Reminder: Report International Travel
You are required, under both Florida and federal law (International Megan’s Law) to report international travel 21 DAYS IN ADVANCE.
XXXXXXX,45, of Perry failed to report he was on the cruise ship “Carnival Paradise” on December 12, 2019, for a four-day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. When the ship returned to Tampa, Florida on December 16, Customs and Border Protection boarded the ship and placed XXXXX under arrest.
“The United States Marshals Service has prioritized investigations of registered sex offenders who travel between states, or internationally, and fail to notify authorities as required by law. Our district, working with our local and state partners, has dedicated men and women that focus their investigative expertise to locate, apprehend, and prosecute non-compliant sex offenders.” stated U.S. Marshal John Cary Bittick
This man’s conviction was in 2004, more than a dozen years before International Megan’s Law went into effect. Even though his offense pre-dates the law and the federal government provided ZERO notification to those on the registry of the enactment of IML, he’s going to spend the next 20 months in prison because of this.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
To my fellow RSO travelers traveling outside the country. I hear the same complaint from a few of us when we get back to New York we are held from 10 minutes to 2 hours before being let go. I found a way around this if your in Florida. leave from Miami and most flights international from Miami have no connecting flight in NY like France/Germany/Russia ETC…
No hope
I have never passed through NY but coming back to Florida from Europe, I have to pass through Philly and they ALWAYS held me for up to 4 hours until my flight took off. I do not travel anymore but if I ever did, I would pay the extra for a “Direct” flight back to Florida so if I got detained, at least I would be home.
I almost always missed my flight and one time had to sleep in the airport until someone helped me get another flight. Some TSA officers get “Off” on making you miss a flight or damaging your luggage once they find out you are on the “List”. But hey, it is not punishment so it must be ok right?
At times one can take religion for grant but a bit of ethical enlightenment comes in handy and we all have to understand that many are of different denomnations, some may not have any type of religion and that can be counterproductive so please excuse me F.A.C for speaking out of line. Much if this registry is caustic in much of this vain way.
You all talk about international travel and/or interstate travel, and yes it can be hectic for those on the registry. Here in Virginia I do vending events with my craft and for each county I go in I have had to give record of the event, date and other information at various times. And yes it can be a bit embarrassing for the coordinator and one’s self.
Sure these truckers have to keep logs and other things for the company but they are also delivering needed services.
I’m sure many can’t even understand this travel as isn’t everyone responsible for themself even with this registry hanging over people’s heads and much of this registry is vain and blind Justice.
To all RSO’s, If you are off probation and able(financially too) to travel then do so. It is amazing once you get out of this country how much better you feel knowing that every step you take cant put you behind bars on some trumped up new charge. If you want to go on a cruise call the security office of the cruise line explain your situation and get approval or denial from them before booking dont just call the booking office or you are sure to get denied the security team takes it on a case by case basis. If your going overseas make sure the country your going to accepts RSO’s(i do that by contacting the Local embassy of that country here in the states they usually respond quickly with a yes or no) I have been abroad 3 times since i finished my probation and i am now working on getting a temporary resident visa where i can live and work abroad. Life sucks here we do the best we can but if you can get out at least for a little bit i suggest you do so it is so healthy for you mental state.
If a RSO intends to travel overseas to stay for good and live off savings and SS checks do they have to do the 21 day notice or worry about not being able to register semi annually as required by their state that they left ? Thanks.
They have to give the 21 days notice.
thanks,I plan to retire early in 2022 and I want to stay overseas .I took 2 trips in 2019 and loved it.No problems getting in overseas but screened and delayed upon return on both trips.I want to see the world before I leave it and not live in fear in the states. I know the countries I can visit and have been planning for this.I’m done with the politics and government here.It disgusts me to have to live here in my later years.Thanks
I am interested in traveling overseas, but am afraid of the complicated rules. I have been led to believe that our US is intimidating other countries to adopt restrictions against RSO. Germany, for one, has resisted the US in order to value protecting their citizen’s privacy. I also heard that an RSO can expect to be hassled, questioned, about a 2-hour delay not by other countries, but by the US when returning to the US. I would hesitate taking a laptop or ipad for opening myself up to a thorough inspection or confiscation. What countries have you personally had success in visiting?
March 2019 I landed in paris,no problem. went to bordeaux by bus, barcelona by bus, madrid by bus,lisbon by train,flew back to paris and back home.Screened at JFK sent to a room ,waited about 15 minutes then let go. No big deal, I exoected it.
