Parkville man pleads guilty to receipt of child pornography, filming girls at swim meets

For some time I have looked for a description of what is considered CP, this blows my mind. Parents need to be especially careful of their choice of clothing for all family members. You never know who is out there taking pictures or videos.

8-31-16 Maryland:

Baltimore, Maryland – Ruben Uy Lim, age 53, of Parkville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to receipt of child pornography.

Lim also admitted taking hundreds of videos of underage girls at swim meets, using a filter that allowed the camera to see through certain fabrics, including bathing suits.

The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Kevin Perkins of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to his plea agreement, on November 17, 2015, Baltimore County Police detectives executed a search warrant at Lim’s residence and recovered electronic devices, including a hard drive. A subsequent forensic examination of the hard drive revealed images and video files depicting prepubescent girls engaged in sexual acts, which had been received over the internet.

In addition, law enforcement recovered six video cameras and computer discs which contained hundreds of homemade videos dating back to 2004, which were taken at swim meets, on beaches and at water parks. Lim took the videos using a filter that attached to the camera’s lens and allowed the camera to see through certain fabrics, including bathing suits.

Lim filmed middle and high school aged girls in such a way that their breasts and vaginal areas were visible in the recordings. In the majority of the videos, Lim focused on the pubic area of the female swimmers. Lim admitted that he traveled to swim meets around the country for the sole purpose of recording children using the special camera lens, which Lim referred to as the “X-Ray lens.”

As part of his plea agreement, Lim must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Lim and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Lim will be sentenced to at least 10 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III has scheduled sentencing for December 9, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. ..Source.. by Source: justice.gov

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Does the Sex Offender Registry Protect Children? Critics Say, 'Think Again'

11-12-2014 Maryland:

Of the more than 8,000 people listed on Maryland’s sex offender registry, the vast majority have never been convicted of touching a child or assaulted another person.

Instead, the registry lists those who have urinated in public or engaged in prostitution. Critics insist the registry has lost its purpose and is doing little to protect our children.

At the dead-end of a county street Lawrence Howard has made his home. Howard is a 38-year-old father who’s loved by his family and feared by his community.

He hustles odd jobs to support his family, but can’t find an employer that will hire him. It’s not exactly the life he'd envisioned growing up. At 19 his life took a troubled turn. He’d fallen in love with a 15-year-old. On the day of their courthouse wedding Howard earned both a wife and a warrant.

“I mean I had people tell me, ‘you're dating jailbait’ but, I don't know, I heard that all the time when I was younger,” Howard said.

“If I'd of known all this I’d had to put it to the side.” Police had charged Howard with the statutory rape of an underage woman who had become his wife.

Howard says he was speechless. “I didn't feel like I was doing nothing bad,” Howard said. “It didn't feel like I was molesting somebody. She was as big as I was.”

Before long he pleaded guilty and was placed on probation, ordered to register as a sex offender. It meant Howard’s picture would be posted on Maryland’s Sex Offender registry, along with where he lives, what he drives and when he moves.

Suddenly strangers all knew him and neighbors hated him. “Everyday we'd get our door kicked in,” Howard said. “We called the police and the police said, ‘well, you know why they're kicking in your door...?’"

Soon, the online registry was taking a toll on his children. One said, “When I was in fifth grade…friends wouldn't come over." As a sex offender, Howard is banned from stepping foot on school property, even the school where his own children are enrolled. “I don't even like to go there to pick up my kids,” Howard said. “I went to field day there once and the principal chased me down the hallway.” “It kinda sucks,” Howard’s daughter says.

“He couldn't go to field trips and stuff like that. It really hurt me." Critics complain that the registry has become so broad that, no longer, is it for the worst of the worst. Some have made the list by urinating in public, or dabbling in prostitution, and three out of every four on this list are on there for life.

A Maryland support group is now fighting to reform the state's registry. Its members believe the registry has grown too large to be effective. But Adam Rosenberg, the director of the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, says while far from perfect, the registry IS keeping children safe.

“I think there's no question that when you put a bright line in the sand,” Rosenberg said. “Unfortunately, there will be cases and situations where people that fall too close to it and make people feel uncomfortable but I think that’s going to happen with any law."

This summer, that support group won a key decision from Maryland’s highest court which ordered the state to remove almost 1,200 names from the registry. Their crimes happened before the registry went into effect. ..Source.. by FoxBaltimore.com

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Confidential List of Sex Offenders Tracked by Maryland State Investigators

Two facts are important here: 1) It is not a secret list, instead the list is of folks on parole or probation, that state agency is required to know who they supervise, hence their working list. 2) It is a misstatement to say these folks are a "Higher Risk" to the community. These folks are finishing their sentence and that does not mean they are a higher risk to the community. All of these folks would appear on the regular registry if their crimes so warranted it. And this is true of every state in the nation it is a normal function of folks on parole and probation and the agency that monitors them.

10-17-2014 Maryland:

Maryland state investigators are closely monitoring more than 2,000 of the state’s 9,000 registered sex offenders, according to an investigation by the News4 I-Team -- including monthly home visits, polygraph exams and reviews of the offenders’ computers.

The offenders include some of the most violent sexual criminals in the state and some of the state’s most recently convicted criminals. They are getting the extra monitoring in an effort to reduce the risk of the offenders committing additional sex crimes.

