Sparta sex offender wants his 15+ year prison sentence nixed due to coronavirus

sparta-sex-offender-wants-his-15+-year-prison-sentence-nixed-due-to-coronavirus

“Prison was not implemented to be a random extermination camp,’’ Ryan Hayes wrote. His request for early release comes 10 months after he was sentenced.

SPARTA, Mich — He was sentenced last summer to more than 15 years in prison for sexually exploiting a girl, and now, former Sparta councilman Ryan James Hayes wants a “compassionate release’’ discharge because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Prison was not implemented to be a random extermination camp,’’ Hayes wrote a federal judge last week seeking early release.

He was sentenced to prison in July of 2019 for sexual exploitation of a minor. Hayes, 35, admitted to using a cellphone to take photographs of a 16-year-old performing oral sex on him.

He was a member of the Sparta Village Council when charges were filed in Grand Rapids federal court.

Hayes is one of hundreds of federal prisoners asking for early release due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

He is at the Elkton federal prison in Lisbon, Ohio, which has seen nine inmate deaths attributed to COVID-19. The federal Bureau of Prisons reported 64 federal inmate deaths as of Wednesday, May 27.

In his petition, Hayes says he is not a flight risk. Any term short of a life sentence “can be served with alternate confinement (house arrest/home confinement) or fine,” he wrote in a letter dated May 20, 2020.

Hayes was sentenced in July of 2019 to 188 months in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Janet T. Neff also ordered that Hayes serve five years on supervised release once he gets out of prison and pay a $5,100 special assessment.

Hayes became involved in the illegal conduct “solely for sexual gratification, and no other gain,’’ defense attorney Heath M. Lynch wrote in a sentencing memorandum.

Hayes was appointed to the Sparta Village Council in February of 2018. He resigned in late October after criminal charges were filed.

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Source: https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/crime/man-sentenced-to-prison-in-sex-case-seeks-compassionate-release/69-f68a6ce8-649e-4010-ac87-39aa9a92ed38

JUDGE ISSUES RULING IN FAVOR OF BUTTS COUNTY SEX OFFENDERS | 11ALIVE …

NEWS

A federal judge heard arguments in court last week and handed back the decision, Tuesday.

ATLANTA — A federal judge has issued a ruling favoring – in part – three registered sex offenders who sued the Butts County Sheriff, calling the “no trick-or-treat” signs the sheriff placed in their yards an abuse of power. 

Last year, Butts County Sheriff Gary Long had deputies place the signs in the yards of the registered sex offenders in the days leading up to Halloween, alerting parents and trick-or-treaters that they should avoid those homes. 

“My office took precautions and placed signs indicating ‘No Trick-or-Treat’ at each registered sex offender’s residence in the County,” Sheriff Long said. “This was done to ensure the safety of our children.”

Georgia state law prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property. But several of the sex offenders objected to the signs, saying it made them a target and was an overreach by the sheriff. Three of those offenders ended up filing suit, arguing that the yard signs went too far – breaking the law in the name of enforcing the law. 

“State law does require him to notify the public in very specific ways, and none of those ways includes placing signs on registrants’ lawns,” explained Mark Yurachek, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs. 

Butts County Halloween Sign

Butts County Sheriff’s Office

According to the lawsuit, the offenders questioned whether the sheriff “exceeded his authority” in putting up the signs and whether deputies trespassed on their properties in doing so. The suit also says the deputies’ actions caused harm, including “anxiety, embarrassment and humiliation,” and damaged their ability to trust law enforcement. They sought a jury trial and damages.

RELATED: Butts County sex offenders file suit over sheriff’s ‘No trick-or-treat’ signs

A federal judge heard arguments in court last week and handed back the decision, Tuesday. 

“The question the Court must answer is not whether Sheriff Long’s plan is wise or moral, or whether it makes penological sense. Rather, the question is whether Sheriff Long’s plan runs afoul of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It does,” the ruling states.

