International Megan’s Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders (IML) was supposed to be a tool for the federal government to notify other countries regarding the international travel of sex offenders. In theory, it was supposed to authorize federal agents to provide warnings in the form of a “green notice” to the receiving country. By providing this notice, the receiving country could protect their children from sexual abuse.
The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Smith said, “With its international law enforcement relations, technological and communications capability, and established sex offender registry system, the United States must lead the global community in the effort to save thousands of potential child victims by notifying other countries of travel by sex offenders who pose a high risk of exploiting children overseas. In turn, we must impress upon other countries that they are expected to do the same. Children everywhere deserve no less.”
That was the theory… In practice, IML has been a miserable failure. Perhaps the most glaring example; yesterday, a formal Federal Agent was sentenced to 124 months in prison for traveling to the Philippines to sexually assault a 14 year old.
In a statement contained in a press release announcing the sentence, Homeland Security Special Agent R. Sean Fitzgerald, stated, “this sentence sends an important message to all predators. We will not allow any crime against children to go unpunished,” “We, alongside our law enforcement partners, are committed to holding these kind of criminals accountable for their heinous crimes.” Very strong words, but what does he mean by sending a message to ‘all predators’, ‘our law enforcement partners’ and ‘these kind of criminals’? The individual convicted was a federal agent! He is your law enforcement partner. What did IML do to protect his victim or prevent his conduct?
Each year IML blocks thousands of individuals from traveling internationally. It prevents people from visiting ailing relatives in other countries. It prevents businesspersons from doing legitimate international business. And it prevents people with absolutely no nefarious intent from taking a family vacation to a country they always wanted to visit. While the federal government is aware of the very low rate of recidivism of people with a history of a sexual offense, they indiscriminately presume that everyone in this category has the sole intention of committing a sexual offense when traveling, while they themselves are free to travel and commit the crimes anyhow.
Despite this tool, a law enforcement agent was able to commit the exact offense it was intended to prevent! IML is a failure!
Please write to your representative in congress and ask them to abolish IML: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
IML is an amazing success. From the law enforcement industrial conplex point of view that is. It gets funded without question or having to show any results.
Meanwhile in all of North Florida, the registry has failed registrants forced to sleep on the streets during multiple nights of below freezing temperatures. This is a blatant violation of human rights. Where is the outrage?
JZ
I will keep them in my prayers and hope that some group that isn’t biased will at least bring them some blankets and some coffee.
FAC, after reading the linked press release more carefully, question were you are getting, “agent for the very agency that welds it was able to commit the exact offense it was intended to prevent.”
Are you saying that his job was to implement IML?
I went back and read that he is with the USPS OIG. Maybe I need my vision checked, but I don’t want to make a glaring mistake when I complain to my representative’s office.
You are correct – in general terms, it’s the federal government.
Another Sex Offender Registry Failed Them article here. Again, in the 95% we have folks like this person who was on the inside. Yep, the registry failed them, overseas this time.
sure does the feds want to push SORNA on yet they cant even control there on dept and staff
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/pr/former-federal-agent-sentenced-126-months-enticing-minor-and-engaging-sex-tourism
There are too many predators hiding in these positions, and they should be considered the most dangerous because of their ability to hide in these positions where no one would ever question them. I still can’t believe how many people in law enforcement spend so much time working sex crimes and keep creating more of this work, especially child porn and other child sex crimes without ever having to pass any kind of psych eval or any other kind of screening to make sure they are individuals with healthy minds that are not using this work to satisfy their own sexual desires/pleasures. We know there are so many that have done exactly that, and it keeps happening.
What about even just having a system to identify officers who spend a lot of time creating a lot of sex cases to work? That should be a big red flag. There should definitely be something put in place to help identify red flags from officers who work sex crimes, and then that system can also be applied to all other officers in some way. Something needs to be done for sure. What about a system that allows others in the system to report police officers’ red flag 🚩 behaviors? And the system should ensure that those reporting red flag behaviors from police officers will be protected and not be retaliated against. That would be a good start, and it’s very doable.
It’s hard to tell whether the former agent in the press release ever worked a sex crime. Probably not.
I have an uniquely identified, IML-marked passport. My offense was more than 25 years ago with a consenting teenager.
(No, I did not rape the classroom full of kindergarteners. 🙄)
It’s time to abolish the Registries. They are miserable failures that only continue punishment and do nothing whatsoever to protect anyone…… As we see time and time again, everyday, with new sexual abuse cases in the headlines. Teachers, coaches, step parents, clergy, tutors, AND, yes, law enforcement officers!!
Do we know whether there’s ever been a report of a U.S. registered sex offender re-offending overseas?
Pre- or post-IML, has it happened even once??
Anybody know whether reports of foreign sexual exploitation by Americans have declined in the six years since IML implementation? Has the needle moved at all?
This would be a good FOIA/PI Request. Contact us to get it initiated.
At what point is every U.S citizen placed on some sort of registry? I have said this before but it is noteworthy to state it again. How long before other types of registries are formed? Bad neighbors (Nextdoor app) Bad cops registry, Bad teacher registry, Bad doctor registry, Bad Politician registry (That one would be loaded) Bad celebrity registry (Another one that would be filled up). Bad Clergy registry. Bad babysisters, dog walkers, bad amazon drivers…….
I could go on and on but the truth is, there are bad people in every walk of life and profession and none of them are on registries (At least not publicly).
There is a bad cop registry. USA Today highlighted a few years ago its presence for all to see which LE have run afoul of the law.