Records obtained from Maryland’s Division of Parole and Probation show 2,133 registered sex offenders are being regularly monitored by state agents. The agency monitoring program, known internally as the Collaborative Offender Management Enforced Treatment program, or COMET, deploys state agents across Maryland to visit and question sex offenders deemed to be a higher risk to the community.

The COMET program was developed in recent years, but unlike the public and interactive state sex offender registry, the addresses and other identifying details of the offenders who are included in the program remain confidential, the I-Team has learned.

One of the sex offenders who is monitored under the COMET program said he has been subjected to lie-detector tests to gauge his truthfulness and his likelihood for committing future sex crimes.

“They hook you up and monitor your vitals and your breathing. It’s very intimidating,” said the offender, a former school teacher who pleaded guilty to a sex crime with a student. He spoke with the I-Team on the condition of anonymity.

Other offenders who’ve been placed in the COMET program receive monthly home visits by agents, who ask questions about the offenders’ employment, finances and personal relationships.

COMET investigator Tricia Bennett said, “If someone shuts down real easy or takes an aggressive posture (during at-home interviews), that’s a red flag.”

An agency memo detailing the COMET program said, “The approach is focused on discovering the nature of each offender’s abusive behavior and working to minimize the likelihood that he or she will repeat the behavior.”

State agents also use written score sheets to measure the likelihood of sex offenders striking ..Continued.. by News4 I-Team

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School pilot program will check visitors’ sex offender status

Would love to see statistics on, who is identified and their backgrounds, that systems like this identify. If anyone has such please forward.

9-12-2014 Maryland:

High-tech system allows on-site background checks at campuses

Charles County Public Schools will pilot a new security system in the coming weeks that will allow officials to perform instantaneous but abridged background checks on visitors to schools and the central office building.

The school system has taken advantage of a free 60-day trial with IdentAKid, the contractor from which officials purchased the current check-in system.

Each school is equipped with an electronic kiosk in the front office where a guest will provide a name and purpose for visiting the school, and receive a printed paper badge.

In roughly two weeks, visitors to the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School, Milton M. Somers Middle School and Thomas Stone High School, will need to supply their ID, which staff will scan.

The system will perform a check of the sex offender registry.

Parents of children at the affected schools will be notified of the change by phone and email blasts, with a fact sheet included on how to use the new sign-in system.

“The security management system will provide an additional level of security,” said Sylvia Lawson, assistant superintendent of school administration, at the board of education meeting Tuesday. “Expansion of program to all schools is a component of future planning involving school security.”

The school system purchased the IdentAKid kiosks in 2005, to the tune of $3,500 per school for the cost of the badge printer.

Officials do not maintain a contract with IdentAKid, though they would pay an annual fee for the new service should they choose to continue after the trial period.

The only recurring cost is for the badge paper, which each school funds separately.

“The computers used for the system are ones that were taken out of schools when replaced with newer ones,” school spokeswoman Katie O’Malley-Simpson wrote in an email. “Older computers with little memory … work well with only the sign-in system on them. There was no additional cost and there has been no update to the software that would result in a cost.”

Two other companies, ScholarChip and Raptor Visitor Management Software, also placed bids for the security system, said Lawson during her presentation to the school board.

O’Malley-Simpson declined to disclose the amount of the bids of the three companies, citing ongoing negotiations.

The school system conducts a federal background check on all its regular employees.

The new security measure will target visitors, volunteers, contracted workers and other temporary employees. ..Source.. by Jeremy Bauer-Wolf Staff writer

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Teen girls, 15 and 17, charged with torture and sexual assault of autistic boy

3-13-2014 Maryland:

Two teenage girls from St. Mary's County, Md. have been arrested and charged with multiple unimaginable acts of horror against a 16-year-old autistic boy, acts described as rape and torture; and they recorded the atrocities on their cell phones – which is how they were ultimately caught.

Lauren Bush, 17, of Mechanicsville in St. Mary's County, and an unnamed 15-year-old accomplice, allegedly stabbed the boy, kicked him in the groin, forced him to perform sexual acts with an animal and made him walk across a frozen pond … When the boy fell through the ice, the teens did not help him.

St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron said that the victim’s “vulnerabilities made this crime more heinous.” Cameron added that the alleged offenses were among the most disturbing crimes he's ever seen.

“The victim was forced to masturbate and then copulate with a family pet,” Cameron said.

“It’s beyond comprehension.”

The girls have been charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, soliciting a subject in the production of child pornography, and, false imprisonment.

Both girls attend Chopticon High School in Morganz, Md. and reportedly knew their victim who also attended the same school.

The alleged acts of abuse took place between December 2013 and March.

The female suspects were arrested after one of their mother’s saw a video of the assaults on the unidentified boy on her daughter’s cell phone, and then “alerted the school resource officer at the Chopticon High School,” according to The Daily News.

Police are still trying to determine if the girls shared their videos with any other individuals or on any social media outlets. So far, there’s no evidence to suggest that the videos have been posted on-line.

Bush, who has been released from jail since her original arrest, will be charged as an adult in the case.

Bush’s unidentified 15-year-old accomplice will be charged as a juvenile and is still being held at the local juvenile detention facility.

Yet to be determined is what the girls' motives were for their alleged acts of torture and abuse against their 16-year-old schoolmate. ..Source.. by Richard Webster ..Original Source..

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Is the sex offender registry providing incorrect info?

Given registries merely provide where registrants sleep for a few hours of the night is missing a few really a major problem that the media claims? Carefully think about what the registry provides the public, you may change your thinking of it!