In the ruling, the judge granted the named plaintiffs’ motion to prevent the sheriff’s office from posting the signs in the named plaintiffs’ yards. However, the judge declined to offer damages. The court also declined to enter into a sweeping injunction in favor of all registered sex offender, but warned the sheriff’s office “should be aware that the authority for their blanket sign posting is dubious at best and even more dubious if posted over the objection of registrants.”

The court continued, saying that the ruling does not limit the sheriff’s discretion “to act on specific information suggesting a risk to public safety. But he cannot post the signs over the named Plaintiffs’ objections simply because their names are on the registry.”

In a statement to 11Alive following the judge’s ruling, Yurachek, the attorney, said his clients were “thankful” to the court’s “thoughtful and measured decision.” 

“There is a long way to go in this action and, although we decline further comment specifically addressing the litigation, we are hopeful that this decision indicates that, as with this preliminary issue, we will prevail in the permanent injunction action and the lawsuit in general,” the statement continued. “We hope for and wish that every child in Butts County and in every community in the country enjoys a joyful and safe Halloween and note, as the Court’s opinion did, that the lack of signs in front of registrants’ homes will not affect either their joy or their safety this year or any other year.”

He added that he would hope the ruling gives the sheriff “pause about putting up signs this Halloween or in the future.”

11Alive reached out the sheriff’s office for a comment on the ruling. They posted a response on their Facebook page saying they will continue to fight the lawsuit, but will not put up any yard signs while the suit is pending.

“The judge in this matter has ruled that I can NOT put signs on the right-of-way of the three offenders that filed the lawsuit. While I respectfully and strongly disagree with the judge’s ruling, I must abide by the ruling,” the sheriff said.

The sheriff added that he sought advice from the Prosecuting Attorneys Council in 2018 before deputies placed the signs, who gave specific instructions on how to place them in compliance with Georgia Law.

In lieu of the signs, the sheriff said he will keep a “very strong presence” in the neighborhoods where there are known sex offenders. He also added that while some may be disappointed with the ruling, he strongly encouraged they “NOT take matters into your own hands this Halloween.”

“We understand frustration with the Judge’s ruling, but we all must abide by it unless it is overturned on appeal. Unfortunately, there is no time to appeal before this Halloween,” the sheriff said. “My promise to the citizens of Butts County is to protect the public, especially the children.”

You can check the Georgia sex offender registry by visiting the state’s website.

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Gwinnett County couple spends $40K to convert their home into free haunted house

Source: https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/federal-judge-rules-partially-in-favor-of-butts-county-sex-offenders/85-d22c5d04-1b7b-4f4c-aaab-aba0630359fb

PREACHER, A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER, ARRESTED ON 500 COUNTS OF CHILD …

CRIME

Detectives served a search warrant at his home.

A minister and registered sex offender has been arrested on 500 counts of child pornography possession.

Charles Calvin Andrews, 66, of Englewood, was arrested Tuesday. Detectives first started investigating him after an IP address was linked to child porn downloads.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said detectives executed a search warrant at his home. They claim Andrews had downloaded more than 500 images to his computer, including at least 50 that investigators say depicted sexual battery of a child.

A probable cause affidavit filed in Sarasota County lists Andrews as a preacher at Osprey Church of Christ in Osprey, Fla. 10News attempted to reach the church twice by phone, but the line would not connect. We have contacted the church by email and will update this story if we get a response.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Andrews is a registered sex offender with a prior sexual abuse conviction from 2006 in Alabama.

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Source: https://www.13wmaz.com/mobile/article/news/crime/preacher-a-registered-sex-offender-arrested-on-500-counts-of-child-porn/67-f939fe30-3f0c-4da3-b4be-f097ea212117

WIFE OF REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER SAYS ‘NO TRICK-OR-TREATING’ SIGN IN YARD …

wife-of-registered-sex-offender-says-‘no-trick-or-treating’-sign-in-yard-…

LOCAL

She said not all registered sex offenders are equal.

JACKSON, Ga. — Thousands of kids will hit the streets for trick or treating this week and law enforcement officers from around the state are sharing how they will alert neighbors to the registered sex offenders living next door.

