FAC Weekly Update 2026-09-02-The Word of the Week is “Retaliation”
Weekly update for September 2, 2026. This is recording number 389.
Dear Members and Advocates,
There are weeks when you just have to wonder whether the people running the registry understand how their own actions help make our case for us.
Within a couple of weeks after being named as a defendant, Flagler County conducted what it called a “first of its kind” enforcement operation targeting people on the registry. Coincidence? We aren’t going to tell you what to think. But we will tell you that their own local news, FlaglerLive, noticed the timing, too. In an article headlined “On Heels of Lawsuit Challenging Registrations, Flagler Sheriff Arrests 40 Sex Offenders In Compliance Sweep,” FlaglerLive specifically connected the operation to FAC’s lawsuit and observed that the timing “may not have been as coincidental as it seems.”
It seems that after being sued, Flagler County reviewed its entire population of registrants – 139 people – and arrested 40 of them (representing approximately 30% of the entire registered population in the county). The Sheriff’s Office announced 168 felony registration violation charges. This wasn’t an operation that uncovered people committing new sex crimes. According to the reporting, none of those arrested was accused of committing a new sex offense. The arrests were about alleged failures to comply with the extraordinarily complicated registration requirements – things like failing to report an internet identifier or update vehicle information.
And then came the press conference. Sheriff Rick Staly appeared with members of his department, representatives from FDLE, and Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark. And, graciously making the trip from Tallahassee, FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass (the main Defendant in the lawsuit) showed up in his cowboy hat. Commissioner Glass was asked about FAC’s lawsuit. His response was that he could not comment on ongoing litigation. Fair enough. But perhaps the operation and Commissioner Glass’ presence at the press conference itself was a form of commentary. Sending a message to the registrant community that if we’re going to sue them, this is what they have the power to do to us. Message received… and shared with our lawyers.
And then, at the end of the press conference, Sheriff Staly delivered what may be one of the most useful statements in this case. His final message to registrants; “move out of Flagler County. I don’t care where you go.” (fast forward to 43 minutes into the press conference). His message to people on the registry in Flagler County was, in substance, to leave Flagler County. That’s quite a message from a public official to a class of people who have supposedly completed their sentences and are supposedly being subjected to a mere “civil” regulatory scheme. Thank you, Sheriff. Seriously. That statement may be one of the best exhibits we could ask for.
There were some other “curious” developments last week. FAC was invited to appear as a guest on NPR’s Friday Roundup program. We were scheduled to discuss our lawsuit and what it means – not just for people on the registry, but for constitutional rights and the limits of government power. A couple of days before the program, we were told that we had been bumped. That’s television and radio. Things change. Stories develop. We understand that. Still, we were curious, so we tuned in to see who took our slot and were surprised (ok, totally not surprised) to learn that the replacement guest was Lauren Book. We had a similar experience with another South Florida publication. An eager journalist scheduled an interview with FAC last week. On the day of the interview, however, the journalist got “sick” and the interview was canceled. We haven’t heard back. We hope they’re feeling better.
We won’t speculate about why these programming decisions were made. We weren’t in the room, and we may never know what happened behind the scenes. But it does remind us that there’s a very powerful opposition pushing their own self-serving narrative surrounding sex-offender laws in Florida, and they will use their wealth and power to try to silence our voice in the conversation. Of course, none of this changes what we are doing. FAC’s federal lawsuit is moving forward. We did not file this case because we expected government officials to applaud us. We filed it because constitutional rights are not supposed to depend upon whether the government likes the people exercising them. And that is ultimately what this fight is about.
The good news is that the efforts to obstruct and silence our voices in the media won’t work in the courtroom. And the events in Flagler County may have been intended to demonstrate the County’s everlasting and unyielding power over us, but instead, it demonstrated exactly why the registry needs to be challenged.
