FL - Somer Thompson, 7, Orange Park, 19 Oct 2009 #14

[mydailyopinions]

No disrespect to anyone or the rules...
But...
Even if this person isn't involved in this murder, he is still named a RSO by the law correct?
So we can't discuss RSO's unless they are named in a particular crime?
I figured that is why they carry the RSO name to begin with, as a warning that it could happen again..so why protect their privacy here?
I have been a member for a while, love this place like I do my own home, and have respected the rules about posting private information of innocent people, but these are not innocent people..
I am confused for the first time as a member about this rule regarding RSO's..
Confused...and a bit angry!
I still love it here, but that kinda hits directly to the core of my being..:angel:

 

[tfrohning]

ok I not going to post on RSO posting.

because it all been said.......

ok one thing
I think that RSO should be open game.
They take and hunt our children..... they should have no rights or privacy. JMO

 

[Noway]

I'm hoping all mods are having a pow wow right now and will let us know shortly what the decision on names and RSOs are -- and give us a handy link where we can find this and other rules regarding names.

Mods, I also thought that if they were everyday citizens connected to the case and mentioned in mainstream media that you can use their name but all minors are initials only (exception is the victim and maybe first name of siblings since it's all over media too but hope that is addressed as well). Please let me know. Let us all know.

Until then, back to the case at hand, using initials if need be.

And if anyone sees anything on here http://www.firstcoastnews.com/, please share with me.

 

[momma0f4]

You might as well wipe out all of Haleigh Cummings threads then.

No kidding, I don't post all to much I have 4 kiddos who keep me on my toes but I read as much as possible and thinks its pretty crazy that we should "protect" sexual predators on a forum. They need to be outed, they need to be known..
What in the world is there to talk about in a crime like this if you cannot share opinions on sexual predators etc.. the forum would be pretty blank all around. After all, they are one of the biggest reasons this website even exist. Ugh, I love websleuths, Its my home page. But I will have to find somewhere else

 

[momtective]

59 members and 52 guests...sure is quiet in here.

 

[hoppyfrog]

I think we can tone down what we post and provide a link to the information.

Yes, Animal did say that links to SO registries are ok to post here at WS.

But do not cut and paste info about SO's from those sites over to WS.

Hope that's clear.

Here's the problem, folks: we've repeatedly reminded you not to post personal information about innocent parties in this case, yet you persist in doing so. This causes us a tremendous amount of work; we are spending far too much time babysitting certain threads.

In my case that means I have barely been able to get over to the missing (information and support) forum and post new cases. My backlog is huge. That means other missing persons are getting short shrift.

We are volunteers. We have lives. We can't tie up all our time with this babysitting.

I do believe if ya'll had abided by the TOS on a consistent basis, we wouldn't be at this point now.

Hoppy
mini-mod

 

[not_my_kids]

I don't want to butt in, but I know the law here. (Fair warning, it's a crappy law.)
We can't post the full name of the RSO's because the information available through Megans Law, is stipulated that it not be used for harassment, and that it only be disseminated to those with a need to know that this particular person is guilty of a sexual assault. Meaning those in the immediate area of their residence, place of work, or those with children in a school or other center nearby.
Posting their full info when we have no verification or real reason to believe that they are involved in a case could be seen as harassment and incorrect dissemination of information. Which could lead to a lawsuit.
They have rights; we don't like it and they don't deserve them, but they have rights.
I thought the rules were initials and links to the source, that's what I have always tried to do, although I slip sometimes.

 

[concentric]

Respectfully, I don't understand why suddenly today there is a ban on posting SO information on Websleuths. Why hasn't it been enforced before now?

Were the admins. contacted today and warned to cease allowing this?
Can the site be sued?

When you go to look up S.O. info. there is always that paragraph before entering the public sites that you agree that you will not use the information to "harass" them.

Just wondering.

