So on one hand, we have a highly publicized operation showcasing mass arrests and zero tolerance messaging. On the other hand, we now get to see what happens when the allegations involve someone wearing the badge inside Sheriff Judd’s own department. Let’s find out if accountability applies equally when it’s not part of a press conference.

SOURCE

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The post Polk County: Let’s See What Happens When It’s One of Their Own appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

The post Member Submission: A cautionary tale. appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

Florida lawmakers are preparing to add new restrictions on where certain registered sex offenders are allowed to live, blocking them from housing near public pools, which include splash pads and a variety of water recreation attractions. While presented as a way of protecting children from predators, in truth, these new rules would push registrants farther into the shadows, into homelessness, and in some cases, make it harder to supervise these people because they will go underground or leave the state.

The legislation would accordingly add the new category of “public swimming pools” to residency restrictions for sex offenders with young victims under 16. There are a lot of public pools in Florida, so—not surprisingly—advocates for registrants objected strenuously to the original bill, which was even broader, restricting residency near all state public waterways, not just pools. They argued it would make large swaths of the state off limits and increase housing instability for registrants.

Experts confirm that the proposed policy would, whether intentionally or not, make it harder for affected sex offenders to find places to live. A legislative report found that “The Department of Corrections supervises 6,124 sex offenders, of whom approximately 2,992 could be affected by this bill. The Department states in its agency analysis that 12,985 inmates, when released, would be impacted by the bill. The increased residential restrictions could make it difficult to obtain stable housing. Currently, 334 supervised sex offenders are classified by the Department as homeless and the number will likely increase if this bill takes effect.”

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The post REASON: Florida’s new sex offender registrant restrictions will not improve public safety appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

HB 1159, sponsored by Rep. Berny Jacques, R-District 59, increases penalties for adults using children in a sexual performance from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony with a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years. If the child was under 12 at the time, it becomes a life felony offense with a minimum of 25 years.

Knowingly creating or distributing child sexual abuse material would become a second-degree felony, as would engaging in sexual contact with an animal. Ownership of a “child-like sex doll” would become a third-degree felony rather than the first-degree misdemeanor it is now.

SOURCE

The post Bills increase penalties for sexual offenses in Florida appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

One registrant tried to report in Polk county, but arrived at the office to find a sign on the door letting them know the office was closed on December 24, 25, and 26. With their registration office being closed on Saturday and Sunday, that leaves a period of 132 hours where it’s impossible to report IN PERSON.

The law does not specify business hours, the law does not exclude hours where the registration office is closed, there’s no exception from criminal liability where someone shows up to register and there’s a “Closed” sign on the door.

So, to avoid a 3rd Degree Felony and potential 5 years in prison (but a mandatory minimum 6 months on an ankle monitor), what do you do?

Unfortunately, there’s no good answer. You can try calling (or better yet, emailing – so there’s a record) the FDLE (info below) and hope they give you an answer that’s better than “we can’t give you legal advice, you need to call an attorney”. Truth is, attorneys don’t know what to do either, since the law is written without exception and nobody has filed a lawsuit compelling their county registration office to remain open.

You can also try calling your county registration office when they are open and asking them what to do in a situation where you have a 48 hour window to report something but your sheriff’s office is closed. Contact info for every county can be found here.

Please share any information you get (along with who you spoke with) in the comments, so that someone else in your county will know what you’ve been told and multiple people don’t call the same office with the same question. Also remember that any information posted here is not legal advice and is not a legal authority.

sexpred@fdle.state.fl.us
Toll-free: 1-888-357-7332 (M-F 8:00am – 5:00pm, Eastern)
Local:1-850-410-8572

The post Impossible to Comply. What should you do in the event it’s impossible to comply? appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

The operation was dubbed “Operation Dirtbag” by Noem.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-and-state-florida-arrest-230-criminal-alien-sexual-predators-violent-criminals-10

The post UPDATED: Now more than 230 illegal immigrant sex offenders arrested in massive Florida crackdown appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

One member who was violated wrote, “I do not think of the place I live as a trailer it has been in the same place for at least 35 years . It has no tongue for a vin. It has no wheels can’t be pulled down the road no lights no tag.”. One would think that such a structure would not be considered registrable under “vehicles owned” and instead registered the home as their permanent residence. Common sense would dictate that if this is where you reside, where the permanent structure has been affixed for decades, this would satisfy the requirement.

