Oct: 26, 2014

HIV: Fail to inform your partner and face criminal charges

An Iowa man engaged in consensual sex with another man, and he was arrested for it. According to ProPublica, the man’s crime was that he did not disclose to his partner that he was HIV positive. Law enforcement conducted a blood test and found medication in his home confirming their suspicion, and the now-39-year-old was sentenced to 25 years in prison. His attorneys petitioned the court, noting that the man’s partner did not contract the disease due to preventative measures, and a judge lessened the sentence to five years’ probation. However, the man is now a registered sex offender and cannot be left alone with children younger than 14.

Oct: 11, 2014

Campus judiciaries for students accused of sexual assault are often unjust

A University of North Dakota student faced sexual assault allegations after a January 2010 incident. According to a U.S. News report, law enforcement refused to bring charges against the young man and instead charged the person’s accuser with filing a false report. Despite the findings of the law enforcement’s investigation, the school’s tribunal suspended the young man and handed down a three-year ban from the campus. The student repeatedly requested that the university review its decision, which it finally did after a year and a half and determined that their ruling was unsubstantiated.

Oct: 09, 2014

Austin High School Teacher Charged with Child Molestation or Statutory Rape, May Be Pregnant with Victim’s Child

Mary Gilles a high school teacher in Austin, Minnesota was having a sexual relationship with her 17 year old student. She was just charged with six counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct or child molestation. She is currently at the Mower County jail. Her bail is currently set at $60,000. She also may be pregnant with the student’s baby. Police found e-mails involving discussions about a possible pregnancy. Gilles was a math teacher at catholic Pacelli High School.

Sep: 15, 2014

Child Porn Conviction for Woman Attempting to Frame Husband

Meri Woods was convicted of downloading child pornography ("child Porn") in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. She tried to frame her husband by downloading the photographs of child porn. She downloaded 40 pictures of child porn on the home computer and then turned it into the police.

Sep: 08, 2014

Minnesota Sex Offender Program criticized for failure to release man admitted as a teen

When a man was born 24 years ago, he tested positive for a number of substances including marijuana, cocaine and alcohol. According to the StarTribune, he was abandoned by his mother and grandmother and was placed in foster care. At 10 years old, he sexually abused his developmentally delayed sister of the same age.

Jul: 31, 2014

Criminal Sexual Conduct Conviction for Cook Co. Prosecutor Scannel

Tim Scannel, a former Cook County Minnesota Prosecutor, was found guilty on Friday July 25, 2014 of two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. The charges stemmed from his having a relationship with a 17 year old girl.

Jul: 28, 2014

Legalized Prostitution Leads to Fewer Rapes in Rhode Island?

According to the Washington Post's recent analysis, Rhode Island accidentally legalized prostitution for several years. This was due to a drafting mistake when the Rhode Island Legislature revised part of the prostitution laws. According to a study cited by the Post, rape crimes when down when prostitution was legal in Rhode Island.

Jul: 04, 2014

Robbinsdale, Minnesota Police Chief Busted for Soliciting Prostitute

As you may have heard, the Police Chief of Robbinsdale, Minnesota was recently arrested for soliciting a prostitute. In this case, the Police Chief, Steven D. Smith, was arrested February 20, 2014. The arrest of the police chief, however, did not become public until he was formally charged and appeared in court around March 23, 2014.

Dec: 03, 2013

Minnesota’s Sex Offender Treatment Program

The Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) was created in 1993 to allow for the institutionalization of sex offenders after they have finished serving their prison sentences, but before they are released back into society. After nearly 20 years, the program has yet to rehabilitate and release a single offender. Twenty-six patients have died in the treatment facilities at Moose Lake and St. Peter, but none have returned to being contributing members of society.

Nov: 29, 2013

Minnesota legislators reconsider sex offender program in 2013

The Minnesota Sex Offender Program confines and treats high-risk offenders after they have completed their prison sentences. Politics in Minnesota reports that the state has the highest per-capita rate of civil commitments in the country, with more than 650 men currently enrolled in the program. Only two individuals have been discharged from the program over the past two decades. According to The Mankato Free Press, sex offenders are confined to high-security treatment facilities at an annual cost of approximately $120,000 per offender.

Category: Sex Crimes