9th Circuit Revives Suit by Couple Whose Children Were Seized Over Bathtime Photos
A social worker took three little girls from their home without a court order because she thought the pictures were "sexually explicit."
Sex Crimes
4th Circuit Approves Imprisonment of Sex Offender Convicted of a Nonexistent Crime
Although his conviction was invalid, the appeals court says, his civil commitment as a "sexually dangerous person" remains legal.
The Handmaid's Tale Author Margaret Atwood Accused of Crimes Against Feminism for Defending Due Process
Atwood: "In times of extremes, extremists win. Their ideology becomes a religion."
Duped by State Detectives, Pennsylvania Police Chief Shows Up at Sheetz Gas Station for Sex With Underage Girl
Chief Michael Diebald was allegedly undeterred when the "girl" said she was in eighth grade-"everyone has to have a first time," he told her.
Starting in 2018, Life in Prison for Oregon Sex Crimes
Locking people up in perpetuity "may satisfy our sense of moral outrage, but it does not make good policy," opponents warn.
How Roy Moore Failed to Reassure Voters He Is Not a Sexual Predator
A hazy memory, self-contradiction, and dubious debunking efforts helped seal the GOP Senate candidate's fate.
Tampa Bathhouses Become Latest Target of Sex-Trafficking Panic
The city council is considering a mammoth package of new rules that threaten Tampa bathhouses and those who visit them.
Court to Cops: Forcing a Teenager to Masturbate in Front of You Is Not Reasonable
A detective who was later charged with molesting children performed the humiliating search while investigating consensual sexting.
The Harder It Is to Believe Roy Moore, the Cozier He Gets With the GOP
Trump's endorsement and the RNC's renewed support coincide with a crescendo of self-contradiction.
Teen Suing Two Cops for Rape Gets Hospital Visit From Nine Others on Force
The two NYPD officers admitted they had sex with the young woman in their custody but claim it was consensual.
Trump Tacitly Endorses Roy Moore, Noting His Denials 12 Times
The president says he may campaign for the Republican Senate candidate, notwithstanding credible allegations of sexual assault.
Roy Moore's Defenses Contradict Each Other
The Republican Senate candidate tries to discredit an accuser he said he didn't know by noting that he presided over her divorce case.
Thomas Massie on Tax Reform, Shikha Dalmia on Deporting Americans
Listen to SiriusXM Insight (channel 121) from 9-12 AM ET as Matt Welch interviews Massie, Dalmia, Kevin Williamson, Bethany Mandel, and LSD enthusiast Daniel Miller
Roy Moore Could Be Digging His Own Grave By Denying Any Contact With His Accusers
If the he is lying about courthouse chats and restaurant meals, he is probably lying about his alleged crimes too.
Chaos in Africa, Apologias in Alabama, and the Rise of Democratic Socialism
Matt Welch interviews Eli Lake, Kat Timpf, and John Nichols on SiriusXM Insight at 2 pm ET
Roy Moore Concedes Fondling a 14-Year-Old Would Disqualify a Senate Candidate
That is farther than some of his defenders are willing to go.
Under Alabama Law, Roy Moore's Alleged Encounter With a Teenager Is a Serious Crime With Lifelong Consequences
The Republican Senate candidate would still be paying for his actions four decades later.
Roy Moore Read Me Love Poetry
A detail in the allegations against the Alabama Senate candidate rings true. He read me the poems he used to woo his much-younger wife.
No Bail for Wisconsin Cop Nabbed for Sex Chat With Teen
Snapchat and Facebook exchanges with a 15-year-old have Wisconsin officer Basil O'Kimosh facing life in prison.
Scarlet-Letter Passports Are Unjust and Irrational
The new "unique identifier" for sex offenders stigmatizes people who pose no threat.
Harvey Weinstein's Downfall Marks the Rise of Sexual Equality
The Harvey Weinstein story is not just about the end of a career. It's about the end of an era.
Cops Claim Teen Consented to Sex in Their Custody, Point Prosecutors to Her 'Provocative' Selfies
Repeat after me, NYPD: Instagram is not consent.
Comedians Should Make Jokes About Harvey Weinstein. We Rely on Them to Tell Tough Truths.
Sometimes jokes are the only way to bring terrible open secrets to light.
Cyrus Vance Is a Product of Dangerous One-Party Rule
When elected officials regularly run unopposed, there's no democratic accountability.
D.C. Could Become Only U.S. City to Decriminalize Prostitution
A new bill would remove all criminal penalties in the District for buying or selling sex.
Will SCOTUS Let Fear of Sex Offenders Trump Justice?
Two cases give the Court a chance to reconsider its counterintuitive conclusions about commitment and registration.
Is Minnesota's Indefinite Detention of Sex Offenders Punitive or Therapeutic?
An appeal asks SCOTUS to decide the question, noting that the program has released just one "patient" in 23 years.
Human-Trafficking Arrests Are Very Rare in Most States
The exceptions in 2016 were Minnesota and Texas, according to newly released FBI data.
Ohio Republicans Move to Ban Sexting Between Teens
The bill is being pitched as a way to help teens avoid harsh child-porn laws.
Dick Pic Makes Teenager Guilty of Sexually Exploiting Himself, High Court Says
The Washington Supreme Court's ruling implies that adolescents who engage in consensual sexting are child pornographers.
'I'm Appalled,' Says Source of Phony Number Used to Justify Harsh Sex Offender Laws
Claims of "frightening and high" recidivism rates, endorsed by the Supreme Court, have no basis in fact.
Husband Gets Human-Trafficking Charge for Driving His Wife to a Motel
There was no trafficking victim here-just a couple attempting private sexual activity with another consenting adult. But Maryland cops don't care.
For Sex Offenders, Registration Is Punishment
A federal judge rules that Colorado's online database violates the Eighth Amendment.
How Backpage and Similar Sites Are Crucial in Fight Against Sex Trafficking
A new paper in the Wake Forest Law Review explores "the virtues of unvirtuous spaces" when it comes to stopping sexual exploitation.
Cops Dig Desperately for a Picture That Can Send a Harmless Old Man to Jail
Prosecutors say the former professor poses no threat but should be locked up anyway.
Profiling and Prostitution Pre-Crime in Georgia
In one case, a person whose legal identity was listed as male was arrested for sitting at a bus stop while "dressed as a woman" and carrying condoms.
They Won't Stop at Backpage
The "Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act" would not stop sexual exploitation. But it could blow up the legal framework that supports the internet as we know it.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Recognizes Sex Offender Registration As Punitive
The court says retroactive application of the requirements violates the constitutional ban on ex post facto laws.
Iowa Prosecutor Who Threatened to Treat Girl's Selfies As Child Porn Backs Down
Marion County Attorney Ed Bull promises not to prosecute a teenager who took pictures of herself in her underwear.
Damning New Report Shows How Oakland Cops Covered Up Their Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
Making matters worse, the report concludes, was "the tone at the top."