The Highlands County Sheriffs Office and prosecutors don’t think so. Even though dozens of people have been registering for years and this is the first time it comes up, the past couple of weeks it became an issue for the Sheriffs office and they did a mass round up.

Although many of you have reached out to FAC for guidance, since this is a criminal matter, the only person you should be taking guidance from is your criminal defense attorney. The violation is a felony and registrants are being charged with a separate count for each time they went in to re-register and didn’t register the mobile home as a “vehicle”, some of our members are facing serious prison time for an unknowing violation of the law.

The post Highlands County Rounds up Dozens for Mobile/Manufactured Home FTRs appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

This individual didn’t commit a new crime. He didn’t abscond, fail to appear for years, or attempt to hide. He made a human error — forgetting a date on the calendar — and now faces severe legal consequences; a new felony charge and additional incarceration. The incident is a powerful example of how easily one slip can spiral into a major legal and personal setback under Florida’s rigid registry system.

It’s also a reminder of the importance of vigilance. Even those who have been fully compliant for years can fall victim to the complexities of Florida’s ever-changing reporting requirements. FAC strongly encourages everyone who must register to take advantage of our FREE Registration Reminder Service, designed to help prevent exactly this kind of situation. To learn more or sign up, visit floridaactioncommittee.org/reminder.

Sometimes, it’s not bad intentions—but simple forgetfulness—that leads to the harshest consequences.

SOURCE

The post A Harsh Lesson in Forgetfulness: No Bond for Late Registration. appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

You can read a copy of the ordinance here: Union County Ordinance 2025-04

The post Union County, Florida was next to pass harsh residency restrictions appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).

Attorneys for Michael Crist have filed a notice seeking review of an appellate decision that upheld Florida’s requirement that people classified as “sexual predators” have that exact phrase printed in bold letters on their driver’s licenses. Crist, who was accused in 2019 of trying to cover the label with a sticker, argued that the mandate violates the First Amendment by forcing individuals to carry and display the state’s message on personal identification.

While the 5th District Court of Appeal rejected that argument, Judge Scott Makar issued a powerful dissent, pointing out that compelled government speech must be narrowly tailored. Other states, including Louisiana and Alabama, have already ruled that such branding is unconstitutional. Makar noted that Florida could easily use a less intrusive method, such as a statute number or internal code (as it already does for individuals labeled “sex offenders”) rather than plastering stigmatizing words across an ID.

The majority opinion tried to downplay the harm by claiming a license is “normally hidden from public view.” But as we all know, driver’s licenses are constantly required to be shown — at airports, banks, workplaces, when buying alcohol or cigarettes, when purchasing with a credit card, and more. Forcing people to repeatedly display a scarlet-letter label turns every interaction into an act of public shaming.

Supporters of the law, including former State Senator Lauren Book, have framed the designation as a “community safety tool.” But branding IDs is not about safety. Have people historically shown IDs before they committed a sexual offense? It is about punishment and perpetual humiliation — a burden that extends far beyond a prison sentence and undermines the basic constitutional protections that are supposed to apply to all citizens.

The Florida Supreme Court now has an opportunity to consider whether compelled government speech in the form of scarlet-letter driver’s licenses crosses the line into unconstitutional territory.

We will continue to monitor developments closely. If the Court agrees to hear the case, it could open the door to meaningful change.

The post Florida Supreme Court to Review “Sexual Predator” Driver’s License Labeling appeared first on Florida Action Committee (FAC).