September 2019 flew to paris flew to madrid flew to brussels train to brugges back to brussels flew to madrid flew to paris back home screened at jfk again about 10 minutes let go. no problem. never asked questions at either return to U.S. just probably checking for warrants or other. Not a big deal.Plan your trip right it will go well.gave 21 day notice and all info where I was going and staying.good luck.
[email protected]
Is [email protected] an email address for a Texas attorney? I am no longer registered in WA state but Texas still has me listed on their web site from when I used to live there in 2001. I have no idea who to give a 21 day notice to since I dont register in the state I live in.
Is notification a federal provision? I live in a state that does not have any notification provisions written into its laws. Also, how detailed do your plans need to be ahead of time, and can SOs change an itinerary if they get a case of wanderlust after leaving? I suspect there are many gotchas written into the travel laws as there are in all SO laws.
Veritas.
Sorry stupid question. It certainly is federal. However, my question about changing an itinerary still stands. The original IML legislation says that notification is required for “intended” travel, to include information about the itinerary. It seems that restricting travel only to that originally intended would be a prior restraint on liberty. Does anyone know about any court cases on this issue?
Veritas.
ED
I had a weird situation when I was on probation AND on the registry at the same time. I got permission to travel with my sister to visit my Grand Mother in another state.
I had to give the probation officer all of my info about where I would be, flight #’s etc. That almost got me arrested. My probation officer was waiting for me at the airport but the return flight had gotten changed and we arrived later.
When I finally arrived, I called her like she asked and she said I was going to be arrested. I explained to her what happened and she verified it with the airline but it was a close call. She said I should have called her as soon as I knew that but it happened AT the airport and happened so fast with a plane change.
Like I said, that was on probation. Not sure law enforcement has time to follow up on everything like that but sure they have dedicated officers hired to just catch as many “Freebies” as they can. When I worked in law enforcement, I saw so many wasted resources being used on petty crap. If I were the chief I would have cut all that out and been able to hire several new officers to work in areas where “Real” crime was happing, not on stings and overly aggressive traffic enforcement.
Ed
That is one of two reasons I no longer travel.
#1 Because too many “Gotchas, traps, loopholes ” etc
#2 Haven’t worked since 2014 so money is non existent and living on help from my parents.
Mario,
21 days is federal so that you must do but if you plan on living in another country first leave florida and register in a state that is far more RSO friendly Vermont/Utah/Kansas that way you do not have to register in person 2 times a year all you have to do is check in online.
As part of the 21-day notification, you would also inform that you are not returning. Other than NY,1 once out of the country you should be free from all registration requirements of the US or its States.
NY, which seems to have the longest-reaching “long arm” statutes of any governmental body, has been known to compel registration anywhere in the world–even if the underlying offense was not committed in NY. Though there is no in-person requirement, there is the threat of an arrest warrant being issued. While that would be no big deal if staying overseas, it may cause for a “difficult” reentry into the US if ever tried. ↩
State extraterritorial jurisdiction, particularly internationally, is still unsettled. International issues are generally the province of the feds. States will most often attempt to exercise this jurisdiction when there is some nexus to the state, such as when an element of a violation is committed within the state. I wonder if that particular New York registration requirement has been tested in court.
I’m an engineer, and am pretty confident that no products would ever function if the design process was as convoluted as our system of laws.
Veritas.
thanks for the replies.They are helpful.Hopefully come early 2023 I can leave and live my life out of the U.S. I can’t even travel to see the U.S. without having to register everywhere I pass thru.It really sucks.My charge was in April 2001.
Mario
Don’t feel bad, you are not alone. My charges are from 1991. They have added More and more and more things to my requirements since the registry and I have not been on probation since 2003.
