Bahamas looking to establish a sex offender registry

The Bahamas, formerly one of the few countries close to the United States where persons required to register as sex offenders could still travel to, may soon become closed off as the country moves to create its own registry.

National Security Minister Marvin Dames told a reporter yesterday that “officials are also making progress toward the creation of a sexual offenders registry,”

What that means for Bahamians and those traveling to the island is still unclear, but the article indicates that the registry would be made public.

The same article stated that the minister called “BS” on a US State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) report stated incidents involving US citizens in the Bahamas increased by 32 percent. In fact, he said, crime decreased.

In case anyone wants to write to the reporter to present an opposing point of view on registries: KHRISNA RUSSELL [email protected]

 

 


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33 thoughts on “Bahamas looking to establish a sex offender registry

  • October 21, 2020

    I have a question. My boyfriend is on the list and we are planning on taking a trip to the Bahamas and we are trying to find out if he can even travel there or would he need to call and talk to someone about what he would have to do to go there.

    Reply
    • February 22, 2021

      What did you find out about this?

      Reply
  • August 16, 2020

    I put in for a vacation to Florida, and my PO told me that Florida does not want me there. We tried Ft. Lauderdale and Pensecola. Then we decided to try the Smokey Mountains. Again, we were told that they do not want SO’s there. So even though you are not in prison, you really are not free. It’s a terrible feeling to be treated like this.

    Reply
    • February 21, 2023

      I know for a fact that out of state RSOs can visit anywhere in Florida. I am on the registry myself. But I know leaving certain states if you come down to visit you go by the offended state and the state you travel to. There was a guy that moved down here from missouri and has to where an anklet even though he moved to Florida. So be careful with the state you were charged in.

      Reply
  • June 28, 2019

    To all my fellow RSO travelers. i recently found out that every restriction posted or told to us is not true. I found that Royal Caribbean Cruises takes us on a case by case basis. you present your case to their security team and they make a decision to let you sail or not. Good news if they say yes as they did with me you never have to do it again and are allowed to sail with them all the time. As far as countries and islands and so on the best thing to do is research it and not believe what happened to someone else. you do not know their case and maybe it is worse than yours and that is why they were denied. My best suggestion is contact the local Embassy here in the States and ask them if they allow RSO’s (get a name of who you talked to) or ask them if they base it on a case by case basis

    Reply
    • July 20, 2019

      If you don’t mind me asking, what was your offense and how long ago? My boyfriend has some pretty serious offences but they are 20+ years old. Just wondering his chances if he tries with the security team and how you even go about doing that. Thanks!

      Reply
      • July 20, 2019

        charged with 5 counts of possession of material under the age of 18. but it is confusing because i never viewed or shared the material the judge said on the final paperwork that there were no victims under the age of 18. this happened in 2014. I had a member of the security team call me back because i sent an e-mail to all the cruise lines after hearing the horror stories and asked them if i was a registered sex offender could i sail with them. Royal Caribbean is the only one so far that responded. Their security team called me and said that if i planned to sail with them i had to present my case to them and they would make a decision yes or no.

        Reply
        • January 22, 2024

          Just be prepared, Royal Caribbean never says yes. They string you along until about a week before your trip, then turn you down.

          Reply
      • July 20, 2019

        Pretty sad 20 ago and they are still dealing with this

        Reply
    • January 14, 2020

      If they say yes, that’s great they’ll let you cruise. However, they’ll call you again your next cruise and the cruise after that and the cruise after that.

      Reply
      • January 14, 2020

        Not true Stephanie, the security team for Royal Caribbean cleared me to sail with them and they made a note in their computer for any future cruises that i might want to take with them i was cleared to do so. The only restriction i have is that if the cruise goes to an island that doesn’t allow RSO’s i have to get an approval from the embassy of that country/island if not i have to stay on the ship until the next stop

        Reply
    • August 15, 2020

      How do you get a hold of the security team to plead my case before I even try to book a cruise?

      Reply
      • August 16, 2020

        each cruise line has their own security team i sent a random e-mail to the cruise line explaining my situation and the security team responded. If you call them and ask them for their security teams e-mail/ PH# they will provide it and you can skip a step that i had to do

        Reply
    • November 10, 2021

      Can you update this please? I was cleared to go on royal Caribbean for eight years since 2013 and sailed over 20 times within that time. Recently, earlier this year they said they change their policy to now we’re no sex
      Offenders are allowed on their ships. So I had five other cruises they were pending and they were essentially canceled and refunded back to me immediately.

      Reply
      • November 10, 2021

        Update: November 2021 I spoke to the security team today at 4 and they repeated that they take us on a case by case basis. i don’t know who you spoke to but i would try someone else. I heard the same thing about the Dominican Republic and i just came back from spending a week in the Dominican so maybe it was an employee that does not like RSO’s that told you that or maybe they dont like your case (mine does not involve a minor)

        Reply
        • April 28, 2022

          Did you Cruise or Fly to The DR? You said you stayed a week? Did you report International Travel dor the DR? Or did you go someplace else and then went to the DR without direct notice. I have been before and very worried to go because of the possible ban and turn around others have experienced. Have never heard of cruising to the DR and staying a week!