Some sheriff’s offices put signs on doors, others do routine checks throughout the night to make sure registered offenders are following the law about not decorating or hosting trick-or-treating. In Butts County, Sheriff Gary Long said deputies in his county are putting ‘No Trick Or Treat’ yard signs in front of registered sex offenders homes in their county.

The warning feels like a target to some who live with registered sex offenders.

“There have been threats made. Hot heads saying just take a gun to their heads,” said one Butts County mom, who didn’t want to be identified.

Georgia state law prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property. The signs have the universal “no” symbol over a trick or treat bag underneath the message “NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!”

RELATED | Halloween events for families in Atlanta

butts-co-sex-offender1029_1540837231715.jpg

A sign being placed in the yards of sex offenders by deputies with the Butts County Sheriff’s Office in advance of Halloween.

“That poster that is causing that hysteria is posted at my property and I have not done anything wrong,” she said.

The woman said her husband is on the sex offender registry list for a relationship he had with an underage woman when he was 20 years old.

“There’s so many levels,” she said. “There’s such a gray area…but yet they happen to be treated all the same.”

MORE | Georgia town to hold registered sex offenders at City Hall for 3 hours Halloween night

Vickie Henry, president of Women Against Registry, said the yard signs can lead to harassment.

“They are not the threat that people perceive them to be,” she said. “And those signs are just going to make things worse.”

There are more than 50 sex offenders in Butts County, according to Sheriff Long. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ website shows close to 31,500 registered sex offenders in the state.

The idea to put yard signs in front of registered sex offenders homes came after organizers decided not to have an annual trick-or-treating event.

“The big challenge that we face here in Butts County, for years and years and years and years they’ve always done Halloween on the square and on Halloween night we would have anywhere from 2,500 to 4,000 children,” the sheriff told 11Alive.

“There are some sex offenders that are not happy,” Long said. “But I’m not in the business of making them happy. I’m in the business of keeping safe communities and making sure that our children are protected.”

Each county has an offender watch page on its website and a link to the statewide sex offender registry.

Source: https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/wife-of-registered-sex-offender-says-no-trick-or-treating-sign-in-yard-feels-like-a-target/85-609675081

GA. SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS SEX OFFENDER’S CONVICTION FOR FAILING TO …

ga.-supreme-court-overturns-sex-offender’s-conviction-for-failing-to-…

The state supreme court overturned the conviction of a sex offender who failed to register his address when he moved from Houston to Bibb County.

The court ruled that the original indictment against Prentiss Jackson was faulty and incomplete.

According to a court summary of the case, Jackson pleaded guilty to statutory rape in 2004.

He registered his address in Houston County, as required by law, the court says.

Under the state’s sex offender registry, if he moves to a new county he has to notify sheriff’s in both counties of his new address.

In 2011, Houston County officers could not locate Jackson at his Warner Robins address and learned that he’d moved to Macon.

Jackson’s lawyers argued, and the state court agreed, that the indictment stated only that he had failed to register. It didn’t state that he failed to notify the Bibb and Houston sheriff’s when he moved.

The indictment is void because it failed to describe the crime Jackson was actually accused of.

The state appeals court ruled against Jackson, but the Georgia Supreme Court says it ruled unanimously in his favor.

In 2012, Jackson received a 30-year sentence for failing to register, with six years to serve in prison. According to state Department of Corrections records, he’s served four years of that term.

Here is the state Supreme Court summary of the case:

JACKSON V. THE STATE (S16G0888)

A man currently serving a 30-year sentence for failing to register as a sex offender – with the first six years of his sentence behind bars – has had his conviction and sentence reversed under a decision today by the Supreme Court of Georgia.

In a unanimous opinion, written by Justice Robert Benham, the high court finds that the indictment was insufficient and defective because it failed to inform him of the “essential elements” of the crime with which he was being charged.

To withstand a legal challenge, “an indictment must: (1) recite the language of the statute that sets out all the elements of the offense charged, or (2) allege the facts necessary to establish violation of a criminal statute,” the opinion says. “In this case, however, neither of these methods for creating a legally sufficient indictment was followed.”