10-28-2013 Maryland:

ABC2 INVESTIGATORS UNCOVER A FLAW IN HOW THE STATE'S SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY TRACKS INMATES IN CUSTODY. THE MISTAKES WE'VE UNCOVERED SHOW NOT ONLY IS THE STATE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING WHEN OFFENDERS ARE RELEASED FROM LOCAL JAILS, BUT THAT THE FAILURES TO UPDATE THE REGISTRY PUT PEOPLE AT RISK.

In September people looking for convicted sex offender Jonathan Bower wouldn't think they’d have to look hard to find him. The Maryland Sex Offender Registry said he was in jail. But ABC2 Investigators discovered the registry you rely on was wrong .

Bower himself helped us confirm the registry was incorrect. During a visit to his house in Glen Burnie, Bower told us, “I’ve been home. I haven't been locked up."

Bower had been living at home since records show he was released from the Anne Arundel County Detention Center on May 21. But that jail is exactly where the Maryland Sex Offender Registry said he was still living three and a half months later.

Bower is one of many sex offenders found on the streets and undetected on the registry. The news was disappointing to Anne Arundel’s Pat Parrish. She says she checks the state registry twice a week, looking for potential offenders in her neighborhood.

"You've got to keep your eye on them, know where they're at," Parrish said.

The retiree is so familiar with the registry that over the summer she used it to identify and turn in a sex offender she saw taking a boy into the woods by her home. As Parrish scrolls through the pictures, she says she only takes comfort when she spots one word next to an offender: incarcerated.

"That person is in jail, so we don't have to worry about them," Parrish said.

But ABC2 Investigators found reason to worry, finding dozens of sex offenders whose registry pages were wrong about where they lived. Some of the offenders were listed as behind bars although they had actually been out of jail for weeks or months. ..Continue.. by Joce Sterman

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In Maryland courts, parents’ rights supercede child safety

10-16-2013 Maryland:

Regarding the Sept. 29 editorial “A child’s safety is paramount”:

Most people don’t know that a concerned parent can be treated with suspicion by Maryland authorities, even when gravely troubling behaviors appear in a child placed under the care of a sex offender. Even fewer know that in such a case the sex offender, not the child, has the advantage in court because of a widespread assumption that any parent is better than no parent.

As the editorial noted, a bill that would deny custody and unsupervised visitation to sex offenders in Maryland died this year before the House Judiciary Committee. However, Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) signed a bill establishing a Commission on Child Custody Decision Making. Good news for children, right?

Not so fast. A small percentage of legal separation and divorce cases goes to litigation, but a high percentage of those cases involves a history of domestic violence, child abuse or both. The advocates who pushed for the commission see joint parental custody as its main task. Such a predispostion puts a goal of shared parenting ahead of child safety, the goal held by current case law.

Maryland judges continue to order unsupervised access or joint custody despite histories of domestic violence, child abuse or neglect. If it is so difficult to protect a child from a convicted sex offender, what hope do children have when a parent is abusive or dangerous but has never been convicted? ..Source.. by Eileen King, Washington. The writer is executive director of Child Justice.

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Convicted Sex Offender Found Not Guilty of ...

8-4-2013 Maryland:

A man once called a serial rapist has been found innocent in the eyes of the court not once, not twice, but three times in the past three years! FOX45’s Janice Park explored further into Nelson Clifford’s multiple trials. He became a convicted sex offender back in 1997, and since then at least four women have come forward saying he broke into their homes and raped them.

But so far, each time a jury has found him to be innocent. One of Clifford’s victims spoke with FOX45, but asked to have her face hidden and identify kept private out of fear. She told FOX45 that Clifford broke into her home, put his hand over her mouth, and raped her. Her two small children were in the next room when Clifford broke in. Police say DNA evidence tied Clifford to three rapes in 2011.

“Nelson Clifford has a very unique MO, prior to the DNA hits, we were confident Nelson Clifford was responsible for these incidents,” said police. As each alleged victim got their day in court, it was all the same outcome. For a January 2010 rape, a November 2011 rape, and a rape three days later Clifford received three not guilty verdicts. Clifford still faces an attempted rape and burglary charge for an incident in December 2011.

One victim said, “Every not guilty, we are being raped all over again.” Clifford was charged with a sec offense in the 90’s, and is a registered sex offender. But his alleged victims say he wins in court by accusing them of being strippers or prostitutes. “He sits on the stand so arrogant to say he’s beat the system,” said one victim. FOX45 was unable to reach Clifford’s public defender, but tonight in three cases, in the eyes of the law, he is an innocent man. ..Source.. by FOX 45.com

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Thousands of Maryland Sex Offenders May ....

8-2-2013 Maryland:

Sex offenders in Maryland are using a recent court ruling to take back their anonymity. Now the state may have no choice but to remove nearly a quarter of the 8,000 names on the Maryland sex offender registry.

Last month Maryland resident Robert Haines Jr., named only ”John Doe” in court filings, became the first to successfully have his name removed from the state’s sex offender registry. The Haines case argued that his placement on the list was unconstitutional since his crimes were committed before a registry even existed. The former teacher committed the crimes in 1983. The registry was first established in 1995.

According to the court, it was a form of retroactive punishment, which is against Maryland law. Though Haines won the case - and his mug shot was quietly taken down – the Attorney General’s office has already filed an appeal against the ruling. However, a handful of other appeals have already been filed seeking a similar outcome.