 

[Animal04216]

You are correct if they are adults named in mainstream media they can be named here. Minors cannot unless they are named by LE.

I'm hoping all mods are having a pow wow right now and will let us know shortly what the decision on names and RSOs are -- and give us a handy link where we can find this and other rules regarding names.

Mods, I also thought that if they were everyday citizens connected to the case and mentioned in mainstream media that you can use their name but all minors are initials only (exception is the victim and maybe first name of siblings since it's all over media too but hope that is addressed as well). Please let me know. Let us all know.

Until then, back to the case at hand, using initials if need be.

And if anyone sees anything on here http://www.firstcoastnews.com/, please share with me.

 

[Animal04216]

Respectfully, I don't understand why suddenly today there is a ban on posting SO information on Websleuths. Why hasn't it been enforced before now?

Were the admins. contacted today and warned to cease allowing this?
Can the site be sued?

When you go to look up S.O info. there is always that paragraph before entering the public sites that you agree that you will not use the information to "harass" them.

Just wondering.

This is exactly what I am concerned about. Go read the TOS on the registry sites. They state that they are there for the sole purpose of protecting THOSE WHO NEED TO BE PROTECTED, not for harrassment (which they CAN claim based on their names and addresses being mapped out on this site)

 

[awakewriter]

Yes, Animal did say that links to SO registries are ok to post here at WS.

But do not cut and paste info about SO's from those sites over to WS.

Hope that's clear.

Here's the problem, folks: we've repeatedly reminded you not to post personal information about innocent parties in this case, yet you persist in doing so. This causes us a tremendous amount of work; we are spending far too much time babysitting certain threads.

In my case that means I have barely been able to get over to the missing (information and support) forum and post new cases. My backlog is huge. That means other missing persons are getting short shrift.

We are volunteers. We have lives. We can't tie up all our time with this babysitting.

I do believe if ya'll had abided by the TOS on a consistent basis, we wouldn't be at this point now.

Hoppy
mini-mod

Thank you!

Any word on getting a separate forum? It might help if we had one, because the rules could be posted in a sticky there. I think the rules get lost in fast-moving threads.

Perhaps Somer's threads could go to "Hot Cases?"

 

[momtective]

No kidding, I don't post all to much I have 4 kiddos who keep me on my toes but I read as much as possible and thinks its pretty crazy that we should "protect" sexual predators on a forum. They need to be outed, they need to be known..
What in the world is there to talk about in a crime like this if you cannot share opinions on sexual predators etc.. the forum would be pretty blank all around. After all, they are one of the biggest reasons this website even exist. Ugh, I love websleuths, Its my home page. But I will have to find somewhere else

My home page too...but I'm not going to waste my time searching information that might help lead to the recovery of an abducted child and not be able to post the information here. I do respect the privacy of those not directly related to the crime but in the case of an abducted child RSO's whose information is public record should always be looked at, relatives of RSO's in the immediate area of where the child was last seen should always be identified...maybe not with full names but certainly with proximity to the place the child was last seen, or where the child lived.
I do love WS and those who post here but if we are just going to post links to news articles and rehash what is already known then what's the point.
I'm glad we sleuthed Kuhn...I'm glad the astro's charted him and I'm thrilled that he's in jail...I hope they never let him out.:furious::furious::furious:

 

[Noway]

Story about donations to Crime Stoppers ...
~snipped~

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=147542&catid=3

The Crime Stopper reward in connection with the death of 7-year-old Somer Thompson now stands at $15,000, following an anonymous donation of $10,000 from an individual.


Somer disappeared two weeks ago on her way home from Grove Park Elementary School in Orange Park. Her body was found two days later in a Georgia landfill. So far, more than 2,000 leads.

