From News Talk 610 WTV:
An annual "naked run" event in Boulder, Colorado could result in a dozen people being labeled sex offenders. Halloween Night marked the 10th year of the Naked Pumpkin Run. More than 100 people streaked through Boulder wearing nothing but a pumpkin on their heads. The Boulder Police have deemed the annual trot illegal, and were waiting with tickets for runners. A dozen were cited for indecent exposure, a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Proving sexual misconduct by the nude runners, however, could be a challenge for prosecutors. They'll have to prove that the exposure caused "affront or alarm" to someone, a charge that typically deals with hard core acts. Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner defends the citations, claiming the run is illegal, and the event was getting out of hand.
So much for anonymity. If these pumpkin-heads are registered, overhaul of the system is just one step closer!
Showing posts with label halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label halloween. Show all posts
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
No Police Action (for me) This Halloween
Last Halloween, South Carolina sex offenders were rounded up and forced to sit out the night with police. This year, Maryland sex offenders were forced to hang signs on their doors (absurdly designed as bright-orange pumpkins, no less) reading, "No Candy At This Residence." Who comes up with these ideas?
It's been five years since I moved to this small town in Washington and experienced the nightmare that followed—aggressive public notification, banning from businesses, whispers, stares, and threats on the street. Things have calmed down enormously since then, and local authorities have backed way off. But the reality is I’m still on the registry. I still live with the fear of retroactive laws changes, sex crimes that may be committed in my area, and the real probability of attack from vigilantes. (Sometimes I hear shouts as people drive by my place at night.)
This year I'm happy to report that my Halloween passed without incident. No police orders in my mailbox, no scarlet pumpkins on my doorstep. But what about next year? And the one after that? I have never offended a child in my life. But that doesn't keep people from assuming I'm a molester. Never has a case been documented of a child being molested while trick-or-treating. But this didn't keep people from going crazy with the idea elsewhere. By next Halloween the Adam Walsh Act may already be law here in Washington. What will happen to me then?
It's been five years since I moved to this small town in Washington and experienced the nightmare that followed—aggressive public notification, banning from businesses, whispers, stares, and threats on the street. Things have calmed down enormously since then, and local authorities have backed way off. But the reality is I’m still on the registry. I still live with the fear of retroactive laws changes, sex crimes that may be committed in my area, and the real probability of attack from vigilantes. (Sometimes I hear shouts as people drive by my place at night.)
This year I'm happy to report that my Halloween passed without incident. No police orders in my mailbox, no scarlet pumpkins on my doorstep. But what about next year? And the one after that? I have never offended a child in my life. But that doesn't keep people from assuming I'm a molester. Never has a case been documented of a child being molested while trick-or-treating. But this didn't keep people from going crazy with the idea elsewhere. By next Halloween the Adam Walsh Act may already be law here in Washington. What will happen to me then?
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