While some people could be removed from the list entirely, others may have restrictions tweaked. The state is now trying to make sure each case must be argued on its own merit. Brenda Jones advocates against a sex offender registry. “What we’re objecting to…is that they're put on a registry which presents to the public they did something wrong yesterday,” Jones said.

Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger has lobbied in favor of tighter restrictions for sex offenders in Maryland. “I think if there’s a place to put up a fight, it's here,” Shellenberger said. “We’re talking about convicted sex offenders, child abusers and rapists.” ..Source..w/Video by Fox45.com

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New laws take effect Monday

9-30-2012 Maryland:

The beginning of October each year brings a laundry list of changes Maryland citizens must consider before heading out the door — that is, if they don’t want to meet a police officer.

This year, new laws will affect people hoping to work or volunteer for Wicomico County, drivers, inmates, parents, prospective taxi drivers in Ocean City and health insurance companies.

Among the more talked about changes is a law requiring anyone driving up to a broken traffic light to yield in the same manner they would at a blinking red light. The change was made before the notorious derecho storms this summer, but will likely help to reduce chaos following mass power outages.

“Given the recent severity of storms we have seen in our state, including hurricanes, thunderstorms, wind and ice storms and an occasional tornado, it is becoming more and more common to see intersections with non-functioning traffic signals and unfortunately we have seen this end in tragedy,” said Ragina C. Averella, manager of public and government affairs at AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Drivers stopping at broken traffic signals will also have to let pedestrians cross the road before driving on or continuing to sit in traffic on the other side of the intersection.

Background checks

Among the local laws taking effect Monday is one allowing Wicomico County government to look up the criminal history of anyone applying for a job or to be a volunteer. Similarly, in Ocean City anyone hoping to drive a taxi will have to go through a criminal background check.

Parents throughout the Lower Shore will have to keep youngsters in car seats until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall. The exception for kids over 85 pounds is no longer in effect.

One of the most popular ways to get around Ocean City during the summer is also changing. Beginning Oct. 1, scooters will need to be insured for minimum liability the same way cars are and titled with the Motor ...continued... by Jennifer Shutt, Staff Writer

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County gets funds to help monitor sex offenders

8-1-2012 Maryland:

Calvert County was one of 24 jurisdictions in the state to recently receive a grant to help monitor sex offender compliance.

Calvert received $12,650 from the Sex Offender Compliance and Enforcement in Maryland grant program, according to a Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention press release.

“There should be absolutely no mercy shown to anyone who harms a child in our state, and our laws impose the strictest standards of supervision to ensure that Maryland’s children are protected,” Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) said in a written statement. “Our laws monitoring sex offenders provide law enforcement and the residents of our communities the information they need to keep our neighborhoods safe from predators.”

Sgt. Tim Fridman of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office said the grant funds will be used to help detectives enforce registry compliance and for detectives to conduct “verification sweeps” at registered offenders’ homes. He said the money also may be used to launch investigations through surveillance if officers receive a tip that an offender is not in compliance.

Fridman, who monitors all of the 131 registered sex offenders in the county, said officers check on the registered offenders at their homes at least twice a year.

“The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office is very proactive with our monitoring,” he said.

The amount of money the county received from the grant has, for the most part, “stayed consistent” the last few years, Fridman said. This year, Fridman said, he submitted an application for the grant and was fortunate to receive funds for he seventh year in a row. In years past, the grant funds have been used mostly to purchase surveillance equipment and to fund a civilian project manager, but due to budget cuts and receiving less grant money, this year’s funds will be used for enforcement purposes only.

“This money will be used for enforcement this year because of the rising number of sex offenders,” Fridman said, adding that the number of registered offenders has risen due to changes in the Maryland sex offender laws in 2010. Now, he said, anyone who is convicted of any sexual offense must register as such for certain amounts of time.

According to the press release, offenders found guilty of the most serious offenses, such as first- and second-degree rape, are required to re-register every three months for the rest of their lives. They are also under the constant supervision of specially trained, multidisciplinary teams throughout Maryland, known as Collaborative Offender Management/Enforced Treatment, the press release states.

Those found guilty of less serious offenses are required to register every six months for 25 years or annually for 15 years, depending on the severity of their crime, according to the press release, and offenders who say they are homeless are required to check in with local law enforcement once a week and let the authorities know where they can be found.

“We’ve been very successful in our compliance ... in the last few years,” Fridman said. “We do above and beyond what Maryland’s standards are for Calvert County.” ..Source.. by KATIE FITZPATRICK, Staff writer

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Grant to help monitor Maryland sex offenders

This is absolute insanity, it amounts to $912.00 per registrant. Babysitting money?

UPDATE: According to the NCMEC Map there are 7,864 which still means spending roughly $93.00 per registrants to verify addresses. Amazing waste of money.

7-26-2012 Maryland:

BALTIMORE — The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention is awarding nearly $730,000 to help local police agencies monitor sex offenders.

The agency announced the grants Wednesday to all 23 counties and Baltimore city. Baltimore city got about a quarter of the funds.

The agency says Maryland’s Sex Offender Registry contains nearly 800 names. Those guilty of the most serious offenses are required to re-register every three months for life.

Those convicted of less serious offenses must register at least annually for up to 25 years, depending on the severity of their crimes. ..Source.. by Washington Post

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Being on sex offender registry rarely limits employment

What? See highlight below!

