Sexual Predator Law

Lawrence police release details on three recent sex crimes
July 9, 2009
Lawrence police issued a report Thursday detailing three sex crimes they responded to during the last two weeks.
Repairman on trial in indecent liberties case
May 14, 2009
An appliance repairman for a Lawrence company is on trial, accused of exposing himself to a 4-year-old girl when he was on a service call. The 59-year-old Baldwin City man faces one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child in connection with the January 2008 incident. The defendant took the stand Wednesday in his own defense.
GaDuGi SafeCenter to offer volunteer training tonight
April 20, 2009
GaDuGi SafeCenter is offering volunteer training this evening for people interested in becoming advocates for women surviving sexual violence. Applications are available at gadugisafecenter.org, and can be returned by e-mail to directorsurvivorservices@sunflower.com. The training will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today in the Peaslee Room at the United Way building, 2518 Ridge Court. For more information, call 843-8985.
GaDuGi SafeCenter to offer training for advocates
April 13, 2009
GaDuGi SafeCenter will offer volunteer training for people interested in becoming advocates for women surviving sexual violence. Applications are available at gadugisafecenter.org, and can be returned by e-mail to directservices@sunflower.com. The training will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 20, in the Peaslee Room at the United Way building, 2518 Ridge Court.
‘It’s a reporting issue’
Risk factors for abuse not easy to pinpoint
April 7, 2009
The area of southern Lawrence between Holcom Park and Louisiana Street, south of Clinton Parkway/23rd Street, is a mixture of apartment complexes, single-family homes, churches and businesses. What sticks out here is that nothing sticks out. This section of the city is characteristically Lawrence in many ways.
Sexual abuse reports at Central not cause for alarm, district says
April 7, 2009
More than 400 students arrive on the 1400 block of Massachusetts Street every school day to attend Central Junior High. According to data obtained from the Lawrence Police Department, the block is also the location of 10 reported sexual assaults against children — the highest number of any single block in Lawrence — over the past five years.
The littlest victims
Legal system not always a good fit for children who suffer sexual abuse
April 6, 2009
When Amy McGowan talks about her years prosecuting child sex crimes, she recalls when she had to scramble to find a booster seat from a restaurant so a 3-year-old could testify on the witness stand. “And, that was when I went, ‘Oh this is wrong,’” said McGowan, Douglas County chief assistant district attorney.
Cycle of abuse can be seen in families
April 6, 2009
Judy Dutton says she sees the fear in some of her clients, victims of sexual crimes in childhood, that they might perpetuate the cycle of abuse. “They’re worried that somehow they might also become abusers,” said Dutton, a Lawrence clinical counselor.
Signs of sexual assault
April 6, 2009
Children can show both physical and behavioral signs of sexual abuse, according to the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Some physical symptoms can be difficult — if not impossible — to explain by anything other than sexual abuse.
How to help a child
April 6, 2009
For many children, reporting sexual abuse is a difficult task. Very often the perpetrator has threatened the victim to not tell, and the child feels ashamed or guilty about the abuse. When the child does report it, the confession could come at an inappropriate time, for instance while riding in a car or taking a bath.
Who must report suspected abuse
April 6, 2009
Many professionals entrusted with the care of a children are required by law to make a report if they suspect a child has been injured from abuse or neglect. Failing to make a report is considered a crime and could result in a $1,000 fine or up to six months in jail. Here is the list of professionals who are required to report.
Child sex predators not usually strangers
Family members, friends responsible for most assaults
April 6, 2009
It’s easy to find the address and photo of any of the 51 registered child sex offenders in Lawrence. But it’s more likely that the person with the most potential to prey on a child is someone within a family’s circle of trust. In the past five years, more than 200 child sexual assaults have been reported to the Lawrence Police Department, according to a Lawrence Journal-World and 6News investigation.
Legislators pass bill on sexual predators
April 2, 2009
Kansas legislators have approved a bill limiting the number of violent sexual predators the state may house in a single county while they wait to be released from custody. The measure blocks Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ plan to expand a treatment program for predators awaiting release at Osawatomie State Hospital. The number of such predators would be capped at eight per county, the exact number now living in Osawatomie.
Community leaders hope to spark discussion on alcohol use, sexual assault
March 3, 2009
It is time to discuss rates of sexual assault in Lawrence and how widespread use of alcohol in the city may be contributing to the problem, several community leaders said this week.
The reality of rape in Lawrence
March 1, 2009
On average, a sexual assault is reported in Lawrence every four days. Most assailants are not the knife-wielding stranger jumping out of alleyways or lurking behind bushes. The offender is usually someone the victim knows, often quite intimately. The attack happens inside a house or in an apartment and, with the exception of physical force, no weapon is used.

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