It is not true that you have to register in every state you travel through. You have to register in a state IF you stay longer than the number of days that state allows without triggering an obligation to register. Every state is different. Also, you will need to report your travel to your local sheriff’s department in Florida 48 hours before you leave. Most sheriff’s departments will be satisfied if you tell them: the day you’re leaving, the day you’re returning, and at least one out-of-state destination address where you will be staying including the days you will be at that address. For more information on all this, including summary charts and a map for all 50 states and 5 U.S. territories, I invite you to visit my travel blog site, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler, which is linked from the FAC Resource Page under Travel / Domestic Travel, or go to https://a2twozee.blogspot.com/
You should probably list V4ront as .5 thumbscrews. PEr a discussion I had with the lady who runs and techically is the entiure regoistry deaprtment a few years back., if you qualify as a 10 year registrant in Vermont, and it has been ten years since end oof sanctions, you dont weven have to report your presence to the state. Likewise, there are some confusing stories aboutt he possibilites and possible ease of being removed in states like Colorado Oregoan and maybe Washington. Out of staters in GEorgia are treated just like in staters and removal is., according to what I have heard from lawyers. fairly routine with difference between say rural and urban counteis naturally. Georgia passedsome of the most draconian SO laws in the country lin like 2008-2009 and got spanked not only by the Federal courts but their own state supreme court. As such, registration reuirements are subject to ex post facto rules. Apparenlty, the new statures did not include the internet identifiers requirement, but dont quote me on that. My understanding is that even on the registry, your life in Georgia would be MUCH easier if you were convicted before 2002 IIRC. Anything after say 2008? Living hell or more like unlivable hell. Tennessee says that 10 year offenders get off the registry either after 10 years or after being in the TENNESSEE registry for 5 years, whichever is later. Also recent rumors have indicated that if you had more than one CHARGE you may be a lifer in TN. Kentucky is trying to defy its own court’s decision of so it seems. Some states use the “cluster offense” theory that says that even if you were charged with a number of offenses, if they charged you all at the same time, that is one offense like it is for the STATIC 99. Babbling concluded. LOL
thanks,I plan to retire early in 2022 and I want to stay overseas .I took 2 trips in 2019 and loved it.No problems getting in overseas but screened and delayed upon return on both trips.I want to see the world before I leave it and not live in fear in the states. I know the countries I can visit and have been planning for this.I’m done with the politics and government here.It disgusts me to have to live here in my later years.Thanks
Anyone know about travel to England or Ireland
That’s a known NO
Germany and at least one other EU country in the western part of Europe has declared American style registries to be violative of national law and or the European Convention of Human Rights. A British appeals court said something similar, but the Uk is no longer EU, plus they use a different law to keep up out, the same one they used to excluded hat crazy Dutch parliamentarian. Most of the local registrant in the Uk are removed from the registry after 5 years. Last time that I traveled to Europe in November of 2013 was the first time that they got an Angel notice. i was met at the gate in Brussels by like 4 cops including a captain of the National Police. One of the younger guys said that a US style public registry would be highly illegal in Belgium. Captain told him to hush, but also said that the only real restriction on entering the country would possibly be if you were still in probation, etc. A lot fo “misdemeanors” aka lower level felonies under the Civil Code are punishable in places like France with “judiaciary probation” whihc they treat the same as a jail sentence fo some purposes
Can you contact me directly no hope?
If FAC doesn’t mind leave your e-mail address and ill shoot you an e-mail
By forcing us to report travel in advance, it allows them to prevent our travel in a circumspect means. This is how they get to say that this law is not punitive or restrictive. It’s not the government preventing our travel, it’s the entity that we choose to travel with (cruise line, etc) or the government of a foreign nation (anyone remember that the US offered ‘perks’ to countries that restrict RSO travel?). I want to say the Philippines were somehow motivated into restricting RSO travel, I may be wrong on the country. It was in a conversation here on the FAC website. This is definitely the purpose behind the 21 day clause, not because they need to update their system, but to give them time to sabotage our travel.
Hmmmmm, in my instance, there is a No Community or Public Notification order, I wonder if THEY would be in violation of that order if they notify ANYONE other than law enforcement of my travel plans.
Exactly correct and that is why this violates our Constitutional rights. But proving that in court is very difficult.
No more “circumspect” than FDLE giving unfettered access to our internet identifiers to social media companies.
I want to say something snarky, but it does nothing to move this conversation forward… I’m just angry…
My thought is, HOW did he get on the cruise in the first place? I have heard numerous cases from FAC over the past several years of people on and OFF the registry who were denied boarding cruises or international flights because of charges that are more than several decades old.
I did not renew my passport because of this and of course, can’t afford to travel anymore anyway since no job that is worth having will have us. The last job I had for 11 years, someone came in and hung registry flyers all over the store and that was the straw that broke the managers back.
If you contact the security team before booking the cruise each line takes it on a case by case basis except disney no RSO will ever be alowed on a disney cruise
No hope
Yeah you cannot even get into the parks anymore. NO guest can walk up and buy a ticket and get in. Now you have to make an online reservation and ALL guests names are run through the National sex offender registry before you can enter.
These are not my words but those of Disney and the local News.
I have a friend who works there who said he could “Sneak” me in, but no way I would risk it. bad for him and bad for me.
This is contrary to what fac had just posted. Now we cant even buy a day pass to get in? Can anyone factually answer this?
CherokeeJack….
A Fellow Registrant Recently Told Me, that they Re-Newed Their Passport and Did NOT get the ‘Scarlet Letter’ Branded on Theirs….
Their Conviction was in 2012 and where they Reside, they are a Tier One….
Perhaps, that is Like Winning the Mega-Millions, in Our Case!
HA!