Share Your Experience

Restorative Action Alliance (RAA) is interested in hearing the experiences of those affected by sexual harm and state violence, including post-incarceration sanctions or discrimination based on a person's survivor or registry status. This info may or may not be used for research, advocacy, and/or movement litigation development.

If you have experienced injustice, discrimination, or challenges due to your interaction with the system as a crime survivor, your record of conviction, or registry status, please fill out the form.

As an organization grounded in harm reduction, RAA is committed to ethical storytelling that centers the needs of the person the story belongs to and obtains informed consent. Your information will not be published or shared without your written consent or knowledge of its use and framing.

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lori smith commented on Share Your Experience 2026-07-11 11:26:08 -0400
How Do People End Up on the Sex Offender Registry?

Surprisingly, some are added for actions that many wouldn’t expect, such as:

• Downloading explicit content or taking nude photos of oneself

• Consensual sexual activity between minors

• Innocent physical contact—like hugging a child in a way someone deems inappropriate

• Public acts like mooning, flashing, or even urinating in public.

Age Range of Those on the Registry

• Youngest: 6 years old

• Oldest: 101 years old

• Who Pays for the Registry? You do. Taxpayer dollars fund the system.

Cost to Operate the Registry Nationwide: $40.1 billion ($40,100,000,000.00).

(Police and Sheriff units nationwide, DOJ, SMART, US Marshall, Justice Assistance,

US General Services, Dept of State, National & State Registries, Offender Watch ++)

(contact your rep – demand equal protection)

Who is NOT on the Registry?

* Serial killers * Mass shooters * Terrorists

Infamous figures like Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, Jack the Ripper, Stalin,

Mussolini, Bonnie & Clyde—would NOT be on the Sex Offender Registry.

-——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Crimes that should be on a Public FELON Registry: (contact your elected representatives)

• Arson * Bombing *Animal abuse

• Assault with a deadly weapon

• Bank Robbery *Retail Robbery

• Burglary *Home Invasion

• Car Theft *Carjacking

• Drug Traffic & Manufacturing

• Cybercrime *Fraud *Forgery

• Domestic violence *Rape

• DUI *DUI manslaughter

• Elder abuse *Stalking • Adulterated poisoned food.

• Embezzlement *Extortion

• Gang-related violence

• Grand theft * Larceny *Mail Theft

• Human trafficking *Kidnapping

• Homicide *Murder *Manslaughter

• White-collar crime *Insider trading

• Prostitution *Sextortion *Scams

• Rioting *Terrorism *Torture

• School, mall, and mass shootings

A Call for Change –- A REGISTRY FOR ALL FELONS or A REGISTRY FOR NONE

a FELON REGISTRY exists – open to police, sheriff, law enforcement, probation and government workers – but NOTYOU – the taxpaying public. (contact your elected representatives).

Make the Felon Registry PUBLIC like the Sex Offender Registry.*

aa

Share the facts. Share the message. Fairness. ~~- Equality -~~- Protect the Public

A REGISTRY FOR ALL FELONS or A REGISTRY FOR NONE. Stop Discrimination
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Scott Van Giesen followed this page 2026-07-06 18:48:08 -0400
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Timothy Hosler commented on Share Your Experience 2026-02-20 23:46:31 -0500
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Joey Burns followed this page 2025-10-31 16:13:01 -0400
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Joey Burns commented on Share Your Experience 2025-10-31 16:10:40 -0400