7-22-2012 Maryland:

When Stephanie Rudisill used a contractor for her home, she was surprised to find out upon later research the man she let into her home was a registered sex offender.

He did not offend Rudisill in any way personally, and her one-year-old son was not harmed in any way, but it was shocking that she did not know about the contractor’s past, and she was surprised employers were not required to tell their clients.

Sex offenders listed on the Maryland sex offender registry are able to perform any job that is not full-time employment in a school or daycare, according to Sgt. Brad Brown at the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has been handling casework for sex offenders since July 2011. Brown said he sees a mixture of white collar and blue collar workers who are previous sex offenders. He said he has those on the sex offender registry work in places ranging from fast food to computer IT.

Following contracting, the food services are most likely to employ sex offenders in Carroll County. The auto industry also has a fair amount, from mechanics, to parts and car sales clerks. Sex offenders must disclose their employment address, which is listed on the registry. Those whose employments had an address in a shopping mall with many stores were listed as “Unable to Identify.”

“It is a bit of hurdle for some employers to get over that conviction of hiring a sex offender,” Brown said. “However, the thing is, if they can do the job and are not a danger to anyone at the business and the public in general, then why not?”

There are 203 registered sex offenders in Carroll County, with the most sexual offenders residing in Westminster zip codes. Westminster has 58 sex offenders, while 35 live in the 21136 zip code, which overlaps between Baltimore and Carroll counties in Reisterstown. Taneytown has 23, and Sykesville has 20 sex offenders who live in the area.

Most sex offenders listed on the sex offender registry are unemployed, according to data collected from the Maryland Sex Offender Registry. The second most popular profession is contracting, whether that be constructing, landscaping, welding or the like.

If a person is convicted of a crime that involves a sex offense, they are added to the registry. Prior to 2010, fourth-degree sex offenses and possession of child pornography did not necessarily mean a person would get onto the sex offender list, said Amy Ocampo, child abuse prosecutor with the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office. The judge had discretion prior to a 2010 law. Now, any sex offense will get a person onto the sex offender registry if convicted, Ocampo said.

“A lot of people think that the registry acts the same as probation; that it’s really meant to restrict what they can and can’t do,” she said. “It’s really more so with public notification.”

Disclosing to Employers

Sex offenders, regardless of the age of the victim, may not enter any school for elementary or secondary education, or any daycare facility. However, there are no residency restrictions for sex offenders; they may live near a school or day care facility if they choose, according to the Maryland Department of Public Safety.

Sex offenders are also able to work in a place of higher education, according to Brown.

“This prompts me to call that school to make them aware of that status,” Brown said. “I go ahead and let them know where they can and cannot be.”

Brown gave the example of Carroll County Community College, which has a daycare center in their college. Because of this, it has a blanket policy that does not allow sex offenders on the premise, whether they are going to college or attempting to become employed by the Carroll County Community College. A sex offender would have to go elsewhere in Carroll to receive or be employed by higher education, such as McDaniel College.

According to the sex offender registry, there are no sex offenders currently employed at McDaniel College.

“They have to completely disclose what employers they have, and if that employment takes them to another location,” Ocampo said.

She gave the example of a construction company based in Carroll County but has a lot of jobs in Montgomery County. It’s possible they would have to inform Montgomery County’s police department of their status as well, Ocampo said.

Sex offenders are not required to tell their employers they are sex offenders. The exception to the rule, Ocampo said, is when a worker is contracted to do work in a school or daycare. A sex offender is then required to tell their employer, so the employer is liable.

“They can’t just use the excuse of ‘Oh my boss told me I have to do this job here,’” Ocampo said.

Brown said he calls the employers after a change of employment in order to confirm their hire date, and make sure the employer knows they are employing a sex offender. Those on the registry must let Brown know within three days of their hire date.

“Sometimes I find our registrants are somewhat lackadaisical and could be working there several weeks and then call to let me know,” Brown said.

If a registrant disobeys the sex offender registry requirements, they are guilty of a misdemeanor on first offense, and guilty of a felony on a second offense, according to Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

If an employer were to run a background check on a sex offender, they would see a criminal history and the conviction, but would not specifically list if they are on the sex offender list. Employers will hear from Brown a few days after the hire date to let the employer know anyway.

“I find the majority of people on the registry don’t want to violate any of the registry requirements, and don’t want to violate the law period,” Brown said. “Most of them are compliant just like in society. Most people in society obey most laws.” ..Source.. by Kelcie Pegher Times Staff Writer

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Maryland Lawmakers Hope to Create Gun Offender Registry

Another registry, Lawmakers are stuck in that mode of thinking; that registries solve all ills. Do they?

5-4-2012 Maryland:

This new law would not create something quite as extensive as Family Watchdog, the national sex offender registry, but it would still keep constant records of the whereabouts of gun offenders. Under this plan, gun offenders would be required to personally report to the police every six months and provide an update of any crimes committed, aliases, current residence, and recent employment.

The type of crimes that would make someone qualify for constant government monitoring include anything from scratching off a gun's serial number to committing a crime with a handgun. Anybody who doesn't report within the specified window is subject to a $1,000 fine or 12 months in prison for each day that they are late.