 

[tarabull]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/21496653/detail.html

Reward In Somer's Slaying Up To $45K
Anonymous Donor Give $10K To Crime Stoppers Fund
POSTED: Monday, November 2, 2009
UPDATED: 12:03 pm EST November 2, 2009

 

[Animal04216]

I don't want to butt in, but I know the law here. (Fair warning, it's a crappy law.)
We can't post the full name of the RSO's because the information available through Megans Law, is stipulated that it not be used for harassment, and that it only be disseminated to those with a need to know that this particular person is guilty of a sexual assault. Meaning those in the immediate area of their residence, place of work, or those with children in a school or other center nearby.
Posting their full info when we have no verification or real reason to believe that they are involved in a case could be seen as harassment and incorrect dissemination of information. Which could lead to a lawsuit.
They have rights; we don't like it and they don't deserve them, but they have rights.
I thought the rules were initials and links to the source, that's what I have always tried to do, although I slip sometimes.

YOU GOT IT!! I also would like to point out the just because one is registered at a address doesnt mean that they are still there. There are soooo many that fail to reregister when they move, and the info is not updated until they do.

 

[Kewpiedoll]

Thank you!

Any word on getting a separate forum? It might help if we had one, because the rules could be posted in a sticky there. I think the rules get lost in fast-moving threads.

Perhaps Somer's threads could go to "Hot Cases?"

Posted somehwere on this thread earlier that NO for a forum-- this thread is hard enough to handle, much less a forum. Search animal's posts-- it is backthread somewhere.

 

[mydailyopinions]

I don't want to butt in, but I know the law here. (Fair warning, it's a crappy law.)
We can't post the full name of the RSO's because the information available through Megans Law, is stipulated that it not be used for harassment, and that it only be disseminated to those with a need to know that this particular person is guilty of a sexual assault. Meaning those in the immediate area of their residence, place of work, or those with children in a school or other center nearby.
Posting their full info when we have no verification or real reason to believe that they are involved in a case could be seen as harassment and incorrect dissemination of information. Which could lead to a lawsuit.
They have rights; we don't like it and they don't deserve them, but they have rights.
I thought the rules were initials and links to the source, that's what I have always tried to do, although I slip sometimes.

You wanna know what this makes me want to do? Makes me want to make huge posters and stand on the street corner and blast every single sex offender in my county and beg one of them to take me to court for harassment..I may not win, but by time I am done, the judge who let the fool go to begin with, and the sex offender will know exactly what kind of horrible I think he/she is...and if it saves the life or the well being of even one child, it would be worth it..
This right here is what is wrong with our country now, this is why these people keep re offending, because of their "rights"
ITS BS!
Makes me sick to think that even one of our soldiers had to die in vain to maintain the rights of even one of these SOB's who sexually offend children, but in this sick world we live in, it happens every single day.. NO WONDER our children are dying..our own government could care less!

 

[not_my_kids]

Why is everyone acting like this is the end of the case?
Can we still link?
If we can still link, why is this the end? Are we really this uncreative and easily dissuaded?
I'm not. If we aren't giving their full names and addresses on the board, what's the problem.

Animal, if you're here and the rule really is no discussion at all, silence me now. Just please don't TO me. I'm trying to figure this out.

 

[hoppyfrog]

Thank you!

Any word on getting a separate forum? It might help if we had one, because the rules could be posted in a sticky there. I think the rules get lost in fast-moving threads.

Perhaps Somer's threads could go to "Hot Cases?"

TOS is on a sticky in every single forum, I believe. And when problems come up, we remind posters about them in the thread. That's plenty, IMO.

As Animal stated already today, there will be no separate forum: it's a PITA babysitting just this one thread, and we can't imagine having to babysit multiple threads. :crazy:

That's how it is for now. <sigh>

Hoppy

 

[cathdawg]

I had just finished a writing a rather long post and it went poof. So....short and sweet . From TOS, Re: Posting Personal Contact info (addresses and phone #'s) I have read both the long and short versions. ( "This is for YOUR safety and protection") Now, the way I have taken this to mean is, us, the Posters. Help