I was falsely accused after a nasty breakup with my then girlfriend while serving in the Navy in San Diego February 1990. I was assigned a really great Public Defender, William Saunders. I was charged with 1 count of lewd and lascivious with a child under 14. The allegation was blatantly false since first of all, I would never do such a thing. And I was begging my girlfriend to send her child back to her grandma since our drinking and partying was no place for her. She had only been with us for 2 months but it was adversely affecting our time off from San Clemente Island which was very important to us. Plus I was not ready to raise a child. My girlfriend found out about a fling on the Island and took my credit cards on a shopping spree while I was on the Island working. She booked 2 first class tickets back to Tennessee and informed me the Day before she left. She said she had maxed out my credit cards and I told her I was going to call the police but she called them before I could and made the false allegation. My girlfriend said it happened in a black out so I would deny it. My attorney said if the alleged victim took the stand and pointed the finger at me, I was going to prison for 8 years. He worked out a plea deal of 1-year probation and after the year, I could withdraw my original plea of nolo contender and enter a plea of not guilt under PC 1203.1 and the court agreed to accept and the case would be dismissed.

I was to stay in California, and after 3 years, the requirement to register would be dropped if I did not have any new charges. After 1 year, my father got liver cancer and my family wanted me to move back to Florida. I was under the impression it would still be in effect and I moved back to Florida. My father passed away but by then my wife was pregnant and I had a great career in the broadcast industry in Florida so we stayed thinking in 1994, everything would be dropped. Florida didn’t even have a registry but in 2008, FDLE informed me because of Megan’s Law, I would have to register. I retained an attorney and submitted my California court paperwork and FDLE said it didn’t matter, I still had to register! They arrested me in February 2008 and wouldn’t let me out till I registered! Reluctantly I did but I was extremely despondent over it and contacted my California attorney and he had MS and was forced to retire and could not help me. In March not up to registry requirements, I registered a few days late and was informed that a bench warrant was going to be issued. But I was able to register and was cleared till August 2009 when I was required to register.

But in June a BSO SWAT team arrested me at my house and wouldn’t let me produce the paperwork stating I was good until August. They took me to jail and I was in there for 5 days. We went to court in August and adjudication was withheld and I was given 6 months probation. In January 2010 case was resolved and I was freed from probation.

In 2020, California passed a Senate bill that created a 3-Tier system and I was given Tier 2, 20 year registry but retroactive to the date my case finalized in August 1991. But I soon found out it was CURRENT California residents and I would have to move back to California to get my petition relief! I turned 65 in 2020, I’m a disabled Veteran working part-time as a bartender and singing in a Classic Rock band so I don’t have the funds to move across country and live in one of the most expensive States in the country. So here I am, 70 & still trying to clear my name once and for all, 34 years after!

Thank you for the opportunity to state my grievance.

Respectfully,

Joseph Anthony Burns

(954)394-7819
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Scott Van Giesen commented on Share Your Experience 2025-08-15 19:32:50 -0400

Scooter here again ,am a level one here. Would like to volunteer, here but unsure how I can assist ?

Here in Wa. No help for families to heal just total separation. Have many friends & family as support ,Church ect.
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Christine Nelson commented on Share Your Experience 2025-08-09 04:54:12 -0400