          Thanks

          Reply
          • April 28, 2022

            I flew to DR direct from Miami (2 hour fight) and i reported my travel to the local Sherriff’s office at least 20 days before i left as we are required to do. it was my first time and maybe the deny me on my next trip who knows. i always contact the local authority before i arrive in any country to see if there is a ban or if i will be banned as i have a different case than most on the registry. Most but not all countries / cruise lines will take it on a case by case basis. I have been banned from countries that say there is no ban on us like Ukraine. On my last visit there 2019 before the war Interpol was contacted by an American authority and told that it was in their best interest to ban me from that country for a few years, so they did. i had a 3 year ban from Ukraine. I have heard this from others on the registry so i recommend that you book a direct flight to where your going. If your banned from that country they will not let you past customs here in the states if it is a direct flight. if you take a connecting flight like i did FL to Poland to Ukraine they will let you get to Poland before denying you entry to the plane to Ukraine. I am working on moving to Europe and claiming amnesty due to the fact that most European countries find the registry a direct violation of our human rights

            Reply
            • May 4, 2022

              Wow your experience is very different than mine and others. I have been to the same country multiple times reported directly 21 days and sometimes no issues other sent back due to the USA wants us to return you. I also have had changes in plans and once outside and had no issues going to other countries that I had not listed beforehand cause I didn’t know I was going. The Documents shown to me showed the USA was sending emails or Alerts to the direct reported country only. One customs agent said the flight Manifest had me flagged. It is truly sad the games played on us wanting to go on vacation. I don’t have a stamp or underage charge. I know people for example who go to Mexico by land with zero issues yet a flight and advance travel notice will get you returned and banned permanently. I have talked with others who believe a Alert is worldwide during your planned travel is in play as they extended past due back day and was allowed to enter a country that would normally have sent you back. Again all the documents I have been able to obtain on my travels show a simple email and not a Interpol Green notice. Land crossings never been a issue. It’s just a crazy system I always try to follow the rules but seems inconsistent. Would love to go to the DR again but worried will get a ban if I do the notice and fly directly. Very surprised about Poland to Ukraine doubt it would have happened land crossing. Let’s face it no country really wants to be bothered with a criminal is coming to your country! The agents figure easier to send you back and make USA happy. The funny part is when I have been returned the USA says we don’t have any block on you and even suggested I go back and try again! Luckily they are always great with me wonder why I am even having to deal with this and waive me out of secondary fast. I am hesitant to travel to many places for fear of just getting added on more countries ban lists. A cruise is even worse as you are required to list each known port. Kinda makes ya wanna just go on a open ended charter so just list your first stop. Its really silly if you are leaving the USA and have never had a issue in the Destination Country why we are Harassed.

              Reply
              • May 4, 2022

                To anyone wanting to go on a cruise but your on the registry. Some cruise lines have adult only cruises and if you contact the security team ahead of time going on those cruises may not be a problem.

                Reply
  • June 27, 2019

    Can a sex offender travel to Turks and cacios

    Reply
  • April 25, 2019

    Foundations of the Police State

    Reply
  • April 25, 2019

    Kind of repeating myself here but the United States puts pressure on all of these other countries and provinces to establish some sort of registry and keep any RSO from traveling anywhere. They started it they blast false numbers and information to scare everyone else and they do not want us here.
    Matter of time before they place us all on an island (which has started with the registered living restrictions)

    Reply
    • April 25, 2019

      The best we can do is contact that author and expose the scheme.

      Reply
      • February 13, 2020

        Do we know of any instance of a US official trying to persuade or pressure a foreign official to enact a registry of their own and list their own countrymen?

        I’ve that allegation several times today, and it’s very interesting but not at all the same as getting them to deny travel entry.

        If it’s something that’s actually happening, we ought to have a lead on at least one instance of it.

        Reply
    • February 13, 2020

      There are only 6 countries in the entire world with a registry. The United States with all its do-gooders is the ONLY country with a public registry. Now I can understand putting a violent offender on the registry, but most of the people on there are low tier offenses. I did nothing more than look at pictures. These women sit around and dream up things to keep kids safe and go home at night thinking they have accomplished something. None of them bother to actually read statistics that show how wrong they are. An inconvenient truth. Only 4% of offenders ever re-offend. 95% of offenders knew their victim in some way. It’s a crime of convenience. The recidivism rate is 54% because of the Draconian hardships of the registry. An attorney told me once he would have a difficult time not breaking those inane rules. So the rates are very skewed because of the technical violations you incur from the registry, such as failure to report losing a job. Yes, you can be locked up for that.

      Reply
      • February 13, 2020

        Jim – there are more than 6 countries with registries and earlier this month we posted that Trinidad’s is going public.

        Reply
        • August 16, 2020

          The real problem is you if you are on probation you have to get past that first. They are very strict. I am pretty sure they lie about saying some place does not want you. If that is true, why don’t those places just make it a searchable criteria so you don’t waste time thinking about going there?

          Reply
        • October 22, 2020

          Yes, I see there are 29 now, thanks to the good old USA. How many of these are public? Used to be the US only.

          Reply

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