According to the facts of the case, in June 2004, Prentiss Ashon Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of Statutory Rape. Under Georgia Code § 42-1-12, as a convicted sex offender, Jackson was required to register with the sexual offender registry, which he did, listing an address in Houston County where he lived in Warner Robins. Jackson knew that under state law, if he planned to move from that address, he had to register his new address within 72 hours prior to any change. Under subsection (f) (5) of § 42-1-12, if one moves to another county, the law requires him to register not only within the allotted time with the sheriff where he last registered but also with the sheriff in the county where he is moving.

In June 2011, Houston County officers were unable to contact Jackson at his Warner Robins address. They subsequently learned he had moved to Macon in Bibb County and was living with his girlfriend. Jackson had not registered the new address and was arrested in January 2012. At a preliminary hearing, he said he had moved to Macon because his home in Warner Robins had no electricity or water, according to briefs filed in the case.

In the indictment, a Houston County grand jury charged Jackson with “failure to register as a sex offender,” stating in the indictment that Jackson “did fail to register his change of address with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office within 72 hours of the change as required under Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-1-12.” During trial, Jackson’s defense attorney made an oral motion asking the court to direct a verdict in his favor, arguing the indictment was defective because it failed to allege that Jackson was a convicted sex offender and that he was required to register under the statute. The trial judge denied his motion. In June 2012, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of failing to register as a sex offender, and Jackson was sentenced to 30 years, to serve six in prison without the possibility of parole and the remaining 24 years on probation. Jackson appealed to the Court of Appeals, which concluded that the indictment was not “fatally defective” because it charged Jackson with violating a specific penal statute and incorporated the terms of the Code section “Because the evidence supported Jackson’s conviction, the trial court properly denied his motion for a directed verdict,” the appellate court ruled. Jackson then appealed to the state Supreme Court, which agreed to review the case to determine whether the Court of Appeals erred in finding that Jackson’s indictment was not defective.

In today’s opinion, the high court finds the Court of Appeals erred and has reversed its judgment.

The problem with the Court of Appeals’ reasoning “is that the indictment referenced the entire multi-part, 14-page Code section, which includes numerous requirements with which a convicted sexual offender must comply,” the opinion says. “The indictment merely asserted that appellant failed to register a change of address with the Houston County sheriff’s office within 72 hours of that change of address as required by § 42-1-12. But even subsection (f) (5), which sets out the steps that must be followed to update a sexual offender’s registration, contains multiple requirements.”

In its 2010 opinion in Henderson v. Hames, the Georgia Supreme Court restated the longstanding principle that, “An indictment is void to the extent that it fails to allege all the essential elements of the crime or crimes charged.” “That principle is founded upon the constitutional guaranty of due process.”

As authority for its assertion that Jackson’s indictment was not deficient, the State relied on the Court of Appeals’ 2008 opinion in Shabazz v. State and its 1990 opinion in State v. Howell, which stated that as long as an indictment charges that the accused’s acts violated a specific penal statute, it will withstand a challenge that it is defective “despite the omission of an essential element of the charged offense.”

However, today’s opinion says that withstanding such a challenge “requires more than simply alleging the accused violated a certain statute. Accordingly, Howell and Shabazz are overruled, along with later opinions relying on these two cases, to the extent they hold that an indictment alleging merely that the accused’s acts were in violation of a specified criminal Code section is not defective.”

“Further, such an indictment would not provide the accused with due process of law in that it would not notify the accused of what factual allegations he must defend in court,” the opinion says. “Likewise, it would not allege sufficient facts from which a trial jury could determine guilt if those facts are shown at trial.” Here, the indictment states that Jackson’s offense was, “failure to register as a sex offender.” But Jackson did not fail to register as required by § 42-1-12; he failed to update his registration with his change of address and follow the requirements to do so. “In other words, the indictment does not inform the accused of what alleged action or inaction would constitute a violation of even subsection (f) (5) of the Code section, which subsection was not even referenced in the indictment.”

