Current Sex Offender Laws
Woman Against Registry (WAR), 2012: Do you realize that may registered sex offenders have NEVER committed sex offenses against minor? With so many important decisions to make it becomes obvious first and foremost that you must educate yourself. Read a lot. Ask questions. Think. Try to see the world as it really is, not as you've always been taught to see it. Then work with us to figure out how to make the world we live in more like the one we seek.
The Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act was passed as part of the Federal Violent Crimes Control and Law Enforcement Act. This law requires states to implement a sex offender and crimes against children registry 1994).
Definition - A sex offender registry is an official government listing of people who have been convicted of certain crimes of a sexual nature. The United States is the only country where the information is publicly available on the internet.
Problem - Many who always despied "pedophiles" have been swept up by the hysteria and are stunned to suddenly find themselves or their children labeled as sex offenders. It's becoming easier and easier all the time for that to happen with behaviors that most people consider perfectly healthy and acceptable, like breastfeeding in public, taking innocent pictures of their babies in the buff, caught urinating in public, playing doctor when young, mooning, streaking, or consensual sex with a minor.
Solution - Before a sex offender is released to the community a panel of experts should reassess the offender's level of dangerouness and require certain critera for each individual (indeterminate). Look at each individual on a case-to-case basis. Rate each person on a scale of no risk, low risk, medium risk, and high risk. The no risk sex offender that has done their "time" and have followed all the rules of their parole or probation, and have NEVER reoffended again, take them off the list. Do the same for the low, medium and high risk, set criteras.
Megan's Law amends the Wetterling Act. It requires states to establish a community notification system (1996). Definition - According to the community notification laws, the Megan's Law was put into effect on May 17, 1996, the purpose of this law was for violent offenders and pedophiles, and it gave everyone access to this list, which also provides current photograph, current address, and place of employment. The Adam Walsh Act forces states to comply with community notification restrictions or lose federal law enforcement grant money.
Problem - There is no evidence that prohibiting sex offenders from living near children will protect them, in fact research to date suggests the contrary; a child molester will likely victimize a child found far from their home. Repeat offenders usually make contact with their victims through a social relationship (Finkelhor 1997, Human Rights Watch).
Solution - Instead of making everyone's information available to the public, only release the medium-high risk offender information and all others should be with law enforcement only.
The Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act is an amendment to the Wetterling Act. It requires lifetime registration for recidivists and offenders who commit certain aggravated offenses (1996).
Definition - A lifetime of registering is not only for "certain" aggravated offenses, but for everyone, unless a law is passed in their state that says they can petition to get off the registry. In 2012, the Utah Legislation passed a bill HB13 that states juveniles of certain offenses can get off the registry after five years. This is the first step to changing the laws.
Problem - When a criminal has done their time and the "contract" has been signed, even for plea agreements, then it should be as it says. Making an offender register (retroactively) 20, 30, 40 years later is unconstitutional and punitive. Those that signed a plea agreement would not have done so if they knew they would be faced with this all over again. This violates ex-post facto laws.
Solution - Sex offenders need to be categorized into low, medium, and high risk offenses. If any person have never reoffended after five years for low risk, then ten years for medium risk,and 15 years for high risk, let them off the registry.
The Adam Walsh Act Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA) requires states to register children as young as 14 (2006). Definition - Children as young as 14 have to register if convicted of any sex crime including mooning, streaking, urinating in public, etc.
Problem - The stigma for children can be overwhelming. It's hypocritical and pathetic that many of the people wanting the laws and penalties stiffened might actually themselves be guilty of some of the offenses they find so disgusting, they just weren't caught. Sex is everywhere, our children are subject to it all day long through television, internet, magazines, etc., sex sells.
Solution - Education is the number one key. Decisions based on fear, anger, and mis-education are the only things that hurt our children. We have put so much fear into our children that they are afraid to ride their bikes, so they stay inside and play video games or on the internet where they are exposed to everything. Instead of spending money on keeping track of low sex offenders, use that money for education.
Definition - A sex offender registry is an official government listing of people who have been convicted of certain crimes of a sexual nature. The United States is the only country where the information is publicly available on the internet.
Problem - Many who always despied "pedophiles" have been swept up by the hysteria and are stunned to suddenly find themselves or their children labeled as sex offenders. It's becoming easier and easier all the time for that to happen with behaviors that most people consider perfectly healthy and acceptable, like breastfeeding in public, taking innocent pictures of their babies in the buff, caught urinating in public, playing doctor when young, mooning, streaking, or consensual sex with a minor.
Solution - Before a sex offender is released to the community a panel of experts should reassess the offender's level of dangerouness and require certain critera for each individual (indeterminate). Look at each individual on a case-to-case basis. Rate each person on a scale of no risk, low risk, medium risk, and high risk. The no risk sex offender that has done their "time" and have followed all the rules of their parole or probation, and have NEVER reoffended again, take them off the list. Do the same for the low, medium and high risk, set criteras.
Megan's Law amends the Wetterling Act. It requires states to establish a community notification system (1996). Definition - According to the community notification laws, the Megan's Law was put into effect on May 17, 1996, the purpose of this law was for violent offenders and pedophiles, and it gave everyone access to this list, which also provides current photograph, current address, and place of employment. The Adam Walsh Act forces states to comply with community notification restrictions or lose federal law enforcement grant money.
Problem - There is no evidence that prohibiting sex offenders from living near children will protect them, in fact research to date suggests the contrary; a child molester will likely victimize a child found far from their home. Repeat offenders usually make contact with their victims through a social relationship (Finkelhor 1997, Human Rights Watch).
Solution - Instead of making everyone's information available to the public, only release the medium-high risk offender information and all others should be with law enforcement only.
The Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act is an amendment to the Wetterling Act. It requires lifetime registration for recidivists and offenders who commit certain aggravated offenses (1996).
Definition - A lifetime of registering is not only for "certain" aggravated offenses, but for everyone, unless a law is passed in their state that says they can petition to get off the registry. In 2012, the Utah Legislation passed a bill HB13 that states juveniles of certain offenses can get off the registry after five years. This is the first step to changing the laws.
Problem - When a criminal has done their time and the "contract" has been signed, even for plea agreements, then it should be as it says. Making an offender register (retroactively) 20, 30, 40 years later is unconstitutional and punitive. Those that signed a plea agreement would not have done so if they knew they would be faced with this all over again. This violates ex-post facto laws.
Solution - Sex offenders need to be categorized into low, medium, and high risk offenses. If any person have never reoffended after five years for low risk, then ten years for medium risk,and 15 years for high risk, let them off the registry.
The Adam Walsh Act Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA) requires states to register children as young as 14 (2006). Definition - Children as young as 14 have to register if convicted of any sex crime including mooning, streaking, urinating in public, etc.
Problem - The stigma for children can be overwhelming. It's hypocritical and pathetic that many of the people wanting the laws and penalties stiffened might actually themselves be guilty of some of the offenses they find so disgusting, they just weren't caught. Sex is everywhere, our children are subject to it all day long through television, internet, magazines, etc., sex sells.
Solution - Education is the number one key. Decisions based on fear, anger, and mis-education are the only things that hurt our children. We have put so much fear into our children that they are afraid to ride their bikes, so they stay inside and play video games or on the internet where they are exposed to everything. Instead of spending money on keeping track of low sex offenders, use that money for education.