BACA Convention

Bikers Against Child Abuse

By Theresa Petry,January 18, 2008, 10:03 PM CST

Some 600 bikers have invaded the Casino Queen for the weekend.

It's for the annual Bikers Against Child Abuse, BACA, convention. BACA members from across the country and even Australia filed into a Casino Queen conference room.
Watch

"We've made a big impact in Australia," reported "snap" from an Australia chapter.

It's an overwhelming sight for the social worker and therapist from Utah who started BACA just 13 years ago. "It's beyond my wildest dreams," said J.P. "Chief" Lilly.

Inside the conference room they watched Josh's story. "I still have some nightmares," confessed Josh Osborne.

For years in his Tennessee home he was chained to his bed by his father and stepmother. Barely fed at 15-years-old, he weighed a mere 48 pounds when police rescued him.

"We protect these children, that's what we do," cried "Angel" from the St. Louis BACA Chapter.

"We didn't know about BACA until they came into Josh's life," confessed his aunt, Jill Barber. Josh's aunt and uncle say they had no idea he was being abused. "We learned about what happened to him just like everyone else did on the news," said Jill.

Now 18-years-old he weighs 100 pounds and attributes his strength to BACA.

"In my opinion they have helped save his life," exclaimed Josh's uncle, Michael Barber.

Josh was supposed to be in St. Louis to personally thank and address BACA. Unfortunately, he had to be hospitalized Thursday night. He's been in and out of the hospital for years because of the toll the abuse has taken on his body.

He needs a kidney transplant but his heart overflows with love for BACA for making him feel safe and secure.

"If the child needs them to stay the night outside in the yard just so they'll feel safe during the night BACA will do that," said Michael.

For Josh they were in court, at his prom, and they helped him find his voice. Now he's using his voice to let other children know there is help if they need it.

"Every time Josh hears a motorcycle engine he assumes that is someone looking out for him and that's very powerful," his aunt said smiling.

The rumble of an engine mixed with Josh's voice is a sweet harmony of hope BACA wants to stream across the globe.

Josh's long term prognosis isn't known. His father and step mother were both sentenced to six years in prison. Meanwhile, his aunt and uncle are fighting to change child abuse laws across the nation.You can find more on Josh's story at http://missingandmurderedchildren.facesofthemissing.org/?cat=112

To learn more or join their fight against child abuse email Jill at barberhollow@comcast.net
or call The Barber Hollow Foundation at 615-417-6099.
Visit www.bacausa.com
to learn more about Bikers Against Child Abuse.
Or contact BACA locally at 314-719-2928.
Emails can be sent to Angel at baca_angel@yahoo.com

http://video.cw11tv.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?ClipID1=2113185&h1=Bikers%20Against%20Child%20Abuse&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=157333&LaunchPageAdTag=News&fvCatNo=&backgroundImageURL=&activePane=info&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//cw11tv.trb.com/news/kplr-news-011808-6%2C0%2C3018698.story&rnd=49183046

South Dakota man busted in park

Law Prevents Sex Offender From Re-Offending

Five years in prison for a life-long sex offender might not seem like much. But the state was actually able to take Keith Buller of rural Parker off the streets before he re-offended.

He was sentenced for violating a community safety zone. That's the law legislators passed in 2006 to keep sex offenders away from places where children spend time, like schools and parks. Without it, prosecutors say the state would just have to wait for Buller to continue his habit of exposing himself to children.

At the city park in Tea last May, a concerned mother took action before a convicted sex offended could do harm. 62- year-old Keith Buller had approached two children, ages 6 and 8, who were alone by the pond. "I think her senses just said something wasn't right," Lincoln County State's Attorney Tom Wollman says.

That mother called police, and when they arrived, officers learned Buller was in the act of committing a felony: a sex offender loitering in a community safety zone. "And he was actually in counseling, sex offender counseling, when he committed this offense," Wollman says.

Lincoln County State's Attorney Tom Wollman convicted Buller of the relatively new law, which is meant to keep sex offenders away from places where children spend time. Wollman saw Buller as a perfect example of why this law is in place. Buller's been convicted 10 times for things like exposing himself to children, soliciting lewd acts from children, and stalking.

"When you've got an individual with a criminal history for sex acts like this dating back to 1965, I think you almost have to say this individual is beyond rehabilitation," Wollman says.

