, until the police found me innocent. "

Kirk said he was in the process of breaking up with Gates, which upset her, and may have lead to the false claims.

"I'm leaving in three weeks to go back to Ohio when I retire, and I don't think she was really ready for that," Kirk said.

Kirk said his focus now is on restoring his reputation.

The U.S. Army Specialist lost part of his leg in Afghanistan, and says he went from being a hometown hero to a suspected criminal.

Although the ordeal has been tough on him, he said he's not bitter about what happened.

"I don't want her in jail because I've already experienced what it's like," Kirk said. "If she goes, she goes. But if not, it's cool too."
- And will she accuse someone else, in the future, if she doesn't go to jail?

Gates is now looking at a charge of aggravated perjury, a third-degree felony.

If convicted, she faces anywhere between two and 10 years in prison.

Previous Stories:

• Police: Woman Lied About Sexual Assault

---

Angela Rose

Angela Rose

Wikipedia

This just goes to show you, if a person is intent on committing a crime, no registry, residency restriction or other law will prevent it. This was done awhile back, but the comments still apply.

Angela Rose is an American activist, musician, and documentary film producer, best known for her work as the Founder and Executive Director of the national nonprofit PAVE: Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment.

Rose made headlines when she was kidnapped from a shopping mall when she was seventeen years old. The man who abducted her was on parole for murder when he committed the crime. From this tragic story emerged one of the nation’s most passionate and impactful advocates for the prevention of sexual violence. Since her ordeal, Angela has lobbied for laws for victims and has promoted the importance of education on issues of sexual violence as well as the need to engage men in the movement. In regard to television interviews, Rose has appeared the Montel Williams Show, John Walsh Show, and newscasts across the country. Rose presents workshops and gives speeches at conferences, military trainings, and on college campuses.

Video Link

---

CA - DA On Jaycee Dugard Case Releases Disturbing Garrido Home Video

Video Link

---

IL - Mother and son forced to be on the SEX offender registry, not for a sex crime, but kidnapping?

Original Article

The original law was called the "Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act", but now anybody can be placed on the sex offender registry for non-sex crimes. This is misleading to the public, and now, they will be treated as if they are child molesting pedophiles when sex wasn't even involved. Why not rename the registry the "Child Protection" registry so it has more meaning, instead of misleading like this?

07/18/2011

ST. CHARLES — A mother and her son have been charged with violating the Child Sex Offender Registration Act after their new home was determined to be too close to a day care center.
- Read below, why are they on the "child sex" offender registry when no sex was involved, nor child sex? Like I've said before, why not call it the "SINNER" registry or the "ALL CRIMINALS" registry and put all criminals on it, then it would have more meaning and we'd all know all the criminals who live around us.

According to St. Charles police, [mother name withheld], 53, and [son name withheld], 24, 1600 block of Covington Court, St. Charles, both registered sex offenders (for non-sex crimes), informed the Geneva Police Department they would be moving from Geneva to the Covington Court address. Geneva police instructed the two to check with St. Charles police to ensure the new address was not within 500 feet of a day care center, the distance required by law.

Last week, after moving to the new address, the pair went to St. Charles police to register. On Thursday, a detective determined the Covington Court address to be only 383 feet from a day care center.

[mother name withheld], [son name withheld] and [mother name withheld]’s then-boyfriend were all convicted in a 2006 incident where they held potential drug customers at gunpoint (you see, a non-sex crime). In December 2006, [son name withheld] — who was selling marijuana — called his mother’s boyfriend to say gang members were coming to the house, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, the three people coming to the house had paid for drugs with counterfeit money in the past. [son name withheld] and [mother name withheld] held two of the victims at gunpoint in her St. Charles Township home, prosecutors said. The boyfriend drove the third victim at gunpoint to Arlington Heights to get money, prosecutors said.

Marijuana was found in the house and all three later pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping (a non-sex crime, so why are they on a sex related registry?). The [name withheld] are required to register because of the kidnapping aspect of the crime.

---

Bystander Effect - People watch girl being abducted

Video Link

---

MI - Action News Investigators dig into possible motives for shooting that wounded four DPD officers

Original Article

01/24/2011

By Scott Lewis

DETROIT (WXYZ) - The Action News Investigators have uncovered new information on a possible motive for the police station shooting that left four officers wounded on Sunday. A source tells Channel 7 that police were hot on the tail of the gunman, [name withheld] in their investigation of an unsolved sex crime.