I am currently struggling to help my husband who was charged with a sex crime at age 17 in Minnesota, 2007. We are currently living in Missouri and at 19 he was charged with failing to update his registry in 2009. While going through his previous divorce his ex-wife told the police that he needs to register as a sex offender and they told him to just do it. He complied with what he was told to do. He was also under the understanding that he only needed to register for 10 years in Minnesota and being so young at the time did not understand or consider that other states have their own laws. Further, the mistake of youth haunts him still, he would rather forget it happened. Nether did anyone look into the circumstances to determine if he truly needed to register according to Missouri Law. He was adjudicated as a juvenile and if Missouri is saying they follow their own laws for registering and not Minnesota, then as as an adjudicated minor, he should never have been on the adult registry as the registration requirement in this case is until turn 21 and automatically ended, further it is kept confidential. However, in all this now, he has been posted publicly and labeled. We have been suffering so much and I feel so powerless to help him and he is suffering most of all sitting in jail prejudged and no one caring to look at the facts and the law. After the first arrest, he lost his housing, his job/income, and we were split up so I could stay with my daughters while he took to the streets. How is roaming and sleeping in the elements safe for anyone? While trying to figure it all out he struggled even more and on top of it my car broke and he was on his own. He even went to the ER and showed early signs of a stroke coming on. Thankfully he got help first and was stabilized. He had just gotten help from a church, going to a recovery group, got a new job, and even was given a safe place to put up a tent to shelter him. However, when he went to update the registry again, he didn’t have 5.00 cash on him. Even with a witness he was there, the State doesn’t care. How is this for public safety when our safety doesn’t matter if someone doesn’t have 5.00 and they are sent away? There is no record of him in any registry online, not in any state or Nationally. And all that is moot considering in Missouri Law (RSMo § 211.425) he should not have been categorized on a Tier and he should not be registering at all. He was not tried and convicted as an adult. The prosecutors own document stating the case shows it was still a Juvenile case as indicated with the letter J. There is just failure all around and now they are making him an adult offender when he was Juvenile who made a mistake in believing the person’s age was 2 years older than it was. He has not had any further sex offenses in his lifetime nor has anyone around him every had concerns with him with children. Looking now, 18 years later, yes seeing 13 year old victim seems shocking due to thinking his age now. But he was 17 at the time, they said they were 15. I lied about my age at 13 to be 15 or 16 to talk to older boys. Just about every female friend I know did that at some point. One of my best friends was 14 when she met her now husband who was 23 at the time, they are still married and with grandchildren. All the State is looking at now is applying their law of Felony charge for the age, as if they are re-charging him with a crime and not looking at the adjudicated juvenile and applying that law. He paid his dues and completed his requirements. 17 and 13 is not uncommon to have an attraction especially with puberty, it is difficult to gauge ages. He is grown up and has no attraction to children so to treat him like he does is beyond ridicules and completely ignores that people grow up. I feel so hopeless and we don’t have money for an attorney, all I feel I can do is pray that the absolute truth will set him free from all this. And that justice will prevail. Actual justice. This has caused so much damage to him, me,. and our children.
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Mariana Rodriguez McGoffin commented on Share Your Experience 2025-05-03 19:25:59 -0400
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Robert Parsons commented on Share Your Experience 2025-03-08 09:05:56 -0500
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Henry Coleman commented on Share Your Experience 2025-01-23 05:45:24 -0500

https://chng.it/cFkwYdSGBG
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Mario Rocha commented on Share Your Experience 2024-06-11 14:13:24 -0400
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Kelly Taylor commented on Share Your Experience 2024-06-07 10:07:40 -0400
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Steve Dailey commented on Share Your Experience 2023-08-06 16:28:38 -0400

I am in my final year of registration. A storm knocked out my power and internet for about a week and put trees down in my yard blocking my driveway. I still managed to renew my license but waited for my new license to arrive before I reported. The police department arrested me while I was registering. I had no intention to not register, I wanted to register with my valid license like I’ve had to for the last 25 years. California is charging me with a felony for being out of compliance by 6 days. I had no intention to not comply. Now I’m slipping into depression because I could have a prison sentence if convicted and lose my home, dogs and life.
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edward molina commented on Share Your Experience 2023-07-14 02:30:21 -0400

Greetings, I will try to keep this short as I am sure that what I am about to share is nothing new but it is getting worse for multiple reasons. Today I had my 90 day visit at SOMU in downtown Manhattan. As I sat there, I noticed a couple which appeared to be in their mid 90s shuffle in (shuffle because it was apparent they couldn’t walk without the use of a cane) also, for a 90 day appointment. How inhumane, inconsiderate and just plain EVIL that a registered person in their 90s has to undergo this unnecessary process. What threat is he to anyone ? Where do we draw the line as to what is acceptable and what is not ? I was never going to share the following for fear that it is just to common a practice but I have been indirectly denied a promotion due to my registry status. And this is an industry where it shouldn’t matter

(construction). I am grateful that I am working, but I can not help to feel that I am on borrowed time.
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Restorative Action Alliance published Share Your Experience 2023-07-13 21:48:24 -0400