Since the community safety zone violation is a felony and Buller has a criminal history, he's headed to prison for five years. Compare that to the maximum one year in jail for indecent exposure, which Buller was caught doing as recently as 2006. "This one really had some teeth in it, where the prior time we charged him with the misdemeanor, we got a jail sentence out of the deal," Wollman says.

As long as the community is pro-active in reporting suspicious behavior, Wollman believes the community safety zone law is effective in taking would-be reoffenders off the streets.

This is the first time someone was prosecuted in Lincoln County for violating the community safety zone.

Grumpy trolls no longer living under the bridge in Florida.

Former Felons Forced To Move From Under Bridge
Group Packs Up, Creates Camp At Edge Of Everglades

POSTED: 8:51 pm EST January 21, 2008
UPDATED: 7:31 am EST January 22, 2008

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. -- A group of registered sex offenders and convicted felons who were told by the Department of Corrections to live under a bridge in Fort Lauderdale have been chased away by neighbors, police and the Department of Transportation.

On Friday night, police officers posted "No Trespassing" signs underneath the Oakland Park Boulevard Bridge over the intracoastal and told the former felons that if they didn't leave they'd be arrested. The group packed up their things and headed west.

They set up a camp on the edge of the Everglades, far away from schools, parks and civilization.

They have a tent, battery-operated television and DVD player, a portable cooking stove and a beat-up rusty grill.

"Hopefully nobody's going to complain about it and we can be left alone for a while," said Mark DaCosta, an ex-convict who is not a sex offender but was ordered to live by the same rules as a condition of his parole.

The Department of Corrections had the men reporting to the bridge every night because they couldn’t find a place for them to live that wasn't too close to school or park. State law prohibits sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of anyplace children congregate. The problem is that nearly every city in South Florida has its own laws that push the sex offenders and ex-convicts back even farther , Local 10's Roger reported. In most cases, the local ordinance is 2,500 feet.

"We’re just getting pushed farther and farther away from society," said Dana Oakes, a convicted sex offender whose state issued identification card lists the Oakland Park Boulevard Bridge as his permanent address.

What residents don't realize is that during the day, when children are at school or away from their homes, the offenders can go wherever they want. Florida's registered sex offender laws only require them to be in a certain location at night. It not only leaves children unprotected, but it's made it nearly impossible for these former felons to get on with their lives, they told Local 10's Roger Lohse.

"We’re 12 to 15 miles from the nearest bus stop. I need to work, I want to work, but how am I supposed to function on a daily basis when I can't promise them I can even be there on time? There's nothing out here," said Oakes.

A state lawmaker has filed a bill that would prohibit cities and counties from passing their own residency restrictions and make the state's 1,000-foot rule the only rule registered offenders would have to follow. It would also allow probation officers to track the sex offenders and ex convicts more closely by creating a "floating restriction" that would prohibit offenders from being within 300 feet from anywhere children are 24 hours a day.

Video: Debate Over Where To Put Sex Offenders Continues

Grumpy trolls no longer living under the bridge in Florida.

Former Felons Forced To Move From Under Bridge
Group Packs Up, Creates Camp At Edge Of Everglades

POSTED: 8:51 pm EST January 21, 2008
UPDATED: 7:31 am EST January 22, 2008

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. -- A group of registered sex offenders and convicted felons who were told by the Department of Corrections to live under a bridge in Fort Lauderdale have been chased away by neighbors, police and the Department of Transportation.

On Friday night, police officers posted "No Trespassing" signs underneath the Oakland Park Boulevard Bridge over the intracoastal and told the former felons that if they didn't leave they'd be arrested. The group packed up their things and headed west.

They set up a camp on the edge of the Everglades, far away from schools, parks and civilization.

They have a tent, battery-operated television and DVD player, a portable cooking stove and a beat-up rusty grill.

"Hopefully nobody's going to complain about it and we can be left alone for a while," said Mark DaCosta, an ex-convict who is not a sex offender but was ordered to live by the same rules as a condition of his parole.

The Department of Corrections had the men reporting to the bridge every night because they couldn’t find a place for them to live that wasn't too close to school or park. State law prohibits sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of anyplace children congregate. The problem is that nearly every city in South Florida has its own laws that push the sex offenders and ex-convicts back even farther , Local 10's Roger reported. In most cases, the local ordinance is 2,500 feet.