Stay strong and let’s keep fighting,
The Florida Action Committee
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Look at FAC youtube for updates on yesterday’s operations in Jacksonville announced
https://youtu.be/2tOPazxQ2mQ?is=nwQbSqFCxYzkKF92
The story concerning Flagler Counry was on Fox News digital yesterday. I made a comment pointing out that the “sweep” was not about new sex crimes but technical violations! Needless to say I received not very nice responses claiming all sorts of things about me and my opinion. Also, I reported some of the
excessively hateful and brutal comments. The article was off the headlines earlier or this morning.
It was immediately apparent that this so called sweep was in response to the Law Suit! It almost made me chuckle to know the desperation lurking in the minds of this group in Flagler. All the more reason to be victorious.
@D
What did you expect from others? The understanding mostly comes from those who are on the registry or their families members. Although a few friends and a small percentage of the public stand with us, the scale is huge on the hater’s side. There is no shortage of hate towards us.
What is weird, I got no push back from my victim and their family and they never came to court, but people I did not even know and did not live on my street, left nasty notes on our door over night, sliced our tires and threw dog poo on our cars. (We finally had to get cameras)
An example of how much hate there is and misuse of the registry…. I had a early termination of probation hearing yesterday (still awaiting ruling). on Tues day, someone randomly texted my phone with all of my information they got off the registry. they later called my phone when i didnt answer the text. They threatened the life of me and my family. They demanded $5000 from me or I would pay in blood. They said they would come to my house. No one has showed up to my house yet. I think it was a scam and scare tactic to get me to pay. But I find it ironic that it happened the day before my hearing. So I feel the registry is creating more victims than its actually saving. I saved the texts, and informed my family to be vigilant. I have my cameras on at my house. I’m a retired combat vet, so its not the first death threat Ive had. I just want to say be vigilant because with the lawsuit at hand, we could all become targets for scammers, threats and even bodily injury.
My instinct says to chase down who might have access to your phone number. Do they post that on the website in such a way that someone entering random numbers can figure it out?
If the website can be reverse engineered, then it probably was just a scam. Even so, don’t be scared, just be prepared. I hope you get off probation soon so you can properly defend yourself should the situation warrant.
If a scumbag showed up at my door looking for trouble, they sure would find it!
Even on probation, I know how to properly defend my home. I could be someone who got my number in any several ways and then just looked me up on the registry.
https://youtu.be/MVJzjtr4xDE?is=fntfRGbD0KVHoHTj
Mach so sorry that happened to you and I hope you get early termed. My advice for us is this. Dont answer the door, phone or text unless that phone number is in your contacts and secondly Get a nice German Shephard. lol mine goes about 75 pounds and if you see him in the front window you are not coming in lol
This is why the registry need to be LEO only, not public facing.
.Just found out I got denied for early term because of the states BS objection. I have 1 more year left on probation. I’m taking every precaution for awhile and even changing my routine alot
Mach sorry to hear that. It stinks for sure I had 10 years of probation and at my 5-year mark I went back to get early termination. The judge was great there was no real public outcries then. well Until, about a month before the hearing is when the JC killed JL up in Hernando County. Yep, denied and the judge was leaving that division. I went back 7 more times over the next 5 years, and I finally got early term the middle of December the victim was there and everything (and had been there before) supporting my motion. I finally got it. I did 9 years 11 months and 13 days of a 10-year probation term but I got off early.
Saying all this to give you encouragement: NEVER GIVE UP.
https://youtu.be/8YKsDuVd2R0?is=vEUIl2f_fUsjwqEe
Mentions in this
Machiacelli
Sad they cannot just rule right then and there. I waited a month for a ruling, just to be denied. I would have rather been denied that day instead of sitting on pins, needles and porcipine spikes with anticipation.
Praying that you get your successful ruling my friend. I am not jealous, I am just glad for those who can get removed. Maybe one day it will be my turn, if not I will get my satisfaction in Heaven. With my bad luck, I will live to be 120 and still be on the registry LOL.
Hey all does anyone have the Pacermonitor link for FAC v Glass, et. al.
https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/66189492/FLORIDA_ACTION_COMMITTEE,_INC_v_GLASS_et_al
Thank you