Weekly News Update: Week of November 23rd

November 30, 2009 |
Valor

Statement by Vice President Biden on the 10th Anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
“Violence against women is found in every culture around the world. It is one of our most pervasive global problems, yet it is preventable.  When gang rape is a weapon of war, when women are beaten behind closed doors, or when young girls are trafficked in brothels and fields – we all suffer. This violence robs women and girls of their full potential, causes untold human suffering, and has great social and economic costs.  On this 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, I urge all Americans to join with the international community in calling for an end to these abuses.”
Over 70 percent of SD sex offenders violate law
More than 70 percent of the registered sex offenders in San Diego County are violating a state law by living too close to schools or parks.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Sunday that 1,266 out of 1,731 offenders’ addresses made public by the state are in violation of Jessica’s Law. The data was analyzed by the nonprofit group the Watchdog Institute. Jessica’s Law, which critics say is poorly worded, was approved by voters in 2006. It bars sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park.
Jessica’s Law too vague to enforce? — Watch Dog Institute
More than 70 percent of registered sex offenders in San Diego County are violating a state law by living too close to schools and parks.  Jessica’s Law, which was approved by California voters in November 2006, toughened sanctions against sex offenders and bars them from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park. In San Diego County, 1,266 of 1,731 offenders whose addresses are made public by the state live in those restricted zones, according to an analysis by the Watchdog Institute, a nonprofit investigative journalism unit based at San Diego State University.
Hard to track sex offenders as they harness tech gadgets
The pursuit of Lee Shelton began the moment the sex offender was released from prison.
It ended months later with a U.S. Marshals Service helicopter hovering near a D.C. junior high school as Shelton kissed a 14-year-old boy. In between, authorities used two global positioning system devices to track him, learned he was online at the library and seized a secret laptop with a power source in the trunk of his car. He is back in jail.
Sex offenders more difficult to monitor
It ended months later with a US Marshals Service helicopter hovering near a District of Columbia junior high school as Shelton kissed a 14-year-old boy. In between, authorities used two Global Positioning System devices to help track him, learned he was online at the library and seized a secret laptop with a power source in the trunk of his car. His parole was revoked, and he is back in jail.
Shelton, who was originally convicted of molesting boys at the National Air and Space Museum and on the grounds of the Washington Monument, is one of thousands of sex offenders accused of similar crimes after their release from prison or while on probation. His parole violation illustrates the challenges of monitoring hundreds of thousands of offenders.