In conclusion, the indictment “did not recite a sufficient portion of the statute to set out all the elements of the offense for which he was tried and convicted,” the opinion says. “Likewise, the indictment did not allege all the facts necessary to establish a violation of subsection (f) (5) of § 42-1-12.”

“Only if additional factual allegations had been asserted in the indictment would it be clear what acts or omissions the grand jury had found probable cause to believe the appellant had committed, and what acts or omissions the trial jury would be required to find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that appellant had committed in order to find him guilty as charged.”

Attorney for Appellant (Jackson): Russell Walker

Attorneys for Appellee (State): George Hartwig, III, District Attorney, Marie Banks, Asst. D.A.

Source: https://www.13wmaz.com/mobile/article/news/local/ga-supreme-court-overturns-sex-offenders-conviction-for-failing-to-register/439754373

Nicki Minaj’s husband arrested, charged with failing to register as a sex offender

nicki-minaj’s-husband-arrested,-charged-with-failing-to-register-as-a-sex-offender

Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty was convicted back in 1995 of first-degree attempted rape. He was 16 years old at the time.

LOS ANGELES — The husband of rapper Nicki Minaj was arrested by U.S. Marshals after he failed to register as a sex offender, according to reports.

E! News confirmed through the United States Attorney’s Office of Los Angeles that Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, surrendered to authorities and was taken into custody in L.A. Wednesday.

New York state records show Petty was convicted back in 1995 of first-degree attempted rape. He was 16 years old at the time.

An indictment obtained by both E! News and reported by NBC 4 in New York says Petty moved to California in July 2019 but did not register as a sex offender. He was reportedly pulled over Nov. 15 in Los Angeles County and it was there that police determined he was a convicted sex offender in New York.

The indictment states:

“Beginning on or about July 14, 2019, and continuing through on or about November 15, 2019, in Los Angeles County, within the Central District of California, and elsewhere, defendant Kenneth Petty, an individual who was required to register pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), as a result of being convicted of Attempted Rape in the First Degree, in violation of New York Penal Code Section 110-130.35, a felony, on or about April 5, 1995, in the Supreme Court for the State of New York, Queen County, case number 4521-94, and having, after said conviction, traveled in interstate commerce, knowingly failed to register as a sex offender as required by SORNA.” 

According to New York State’s Sex Offender Registry, while Petty can move to other states or countries as a convicted sex offender, he must notify the Division of Criminal Justice Services no later than 10 days after the move.  

Nicki Minaj, who has known Petty since childhood, is aware of his criminal past.

When it was revealed that Petty and Nicki Minaj were in a relationship, fans of the rapper on social media questioned why she would be romantically involved with someone convicted of attempted rape. 

In December 2018, Nicki Minaj defended Petty saying “He was 15, she [the victim] was 16…in a relationship. But go awf, [sic.] Internet. Y’all can’t run my life. Y’all can’t even run y’all own life.”

The couple married in October 2019.

Nicki Minaj has not publicly acknowledged Petty’s latest arrest.

Source: https://www.13wmaz.com/article/entertainment/nicki-minajs-husband-arrested-charged-with-failing-to-register-as-a-sex-offender/77-59718591-62b8-499e-b56d-3584e5c960bb

Perry sex offender charged with sexual battery

perry-sex-offender-charged-with-sexual-battery

LOCAL

He was previously convicted of child molestation in 2005

CENTERVILLE, Ga. — A Houston County man previously convicted of child molestation is back in jail.

According to a news release from Centerville Police, officers were called Thursday about a sexual battery that happened within city limits.

Officers and detectives secured a warrant for Wayne Frazier within two hours of the call, and the Houston County Sheriff’s Office warrant division took him into custody.

Frazier was on probation for a previous sex offense and is a registered sex offender.

According to the GBI’s sex offender registry, Wayne Frazier was convicted of child molestation in Oct. 2005 and has been on the registry since August 2006.

His last registered address was a home on Cardinal Avenue in Perry, as of Jan. 3, 2020.