"We’re just getting pushed farther and farther away from society," said Dana Oakes, a convicted sex offender whose state issued identification card lists the Oakland Park Boulevard Bridge as his permanent address.

What residents don't realize is that during the day, when children are at school or away from their homes, the offenders can go wherever they want.

Florida's registered sex offender laws only require them to be in a certain location at night. It not only leaves children unprotected, but it's made it nearly impossible for these former felons to get on with their lives, they told Local 10's Roger Lohse.

"We’re 12 to 15 miles from the nearest bus stop. I need to work, I want to work, but how am I supposed to function on a daily basis when I can't promise them I can even be there on time? There's nothing out here," said Oakes.

A state lawmaker has filed a bill that would prohibit cities and counties from passing their own residency restrictions and make the state's 1,000-foot rule the only rule registered offenders would have to follow. It would also allow probation officers to track the sex offenders and ex convicts more closely by creating a "floating restriction" that would prohibit offenders from being within 300 feet from anywhere children are 24 hours a day.

Video: Debate Over Where To Put Sex Offenders Continues

Idaho Legislation coming up

House committee considers sex offender laws

Associated Press - January 21, 2008 9:44 PM ET

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - State lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it a felony for anyone to harbor a violent sexual predator trying to elude authorities.

But several lawmakers on the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee say they fear the measure, as written, could make felons out of anybody, including a family member who doesn't volunteer information to police - even if police never ask for the information.

The committee also considered two other measures regarding sex offenders today.

One would touch up language in Idaho's 2-year-old law barring sex offenders from being within 500 feet of school property. The lawmakers plan to add exemptions for offenders who have to visit schools to vote or to pick up their mail.

The other would formalize a 2007 Department of Corrections policy for monitoring violent sex offenders with electronic bracelets

Dangerous kids to be listed on Ohio sex offender registry.

Inquiring juveniles to be registered as sex offenders
By: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND - Advocates for juveniles who have committed sex crimes are challenging a new state law that increases the length of time convicted sex offenders must register their names and addresses with law enforcement agencies.

The law, which went into effect Jan. 1, changes the number of classifications for sex offenders from eight to three, increasing the number of felons considered sexual predators and requiring those considered the worst to register for life.

But advocates say juveniles have low recidivism rates and should not be required to register, at times meaning their photos will be posted on the Internet.

About 2,500 young people could be affected by the reclassification system, said Amy Borror, spokeswoman for the Ohio public defender's office.

The office has asked judges to grant temporary orders to keep juveniles being held by the Ohio Department of Youth Services from having their information placed on Internet registries. The office also offers to help locked up youth file motions seeking to prevent reclassifications.

She said some counties say registration is a civil penalty, not a criminal one, and are refusing to appoint lawyers for those fighting reclassification."It's a mess," Borror said. "Not only are different counties doing different things but different judges in the same county are doing different things."

Hundreds of letters have been sent to government offices by child advocates and others to express concerns about the law.

In some cases, judges are listening to the arguments. Cuyahoga County Juvenile Judge Kristin Sweeney, for example, granted a temporary order preventing at least one youngster from being placed on a registry.

Requiring juveniles to register could cause young people a host of problems, including preventing foster or adoptive parents from taking them in because they don't want their addresses listed on sex offender registries, said Ken Boris, who oversees the sex abuse unit at the Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services.

"This is a little bit of a political football that nobody wants to appear soft on crime, but it's going to be hard to include juveniles," he said.

Any lifetime penalty could deter a young person from getting treatment or reforming, Boris said. And the law may discourage sex offenders from making guilty pleas, requiring more young sex abuse victims to testify at trials, he said.

The Legislature passed the law last year to comply with a federal one that requires states to increase registration requirements by 2009 or lose some federal funding. The federal law is named after Adam Walsh, a 6-year-old Florida boy abducted and killed in 1981.

Besides increasing the length of required registrations, the law requires county sheriffs to notify community members about where more offenders live, and the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association says it will increase sheriffs' workloads by 60 percent.

The public defender's office, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Ohio Justice and Policy also oppose the law because it applies retroactively, requiring those convicted of sex crimes before the law went into effect to register for lengthier periods. The Ohio Supreme Court rejected their challenge.

What this article fails to say is that only Tier III juvenile offenders - the most violent- will be listed on the registry.
It is hard for us as parents to believe that children can be just as sexually violent as adults, but they can. I have been told of ten year olds sodomizing younger children. This is what the registry is publishing, not five year olds who play "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours".