Listen, all jokes aside, we understand what the lawmakers are trying to do here. They figure that a bad egg with a gun is someone who is a danger to public safety, and to an extent they may be right. On the one hand, these records will help the police keep track of gun offenders so that they can prevent or solve crimes more quickly. Nonetheless, just because something is helpful for the police doesn't make it right. Starting a gun registry that will put gun offenders on the same level as pedophiles is probably going overboard, and will undoubtedly cause quite a bit of public outcry.

This law was sponsored by Councilwoman Karen Toles, who has been pushing for improved public safety since entering office. She is already responsible for enhancing public safety regulations for nightclubs and businesses, and has helped to establish firmer security requirements. ..Source.. by Guns.com

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Maryland to Employers: Stop Asking for Facebook Passwords

See also: Maryland passes electronic privacy bill for further details.

4-11-2012 Maryland:

Maryland's General Assembly passed the first bill of its kind prohibiting employers from asking for the personal online information and was inspired by the controversy surrounding Maryland Corrections Officer Robert Collins, whose employers demanded his Facebook password as a condition of future employment. Collins took his case to the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed suit, bringing the issue to Congress.

Maryland ACLU legislative director Melissa Goemann said the ban "trail-blazed a new frontier in protecting freedom of expression in the digital age, and has created a model for other states to follow."

Additional legislation in other states and even a federal level may be next, as lawmakers all over the U.S. are turning their attention to this issue. Illinois and Michigan are gearing up on similar bills, while Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) announced his intention to sponsor a federal bill banning employers from asking for passwords or requiring candidates to "friend" them on Facebook.

The campaign to legislate this issue is increasingly partisan, with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives shooting down a "Mind Your Own Business On Passwords" provision, which attempted to outline the practice on a different bill earlier this year.


The need for guidelines is growing, shown by U.K. business psychology firm OPP's study finding over half of employers look at their prospects' Facebook information as part of the hiring process, so these new regulations could have a major effect on the employment process.

The Maryland bill sends a message to employers to stop snooping and adds a new wrinkle to the partisan fighting over privacy regulations. Companies and organizations may be reluctant to ease up on Facebook investigations, but more laws are likely in the pipeline to stop the practice. ..Source.. by Kate Knibbs

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USDOJ: Lead Administrator of Online Child Pornography Bulletin Board Pleads Guilty in Maryland to Child Pornography Conspiracy Charge

11-17-2011 Maryland:

WASHINGTON – A Cumberland, Md ., man pleaded guilty yesterday for his role as a lead administrator of an online child pornography bulletin board.

The guilty plea was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Postal Inspector in Charge Daniel S. Cortez of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Washington Division.

George Sell, 70, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Alexander Williams Jr of the District of Maryland to conspiracy to transport child pornography.

According to his plea agreement, from December 2006 through August 2008, Sell and others conspired to operate “Country Lounge,” a secure web-based bulletin board dedicated to trading images of child pornography. Members could join this group only upon invitation and after approval by the group’s administrators, including Sell. To obtain access to the bulletin board, members needed a log-in username and password. Members were instructed by a specific set of rules and guidelines on how to post images via “Country Lounge” to avoid detection from law enforcement. As of August 2008, 142 members belonged to the bulletin board, which was hosted on computer servers in Virginia and Texas. In October 2008, the bulletin board was seized by law enforcement authorities.

According to court documents, Sell conspired with other individuals to take control of “Country Lounge” from its former owner and administrator, directed the creation and operation of a new “Country Lounge,” and received technical advice and assistance from co-conspirators to obtain his goal of creating and operating a new “Country Lounge.” From December 2006 through July 2008, Sell was the “root administrator” and day-to-day manager of the bulletin board and conspired to transport images of child pornography. Sell admitted that he directed the daily management of the bulletin board, including direction over its layout and content, membership and the “rules” of the board. ..For the remainder of this article.. by US Department of Justice

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Falsely accused man awarded $852K

After finding the allegations "False," esp a few times in a row, why wasn't the woman arrested and charged with filing a false report?

7-18-2011 Maryland:

Unfounded allegations of child sexual abuse cost a Severn man months of quality time with his two young daughters and his job as a mortgage consultant with a local bank.

A county jury found that the false light put on Darryl Ginyard and the punitive damages he incurred after his ex-wife falsely accused him of sexually abusing their children were worth $850,000.

Last week's decision came more than a year after another county Circuit Court judge awarded Ginyard full custody of his girls, now 7 and 8 years old.

Ginyard was seeking $13 million in damages from his ex-wife, Amani Ginyard of Hanover, in a two-day civil hearing in Circuit Court in Annapolis.

According to Darryl Ginyard's attorney, Lorraine Lawrence-Whittaker, the couple had two young daughters. In 2005, the couple divorced. They entered into a custody agreement under which each parent would have equal time with the children.

But two months into the agreement, trouble began, Ginyard testified in court. He said he was scheduled to have the girls over for Christmas 2005. As the holidays approached, his ex-wife said she wanted the children with her.

Ginyard said his ex-wife sent county police to his home, alleging that the children were in trouble and that he was trying to take them out of town.

The following February, on Valentine's Day, Ginyard had custody over his eldest daughter while his ex-wife had their youngest girl. After that visit, it was alleged that Ginyard sexually abused his eldest daughter during the visit. The allegations were investigated and ruled unfounded.

Over the next two years Ginyard was accused of sexually assaulting both daughters seven more times. All of the accusations were ruled unfounded. He testified last week that as the allegations accumulated, questioning by detectives went from hour-long talks to two- to three-hour interrogations.