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Sophie’s Nightmare: How a Georgia mother allowed her boyfriend to impregnate her 10-year-old

2nd child sex offender dies after getting beaten by inmate, Calif. prison officials say

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Source: https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/perry-sex-offender-charged-with-sexual-battery/93-6fcdb473-8922-4a82-83f7-d478649715cd

Two sex offenders tried to access Charlotte schools

two-sex-offenders-tried-to-access-charlotte-schools

Charlotte Mecklenburg School district says technology worked how it’s supposed to.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two separate sex offenders were stopped by entering two Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools within 24 hours of each other this week.

The first happened Tuesday morning at Vance High School. The next morning, a sex offender was caught at University Meadows Elementary School. There have been several other similar cases over the past couple months.

CMS says their technology worked how it’s supposed to by alerting them to sex offenders in the front office, before they had any contact with students. School leaders credited the visitor tracking system, Lobbyguard.

“I do believe that that’s a good thing, if they have to put their names on it, so they can identify who the person is,” one parent said.

In September, a registered sex offender was stopped at Independence High School.  Jail records show 21 year-old Xavier Farmer was already facing a charge of indecent liberties with a child at the time.  Last month, there was another sex offender at Barringer Academic Center.  It was the second time in about a year the elementary school had a sex offender on campus.

“I’d definitely say it’s uncomfortable, definitely uncomfortable,” a parent previously told NBC Charlotte.

CMS says both of the sex offender cases this week involved people coming on campus to pick up or drop off family members.

“Should not even be near a school,” a parent said.

The parent said she is upset because she says CMS never notified her about the incident.

“The school should still notify parents about these situations,” she said.

CMS responded by saying the sex offenders were both stopped in the front office and never had any interaction with students.

CMS did not comment on what punishment, if any, the suspects are facing.

More news from wcnc.com:

Source: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/sex-offender-at-schools/275-768e55a8-0adf-4776-9ecd-4c9752640164

WHAT ARE CENTRAL GEORGIA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES DOING ABOUT …

what-are-central-georgia’s-law-enforcement-agencies-doing-about-…

This week a federal judge ruled that posting warning signs outside some sex offenders homes in Butts County is unconstitutional.

MACON, Ga. — It’s Halloween eve, and while kids are preparing for trick-or-treating, law enforcement is preparing to keep those children safe from sex offenders.

This week, a federal judge ruled that posting warning signs outside some offenders’ homes in Butts County is unconstitutional.

While that decision was specific to three sex offenders in Butts County, Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman says his deputies will now abide by this example.

“For the past several years, we’ve closely monitored [sex offenders] and placed signs in their yards, warning anyone that would go there to trick-or-treat that this residence was a convicted sex offender,” says Freeman.

Freeman says if the offender didn’t want to place a sign in their yard, they reported to the sheriff’s office on the night of October 31st, but this year, he says offenders aren’t required to do either.

That decision comes after Federal Judge Marc Treadwell ruled it was unconstitutional for Butts County Sheriff Gary Long to place a similar notice on some offenders’ front doors.

Christopher Reed, Reginald Holden, and Corey McClendon asked for an injunction against Long at the beginning of October after learning that he planned to post signs outside their homes again this year on Halloween.

“This is vanity. This is them picking on a particularly vulnerable group of citizens,” says the plaintiff’s attorney, Mark Yurachek. “They’re just looking to live quiet, private lives.”

On Tuesday, Judge Treadwell ruled in the sex offenders’ favor, saying the three men appeared to be rehabilitated and living law-abiding lives. He wrote that there was no evidence that the three posed any threat to children.

“It’s my understanding that the ruling was specifically for the three individuals that sued, that were in Butts County. However, it’s my theory that if it applied to those three, what would make it not apply to the others? And I just don’t want to find out in federal court that it did apply to those,” says Freeman.

Freeman says ahead of trick-or-treat time, his deputies are “double-checking” on each Monroe County sex offender’s home address, and will be patrolling the streets on Halloween night.

The Georgia sex offender registry is public and is open to everyone online. You can type in your address to see if any registered sex offenders live near you or on the streets you’re planning to take your children trick-or-treating on.

To view the registry, click here.

Taking a closer look at other Central Georgia counties, 13WMAZ asked some other law enforcement agencies about their Halloween plans.