Tulsa sex offenders lying!

Police: Some sex offenders who say they're homeless are lying

Associated Press - January 22, 2008 1:15 AM ET

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa police say that many sex offenders who are registering as being homeless are not telling the truth.

Since November 1st, when a new sex-offender law took effect, about 20 of them have claimed to be homeless. Police think that by doing so, sex offenders could be trying to circumvent the law, which makes most of Tulsa off-limits to them.

The law prohibits sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of playgrounds, parks or child-care facilities. An earlier law restricted sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools.

Before November 1st, if a sex offender wanted to live in a restricted area but did not provide a home address, Tulsa police told the person to find an approved location at which to live and to then register.

Under the new law, police do not think they have that option.

Police Detective Tim Lawson says that sex offenders claiming to be homeless gives police another complication with which to deal, because authorities have no way of verifying that claim.

Now who would have thought that a convicted felon would lie?

Akron man doesn't like his registration requirements

Former coach contests offender listing
Summit suit challenges placing Claude Brown in most serious category

By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer


Published on Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008

The lawyer for former Buchtel High School football coach Claude Brown has filed a civil suit challenging his retroactive placement in the state's most serious sex offender classification, claiming it was unconstitutional.

Brown, 42, was released from the Summit County Jail this month on shock probation after serving nearly eight months in prison for sexual battery in a 2006 incident involving a 17-year-old girl.

As part of the release order, Common Pleas Judge Marvin A. Shapiro classified Brown as a Tier 3 sex offender, the highest level under the new state sex offender law.

It means that Brown must register his address with the county sheriff every 90 days for the rest of his life.

But when Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery April 11, there was a different sex offender law in effect. And his registration requirements then were not nearly as ''onerous'' as they are now, defense lawyer Paul F. Adamson said in his court filing.

The civil suit, filed Friday in Common Pleas Court, asks for a hearing, in addition to a preliminary injunction preventing the sheriff from enforcing the Tier 3 penalties against Brown.

Under terms of Brown's plea agreement in April, he was classified as a sexually oriented offender. As such, he was required to register his address with the sheriff once a year for 10 years.




Brown was notified of the change in the sex-offender laws in mid-December, while he was still in prison, and the resulting reclassification was ''improper and unconstitutional,'' Adamson said in the filing.

Not only was the reclassification a violation of the ex-post-facto provisions of the U.S. Constitution, it also was a violation of the double-jeopardy clauses of the U.S. and Ohio constitutions, Adamson said.

''There is a feeling across the state that this statute is unconstitutional. Now that's not to say that the public does not have the right to know (where a sex offenders lives). It's just to say that we want to do it in conformity with the constitution,'' Adamson said.

The Ohio Public Defender's Office and the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers have reviewed the new law, according to Adamson, and suspect as many as 30,000 sex offenders in the state could be affected.

Summit County court records show Brown's residence is on Mercer Avenue in Akron.

Shapiro originally sentenced him to two years in prison for each of the two counts of sexual battery and ordered the sentences to run simultaneously.





If he would not have raped a teen then he wouldn't have to worry about registering now would he?

Only Probation for Child Porn

Tehuacana man gets probation for child pornography

77th State District Judge H.D. Black on Thursday found Terry Blake Bowers, 51, of Tehuacana, guilty on 11 counts of child pornography possession.

Bowers was sentenced to 10 years probation. He must enter a sex offender treatment program; is banned from using a computer or the Internet; and is prohibited from having contact with children under 17 (except for his own teenage child).

Bowers was indicted in September of 2007 on 11 counts of child pornography possession after he displayed explicit images to an Internet user in California. California authorities reported the case to the Dallas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which referred the case to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Cyber Crimes Unit.

The Attorney General’s investigators conducted a forensic examination of Bowers’ computer, which revealed more than 100 images of child pornography.

The Cyber Crimes Unit arrested Bowers following his indictment. The Office of the Attorney General prosecuted the case in cooperation with Limestone County District Attorney Roy DeFriend.

I guess more than 100 images of children being sexually abused was not enough to keep this man away from his child in .... the eyes of the Judge.
I think this Juge also thought he didn't do anything too bad because all he got was probation for 11 counts. I want to know how 11 = 100? He needs to be charged 1 count for every peice of porn! I thought the Attorney Generals office was getting tough on people who sexually abused children?