During the investigations, he lost custody of his children. After an allegation in March 2006, Ginyard wasn't allowed to see his girls for nine months. Starting in September 2007, following a separate allegation, he went six weeks without being allowed to see his girls.

The false reports also affected his job.

In 2006, sometime after his company's human resources department was notified of a court subpoena for child sexual assault, Ginyard was let go from his job at the bank, he testified. He was not able to find work with a bank until January of this year, he said.

All eight allegations, between February 2006 and March 2008, were first made to a therapist that Amani Ginyard took her girls to see. It is mandatory for therapists to report sexual abuse of minors that they learn about in private sessions.

Lawrence-Whittaker said the girls' mother was the only person alleging sexual assault to the therapist on behalf of her daughters. She said Ginyard would tell the therapist that the girls confided to her about the repeated sexual abuse.

But the girls denied to various parties, including court-appointed officials, that anything ever happened.

In February 2010, after a two-day trial, Circuit Court Judge Paul F. Harris Jr. ruled that the allegations were false and that Ginyard did nothing to his children. Harris reversed the earlier custody decision, giving primary custody to Darryl Ginyard. The girls' mother now gets visitation.

Lawrence-Whittaker said the case since has gone to the Court of Special Appeals, which upheld Harris' ruling.

Ginyard testified that the years of false allegations damaged his relationship with his daughters. He said he has become withdrawn with the girls and is afraid to do things normal parents do - like hug or snuggle with his children while watching a movie.

"I don't let them stay in my room a lot," he said. "I have to distance myself from them, no matter how much I care about them, because of the way things have transpired.

"… I don't want to put myself into a position like that at all."

Amani Ginyard's attorney, Michael G. Morin, said Darryl Ginyard did not suffer enough to get the money he was demanding.

He said his client didn't publicly accuse her ex-husband.

"He has suffered zero damages except his ego," Morin said.

He called Ginyard's lawsuit "a shot at the lottery."

But the jury thought differently, awarding Ginyard $2,000 in attorney's fees for malicious prosecution, $800,000, including attorney's fees, for being placed in a false light, and $50,000 in punitive damages.

The hearing was a chance for Ginyard to defend himself, his attorney said.

It was his "one chance to come before a jury and tell his story and tell what the allegations of sexually abusing your two young daughters do to you," Lawrence-Whittaker said.

"She dragged him through the mud," she said.

Amani Ginyard said she simply communicated her concerns of sexual abuse based on what her daughters were telling her and the emotional behavior that took place during those times. ..Source.. by HEATHER RAWLYK, Staff Writer

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Sheriff’s office works on police transition

6-5-2011 Maryland:

Training is continuing for deputies in the Carroll County Sheriff's Office as they prepare to take over services that have been performed by the Maryland State Police in Westminster.

Starting July 1, the state police will hand over some of the reins to the sheriff's office, making it the primary law enforcement provider in the county. The Carroll County Board of Commissioners recently voted to give the sheriff's office the primary law enforcement designation so that it can begin taking over two crucial state police services.

The sheriff's office is now preparing to take over the sex offender registry and the pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers database in time for the early-July transition.

Westminster barrack commander Lt. Andrew Winner said a state police trooper is in charge of the sex offender registry for Carroll. The trooper ensures all 160 sex offenders in Carroll are accounted for and are abiding by their parole or probation requirements.

"The importance of maintaining that registry and keeping those registered sex offenders in compliance is paramount," Winner said.

Capt. Clarence Lust, of the sheriff's office, said three deputies have been trained to take over the sex offender registry. One deputy, a sergeant, will handle the registry full time with an administrative assistant. Two deputies, Lust said, will serve as backup if the sergeant is gone due to illness, vacation or transfer.

The three deputies have been training with the state police since January, following the board of commissioners' decision for the law enforcement transition. The deputies, Lust said, have already been out in the field with their state police counterpart.

Lust said the sheriff's office is also preparing to take over the pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers database.

Cpl. Todd Liddick, with the state police, maintains and investigates cases involved with the database. Aside from his other investigative duties, Liddick said he spends between 15 and 20 hours a week working with the database.

The database keeps track of transactions made by every pawnbroker, secondhand dealer and junk dealer, and all scrap metal processors in Carroll, Liddick said. When something is reported stolen, Liddick said the database can be checked to see if anything was brought to a local secondhand dealer.

Lust said two deputies are being trained at the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission in Sykesville on the ins and outs of the database. One deputy will maintain the database as part of his responsibilities and another will serve as the backup, Lust said.

Aside from the training, Lust said the sheriff's office must also develop its own policies associated with the maintenance of the database. Lust said they have consulted with other agencies and sheriff's offices to find which policies they want to use.

The plan is for the sheriff's office to become the primary law enforcement agency in the county by replacing 45 Maryland State Police troopers with 42 new deputies over the next three years. Lust said he is confident that the sheriff's office will be ready to become the primary law enforcement provider in the county beginning on July 1. ..Source.. by Christian Alexandersen, Times Staff Write

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Univ. identifies student sex offenders

4-20-2011 Maryland:

Office of student conduct finds four students guilty of assaults in 10 years, CNS reports

Four university students have been found guilty of sexual assault over the last 10 years, including a former Terps quarterback who left the university without explanation in 2006, according to information obtained by a group of student journalists.