We couldn’t find any other departments posting signs to alert people about sex offenders, but here’s what some agencies are doing:

– Sergeant Tim Leonard with Houston County’s Sexual Offender Registry also says officers will drive past sex offenders houses to check up.

– Dublin Police Chief Tim Chatman says they don’t have any specific requirements for sex offenders, but will have extra officers on the street to keep kids safe.

– Peach County requires sex offenders on probation to come to the courthouse for a few hours, according to Sheriff Terry Deese.

– Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee says they’ll have two officers assigned to monitor the county’s sex offenders Thursday.

RELATED: Judge issues ruling favoring sex offenders who sued Butts County sheriff over ‘no trick-or-treat’ signs

RELATED: Butts County sex offenders file suit over sheriff’s ‘No trick-or-treat’ signs

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Source: https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/central-georgia-sex-offender-halloween-laws/93-c5abc303-db17-45b2-92d3-a14fc0c8eb4f

What are Central Georgia’s law enforcement agencies doing about sex offenders on Halloween?

what-are-central-georgia’s-law-enforcement-agencies-doing-about-sex-offenders-on-halloween?

This week a federal judge ruled that posting warning signs outside some sex offenders homes in Butts County is unconstitutional.

MACON, Ga. — It’s Halloween eve, and while kids are preparing for trick-or-treating, law enforcement is preparing to keep those children safe from sex offenders.

This week, a federal judge ruled that posting warning signs outside some offenders’ homes in Butts County is unconstitutional.

While that decision was specific to three sex offenders in Butts County, Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman says his deputies will now abide by this example.

“For the past several years, we’ve closely monitored [sex offenders] and placed signs in their yards, warning anyone that would go there to trick-or-treat that this residence was a convicted sex offender,” says Freeman.

Freeman says if the offender didn’t want to place a sign in their yard, they reported to the sheriff’s office on the night of October 31st, but this year, he says offenders aren’t required to do either.

That decision comes after Federal Judge Marc Treadwell ruled it was unconstitutional for Butts County Sheriff Gary Long to place a similar notice on some offenders’ front doors.

Christopher Reed, Reginald Holden, and Corey McClendon asked for an injunction against Long at the beginning of October after learning that he planned to post signs outside their homes again this year on Halloween.

“This is vanity. This is them picking on a particularly vulnerable group of citizens,” says the plaintiff’s attorney, Mark Yurachek. “They’re just looking to live quiet, private lives.”

On Tuesday, Judge Treadwell ruled in the sex offenders’ favor, saying the three men appeared to be rehabilitated and living law-abiding lives. He wrote that there was no evidence that the three posed any threat to children.

“It’s my understanding that the ruling was specifically for the three individuals that sued, that were in Butts County. However, it’s my theory that if it applied to those three, what would make it not apply to the others? And I just don’t want to find out in federal court that it did apply to those,” says Freeman.

Freeman says ahead of trick-or-treat time, his deputies are “double-checking” on each Monroe County sex offender’s home address, and will be patrolling the streets on Halloween night.

The Georgia sex offender registry is public and is open to everyone online. You can type in your address to see if any registered sex offenders live near you or on the streets you’re planning to take your children trick-or-treating on.

To view the registry, click here.

Taking a closer look at other Central Georgia counties, 13WMAZ asked some other law enforcement agencies about their Halloween plans.

We couldn’t find any other departments posting signs to alert people about sex offenders, but here’s what some agencies are doing:

– Sergeant Tim Leonard with Houston County’s Sexual Offender Registry also says officers will drive past sex offenders houses to check up.

– Dublin Police Chief Tim Chatman says they don’t have any specific requirements for sex offenders, but will have extra officers on the street to keep kids safe.

– Peach County requires sex offenders on probation to come to the courthouse for a few hours, according to Sheriff Terry Deese.

– Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee says they’ll have two officers assigned to monitor the county’s sex offenders Thursday.

 

Source: https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/central-georgia-sex-offender-halloween-laws/93-c5abc303-db17-45b2-92d3-a14fc0c8eb4f