Sex Offenses
A New Law Would Ban Registered Sex Offenders from Facebook and MySpace- How an Experienced Southern California Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You if You Are a Registered Sex Offender and a Member of One of these Social Networking Sites – California Pe
State law makers and local police are looking to keep convicted sex offenders from online social networks such as MySpace and Facebook, where authorities said sexual predators now roam looking for victims. As minors continue to flock toward social sites such as MySpace and Facebook, so do sexual predators who are looking for victims, officials said. Just as minors are protected from convicted sex offenders in places such as schools…
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Out of State Sex crime Conviction Does Not Mean Automatic Sex Offender Registration in California – California Penal Code Section 290
The California Court of Appeals recently ruled that the defendant in a sex crimes case did not unlawfully fail to register as a sex offender because the least adjudicated elements of her Kentucky offense did not amount to a registrable offense in California. In In re Rodden, 2010 D.A.R. 8428, the Petitioner was charged with failing to register as a sex offender in California. The Petitioner was convicted in Kentucky…
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Rape in California when a Person is Incapable of Giving Consent – California Penal Code Section 261
Under California Penal Code Section 261, rape is defined as an act of sexual intercourse with a person who is not the spouse of the perpetrator. Rape can be accomplished in a number of different ways. Penal Code Section 261(a) lists the different circumstances under which a rape charge can result. Another type of rape that can be charged is when the sexual act is accomplished by force, violence, duress,…
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Anaheim Pastor Sentenced to 6 Years for Child Molestation – California Penal Code Section 288
It was recently reported in the OC Register that an Anaheim pastor was sentenced to six years in state prison for molesting four girls in his congregation. Jose Rama Campoverde, 46, entered a plea of guilty to one felony count of lewd acts with a minor, five felony counts of lewd acts on a child, two misdemeanor counts of child annoyance, and a sentencing enhancement allegation for lewd acts on…
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Former NFL Star Lawrence Taylor Pleads Not Guilty to Rape – California Penal Code 261.5
According to ESPN, Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor entered a plea of not guilty to charges of statutory rape and solicitation in a New York court. Taylor is accused of soliciting a prostitute in a case involving a 16-year-old runaway girl. Prosecutors say Taylor paid the 16-year-old girl $300 to have sex with him. The next court hearing is set for August 24, 2010 for a preliminary hearing. A preliminary…
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MAN WHO PLEAD GUILTY TO SEX CRIME PLACED ON PROBATION – PENAL CODE SECTIONS 459, 460(A), 289(A)(1)
A Chico man who plead guilty to burglary with intent to commit unlawful sexual penetration was placed on probation and his prison sentence was stayed. He faced up to six years in state prison. According to defendant Jeremy Hoptowit, 28, after a night of playing poker with friends, he broke into a house while intoxicated. The victim, a resident of the house, claimed that Hoptowit pushed her onto a bed…
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U.S. Supreme Court Rules Federal Civil Commitment Statute is Constitutional: Sex Offenders Can Be Kept in Custody Even After Prison Term Ends
In United States v. Comstock, No. 08-1224, the United States Supreme Court recently held that the federal government properly has power under the "Necessary and Proper Clause" to enact a civil commitment statute for "mentally ill, sexually dangerous" federal prisoners, maintaining them in custody beyond the expiration of their criminal sentence. The civil commitment statute, 18 U.S.C. § 4248, requires a federal prisoner who has been convicted of a sexual…
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Anaheim authorities broke up an encampment of about 40 paroled sex offenders!
On May 7, 2010, it was reported that Anaheim authorities had broken up an encampment of about 40 paroled sex offenders, who had parked along a street in front of a parole office in Anaheim. Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California, and as of January 2009, it's population was approximately 350,000. The city anticipates that the population will surpass 400,000 by 2014 due to rapid development in its…
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Kindergarten Teacher from Atlanta, Not Guilty of 22 Counts of Molestation and How a Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You – California Penal Code section 288
It was recently reported by CBS that Tonya Craft, a Kindergarten teacher charged with 22 counts of child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, and aggravated child molestation, has been found not guilty on all counts. The 37-year-old teacher from Chickamauga Elementary School was accused of molesting three girls between August 2005 and May 2007. Prosecutors alleged that Craft would molest the girls by fondling and digitally penetrating them. Police had arrested…
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How Being Classified As A Sexually Violent Predator Can Extend A Prison Sentence And How an Experienced Southern California Sex Crimes Attorney Can Help You – California Welfare Institutions Code 6600 and 6601.3
It was recently reported that a person's prison time can be extended beyond what he or she was sentenced to in order to be committed as a sexually violent predator. David Lucas, a labeled child predator, was in prison serving a seven-year sentence for failing to register as a sex offender and was scheduled for release on parole on October 12, 2008. On December 21, 2007, corrections personnel completed a…
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