The Office of Student Conduct released the information to student reporters at the journalism college's Capital News Service last month after more than three years of university resistance and an opinion by state Attorney General Doug Gansler last year that rejected the university's argument that the names were private information.

According to a CNS report that aired Thursday, ___ was suspended for sexually assaulting another student on the campus, although the details of the actual incident were not released by the university. He subsequently transferred to Jacksonville State, a Division II school.

The other three students found guilty in Office of Student Conduct investigations over the years were ___, ___ and ___; no further details on their incidents were available.

Allison Bennett, director of the university's Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program, said the fact the list only includes four students doesn't mean the crime isn't happening frequently at this university — according to the U.S. Department of Justice, one in five women will be sexually assaulted while in college, and only 5 percent actually report it.

"This shows that a lot of people are not being held accountable for these crimes," she said. "Often survivors do not want to come forward, so there are few actual suspects. This is a tiny, tiny percentage of people actually being found guilty. There are a tremendous number of people getting away with this and that is unacceptable."

CNS broadcast bureau Director Sue Kopen Katcef, a journalism professor who oversaw the investigation, said even though she had heard a rumor that an athlete had been punished for sexually assaulting another student, she was still surprised to see his name on the list three years later.

"We were stunned," she said. "We had no idea what we were going to get, whether we were going to get nothing or volumes of material. We just decided we wanted to able to quantify what was being done by the administration on this issue. That's really at the core of what we wanted to find."

Statham could not be reached for comment yesterday. Athletics spokesman Doug Dull declined to comment.

CNS students first began uncovering the prevalence of on-campus sexual assaults in 2008 through a six-month investigation that resulted in a Terp Weekly Edition radio report entitled, "Out of the Shadows." CNS student and journalism major Danielle Lama conducted the final investigation and put together last week's most recent report.

Kopen Katcef said her students asked the university to release the names but were told the information was protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects students' records. Student Conduct Director John Zacker agreed to comply after Gansler's opinion. Last month, after paying more than $300 in processing fees that Lama fundraised, the student journalists finally got the list.

University and CNS alumna Alex Moe, who worked on the project last spring when Gansler's opinion was released, said the information was the public's right to know.

"We weren't really sure what we were going to uncover," she said. "It doesn't matter if it's an athlete or whoever. The fact is, there are 35,000 other students on this campus who deserve to know."

Bennett said she has faith that the university prosecutes all students found guilty of sexual assaults. However, based on the scarce information released by the Office of Student Conduct, she said it's hard to say whether the punishment fits the crime — only one of the students found guilty was expelled, and the other three were suspended for a year and forced to meet certain requirements, such as staying away from the victim and writing reflective essays.

And although the released information still leaves many questions to be answered, Bennett said she is hopeful the CNS report will encourage students to come forward when they are assaulted and show that anyone — even an athlete — is capable of committing such a crime.

"I think people will be surprised by this," Bennett said. "It's often assumed offenders are creepy men who don't have access to consensual sex and need to prey on women to get sex. But often, it's someone who is in a position of power and uses that to victimize women. They use those positions of power to hurt people." ..Source..

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Why not track sex offenders?

Tracking "Watermen" is not necessarily legal, a read of this story tells us, whoever boarded the boat to install the mysterious device (Here revealed) has violated Maritime Law as to when a boat may be boarded. The silence of the ACLU may very well signify they are working on a waterman case and a possible lawsuit. GPS devices are riddle with problems and costly, and vendors say, they will not prevent crimes.

2-22-2011 Maryland:

A freshman delegate from the Lower Shore has introduced a bill that would require certain convicted sex offenders to wear a GPS tracking device at all times as a condition of probation or release from prison. Delegate Mike McDermott, R-38B-Worcester, pointed out that authorities only know where these offenders tell them they are living or working, but have no means to track them in their daily travels and routines.

Maryland's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has expressed opposition to lifetime electronic tracking of convicted sex offenders, saying it is an ineffective deterrent to repeat offenses, and also saying it could increase recidivism rates and "gobble up" law enforcement resources.

Oddly, the ACLU has not issued any official statement on a related issue -- the state Department of Natural Resources use of similar tracking devices on watermen's boats to catch poachers.

The ACLU statement about tracking sex offenders is focused on the fact that the devices do nothing to prevent crimes, but only become useful after a crime is committed. That is true, but why then is it apparently (based on the silence) acceptable to track watermen who are, admittedly, breaking the law, but not in a way that could possibly impact anyone in the way that a sexual assault would?

And while tracking sex offenders may not actually prevent any crime from being committed, it would without question make it a lot easier to figure out (and prove in court) who committed the crime and where any missing victims might be located.

Besides, nobody is talking about tracking registered sex offenders whose crime involved consensual relations between teenagers or young adults who straddled the age divide (one 18- to 21-year-old and one under-18 partner, for example). Tracking would be for serious or, as McDermott phrased it, "bad sex offenders" who are convicted of Tier III offenses --incest, first-degree rape, sexual abuse of a minor and sale of a minor, along with some additional second-degree offenses and other specific situations.

The cost is minimal --$10-$27 per offender per day. A portion or all of this cost could be borne by the offender, and even if that isn't possible, it's far less costly than lengthy incarceration.

If surreptitiously placing GPS devices on boats to catch poachers is OK, surely there is no valid objection to similarly tracking convicted sex offenders. ..Source.. EDITORIAL from delmarvaNOW.com

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