The Sex Offender Registry Time Machine
Apparently one Illinois lawmaker has invented a time machine that would prevent sexual crimes that had not yet taken place. She’s sponsored legislation to address a registry “loophole” and she’s citing the examples of two teachers arrested for sex crimes within a week of each other. The only problem is, she can’t explain how her magic crystal ball time machine would work.
After the two teachers were arrested, Illinois State Senator Darby Hills said lawmakers need to expand the sex offender registry to address the loophole. There’s just one little problem with the senator’s logic. A registry doesn’t work before someone commits an offense. Senate Bill 2381 would not have have predicted these crimes.
Nothing in this story indicates either man had a prior qualifying conviction that would have put him on the registry or any prior conviction whatsoever. So how, exactly, was the registry supposed to prevent what allegedly happened?
It wasn’t. In fact, the second teacher is charged with possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material — offenses that already require sex-offender registration upon conviction under Illinois law. Where’s the “loophole”?
These cases are both alleged first offenses being discovered through an actual child-safety mechanism.
Registries don’t predict crime. They don’t prevent first offenses. And they don’t identify people who have never before been convicted of a registrable offense. Calling this a “loophole” doesn’t change that. It just makes for a really convenient political talking point.
Discover more from Florida Action Committee (FAC)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Sounds like that movie again were these people would send a marble down a shoot and showing a crime that might happen. And they imprison them for thinking about committing the crime.
Last thing I heard was they can not imprison someone without the overt act.
Did the arrested teachers get convicted of a sex crime. If not then they don’t go on the registry.
But what about all the politicians who get away with it and never have to register, like that Clerk of Courts guy in South Florida. Or that that cop with 1000s of pictures of kids on his phone, it was not a sting to collect kiddy porn.
The clerk of courts is charged with registrable offenses. So far we’ve seen no indication that he will “get away with it” and “never have to register.” Where are you seeing that?
We have not been told of any officer who was allowed to possess thousands of CSAM on his phone. What case was this?
By clerk of the courts, do you mean Mike Caruso? He’s not getting away with anything. His case is pending.
DeSantis suspended him, and Uthmeier has publicly promised accountability. That creates pressure there for sure.
Robert
The movie I was thinking about was:
“Minority Report” is a 2002 sci-fi film where a special police unit arrests individuals before they commit crimes using precognitive technology.
I don’t believe she is really trying to do what is being explained here, but merely taking the opp while it is fresh to get this loophole closed by changing the classification and invoked registration for the conviction, which still does not guarantee no repeat offense by the person in question.
Does she even realize Minority Report is not reality. SHEEESH!! The things lawmakers come up with to keep their seat. Just as dumb as our Nebraska AG who got on board with Iowa and several other states to sponsor the bill to not allow offenders to decorate their houses on Halloween.
Darby Hills is running to keep her Illinois State Senate seat in District 26 in the November 3, 2026 election. Wonder if this has anything to do with it try gain that last minute support even when there is no loophole?
Lawmakers in all states should be as embarrassed as Senator Darby Hills that their registry magic wand doesn’t stop sex crimes. Her idiotic attempt to cover and deflect will probably still soothe over the mindless masses that drink every drop of kool-aid politicians and law enforcement feed them. For those of you who haven’t had your fill, let me pour you another cup: Let’s give regular polygraphs to all teachers and penile tests to all male teachers to root out the hidden offenders among them before they strike. Still not enough? Let’s put all teachers on a potential offender registry so that their neighbors can keep a close eye on them to watch for concerning behaviors and report them so they can be fired before they harm a child. If that doesn’t cure the problem, then do the same for all workers and volunteers at the Y, pools, amusement parks, children’s museums, and such. After all, we’ve spent hundreds of billions on this prison/registry industrial complex, what’s another 100 billion or so more?
If these proposals don’t shock you, then YOU are the problem. People should be ashamed to think this way, but they aren’t.