The gunman's relatives told Action News in an exclusive interview Sunday night that police had been to [name withheld]'s house shortly before he shot up the police station. Now a police source tells Channel 7's Scott Lewis that investigators had indeed executed a search warrant on [name withheld]'s home shortly before the shooting. The source says [name withheld] was a suspect in the kidnapping and rape of an underaged girl.

Chief Ralph Godbee won't talk about a motive but makes it clear that [name withheld] had been on their radar screen for something.

"We are investigating whether he was involved in another crime, so it's too early to speculate about that that is"' said Godbee.

There was some speculation that [name withheld] might also have been angry at police because his brother is facing a long prison term for murder. [name withheld]'s brother, [name withheld], was sentenced today, just hours after [name withheld] shot up the police station. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison for shooting and killing two people at Master's Collision in Detroit last March over a disputed repair bill.

But relatives don't think his brother's pending prison term had anything to do with [name withheld] shooting four police officers. They say [name withheld] was against his brother since the murders happened.

Chief Godbee says the brother's situation is something the police still plan to look at.

"Suffice it to say that we still have a lot of investigative work to do, talking to family members, relatives, anybody who knows him, at least to get a glimpse into what has happened," said Godbee.

Relatives tell the Action News Investigators that [name withheld] was the oldest of five siblings. They say he lost both of his parents at an early age, and add that he had no criminal record, nothing more than a traffic ticket.

But the Action News found one prior run in with police. According to public records, [name withheld] was arrested in Dearborn 14 years ago for attending an animal fight and resisting and obstructing police.

He was convicted only of resisting police, a city ordinance violation.

---

WI - Wisconsin Supremes Okay Non-Sex Offenders for Sex Offender List

Original Article

Like I've said before, eventually everyone will be on a registry of some sort.

12/29/2010

By Tom Hymes

MADISON - In a case that proves the actual slipperiness of some potential slippery slopes, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has said that it is permissible to add people to the state’s sex offender registry who have committed no sexual crime. The case in question is not new, but the reminder that some high courts have lost their way cannot be mentioned frequently enough, especially where due process is concerned.

Wisconsin v. Smith (PDF) involves a 17-year-old who forced another 17-year-old to go with him to pick up a drug debt.

According to the High Court’s opinion, “Smith and others forced a minor to ride around with them in a vehicle in order to collect a drug debt from the minor's friend. Even though the complaint alleges that Smith and at least one other person physically threatened the minor in order to force him to assist in the search, there is no allegation that the false imprisonment entailed anything sexual.”

Despite the fact that Smith also was a minor and no sexual activity took place, the court reasoned that requiring Smith to register under the state’s sex offender statute—§ 301.45—is “rationally related to a legitimate governmental interest,” even though it admits that the wording of the statute is “ambiguous.”

In fact, the statute is not that ambiguous, considering it clearly states that covered parties must register as sex offenders if they commit certain offenses that are “comparable to a sex offense.” In other words, in Wisconsin, a sex offense can also be a non-sex offense if it is considered like a sex offense.
- So why not call the registry the "Child Abuse Registry," and put sex offenders on another, or the "All Criminals Registry?"

“We conclude that Wis. Stat. § 301.45 is constitutional as applied to Smith because requiring Smith to register under § 301.45 is rationally related to a legitimate governmental interest. Smith has failed to prove that the registration requirements of § 301.45 as applied to him are unconstitutional beyond a reasonable doubt,” the majority held. Two justices dissented.

Say cheese.

---

Amber Alerts 2010 – Who Are The Real Predators

Original Article

12/31/2010

By Lydia

As we near the end of year 2010 and slide into the new year 2011, I feel compelled to take a look back. As most people know the majority of all Amber Alerts are noncustodial parents trying to take their children back. Parental abductions usually end without incident, but not always. Non-parental abductions are more likely to end badly.

This year and in particular the last few months, have shown that the child predators will likely not be on a sex offender registry. Although it may be deemed an unpopular fact, less than 95% of those registered sex offenders will never re-offend.
- As S.O. pointed out in the comments, this is a double negative, and actually it should say, "less than 5% of those on the registry will re-offend."

My personal opinion on the subject of this law is it does not serve the purpose it was originally designed for, registering violent and repeat offenders. It’s instead filled with people that have non-sex related crimes, thousands of children from age 7 to 17, and one time offenders that will likely not re-offend. It has become a way for individual states to get federal money for each name they add.

It is costly, bloated and for the most part useless. Many law enforcement agencies have said it wastes their time and resources. Even it’s advocates like John Walsh said “Let’s get rid of the sex offender registry of 680,000 names and focus on the 10,000 violent offenders.” There are close to a million people on that registry now. Facts are facts. Out of the hundreds if not 1000s of alerts served through our service in 2010 not even 1% were registered.

- I don't recall ever hearing John Walsh state this.  If someone knows of an article he did state this, let us know.

So if it isn’t those loathsome registered sex offenders we all hate who are the predators? This indeed is the question. To find out we’ll review some higher profile alert cases from 2010. The results should come as no surprise. Let’s start with the recent case of Zahra Baker.

If you have followed the Zahra Baker case you know she had survived bouts of cancer. She lost one leg and was partially blind because of the cancer. Her body was found dismembered. Who were the predators? In this case evidence points to the parents, in particular the step mother. I can’t fathom what could motivate anyone to murder and mutilate a child, especially not a caregiver, yet that appears to be the case here.
Predator: Parents/Caregiver

Another recent case also involved a mothers boyfriend. Brittany Smith was abducted after her mother had been murdered. Evidence in the murder point to the mothers boyfriend. Fortunately the child was retrieved safely.
Predator: Boyfriend

In a case that is still pending an outcome the three Skelton boys remain missing for well over a month. The suspect is the biological father. He says he gave the boys to a woman but won’t disclose who she may be. Authorities do not expect a positive outcome to the case.
Predator: Parent

One of the most recent alerts and still under investigation, Jonathan Foster. Evidence points to a family acquaintance. The 12 year old child was abducted on Christmas Eve. A few days later a child’s body was found burned so badly it was unrecognizable. It was identified as Jonathan Foster. The acquaintance indicated she dumped the body after a surveillance video surfaced.
Predator: Family acquaintance

Read the rest of the article here

---

OFF TOPIC - TX - Woman Charged With Murder in Death of 12-Year-Old Texas Boy

Original Article

12/30/2010

HOUSTON -- A woman has been charged with capital murder in the death of a 12-year-old Houston boy whose badly burned body was found in a ditch this week following his Christmas Eve disappearance.

[name withheld], 44, was arrested Wednesday. She remained in jail Thursday on no bond. Court records did not list an attorney.

Police say Jonathan Foster, who had been left home alone, was kidnapped from his home on Christmas Eve before being killed and burned.

"[name withheld] has made what investigators call a self-serving statement, which places her with Jonathan. However, she has not admitted to killing him," Houston police spokesman Kese Smith told the Houston Chronicle. "She is the only suspect."

Homicide investigator Mike Miller said investigators believe [name withheld] took the boy to her home, where she likely killed him and burned his body.

Miller said that while a search of [name withheld]'s home turned up an "incredible amount of evidence," investigators are still trying to determine a motive.

Jonathan's mother, Angela Davis, said she'd met [name withheld] only once, on the night of her son's disappearance.

[name withheld] was friends with Davis' roommate and the boy's frequent babysitter, Sharon Ennamorato, who described [name withheld] as a friend who used to work in maintenance at an apartment complex across the street from the home.

Davis had moved into the home with Ennamorato on Dec. 14, after she and Jonathan's stepfather split up. Both Davis and Ennamorato had to work on Friday morning, so Foster was to stay home alone till his mother was expected to return in the early afternoon.

While at work that morning, a colleague told Davis her son had called the office and was asking for Ennamorato's number.

Then a woman called back, saying it was an emergency. Davis said that by the time she made it to the phone, the line was dead.

Concerned, Davis called the house phone repeatedly as she drove there, she said. Someone picked up just minutes before she pulled up around 2 p.m.

She said when a woman answered, Davis asked to speak to her son. She heard a woman say: "Is your mama's name Angela?" she said.

And she heard Jonathan say: "Yes ma'am, my mama's name is Angela." Then the phone went dead.

When she opened the door moments later, cartoons were still on the TV, and a game was up on the computer screen. She called for her son, but got no answer.

"The only thing missing in this house is his tan T-shirt with a guitar on it, a pair of jeans, his white sneakers and his black stuffed cat that my grandmother made him," Davis said. "There was no struggle."

Davis said that [name withheld] stopped by the house that night, telling her that she had come to the house that morning looking for Ennamorato, and that Jonathan had answered the door wearing no shirt, and it seemed like someone was in the house with him.

Court records show that in 1984, [name withheld] was charged with aggravated robbery. She later pleaded guilty in exchange for 10 years' probation. Her probation was revoked in 1991 and she was sent to prison. The newspaper reports that it was unclear from court records how long she spent in prison.

---