High-Profile Case Analysis

Understanding how landmark cases shaped sex offense law and registry requirements

Origins & Framework Celebrity Cases Religious Institutions Education & Youth Orgs Policy & International

Origins & Framework

Jacob Wetterling Act (1994)
Precursor encouraging state registries; later supplanted by SORNA.
Reginfo summary ·DOJ 1995 guidance
Context: Initially law-enforcement–only; broad public notification arrived later via Megan's Law.
Megan's Law (1996)
Required community notification / public access.
Statutory text ·DOJ guidelines (1997)
Adam Walsh Act / SORNA (2006)
Established federal baselines; expanded scope & offense-based tiers.
SMART Office: Current law ·Legislative history
Smith v. Doe (2003) — retroactivity & "civil" label
Opinion (Justia) ·Oyez summary
Does v. Snyder (6th Cir. 2016) — punitive-effects analysis
Opinion (Justia) ·Sixth Circuit PDF (2016)
Packingham v. North Carolina (2017) — social media & the First Amendment
SCOTUS opinion (PDF) ·Oyez summary

Reminder: Courts originally treated registries as regulatory. Newer decisions examine whether modern restrictions function as punishment.

Celebrity Cases & Perceived Two-Tier Justice

Roman Polanski (1977)
LA Superior Court filing (PDF) ·Case overview
Jeffrey Epstein (2007–08 NPA; 2019 arrest)
2008 Non-Prosecution Agreement ·DOJ OPR report (PDF)
Bill Cosby (conviction vacated 2021)
Pa. Supreme Court opinion (PDF) ·News explainer
Harvey Weinstein — NY conviction overturned (2024); LA conviction (2022); LA sentence (2023)
NY Court of Appeals opinion (PDF) ·LA DA: conviction (2022) ·LA Times: 16-year sentence
Brock Turner (2016)
Lenient sentence → recall of Judge Persky.
Case overview ·Judge recall analysis
R. Kelly — federal sentences (2022–2023)
EDNY: 30-year sentence ·NDIL: additional 20 years

Reminder: Resources, visibility, and timing often drive outcomes in celebrity matters, which may differ from typical cases.

Religious Institutions

Catholic Church — Pennsylvania Grand Jury (2018)
AG landing page ·Report PDF (redacted)
Southern Baptist Convention — Guidepost Report (2022)
Independent investigation (PDF)
Warren Jeffs / FLDS (2011 conviction)
TDCJ inmate record ·Case overview

Info: Many institutional cases surfaced years later, limiting prosecutions and registry entries despite extensive harm.

Education & Youth Organizations

Mary Kay Letourneau (1997)
AP overview ·Case overview
Debra Lafave (2005–2006)
Tampa Bay Times (2005) ·Tampa Bay Times (2006)
Jerry Sandusky / Penn State — 2012 conviction; 2019 resentencing
ESPN: verdict report ·PBS: resentencing
Larry Nassar / USA Gymnastics (2017–2018)
DOJ: 60-year federal sentence ·DOJ OIG: FBI handling report
Boy Scouts of America — abuse claims & settlement
AP: $2.46B plan approved (2022) ·AP: rebranding update (2024)

Pro tip: For youth-serving orgs, emphasize prevention protocols (two-adult rule, open-door policies, mandatory reporting training) alongside background checks.

Policy Debates, "Stranger Danger," & International Context

Effectiveness & harms
HRW: Raised on the Registry ·HRW: More Harm Than Good
UK — "Sarah's Law" (disclosure scheme, not a public registry)
Home Office: guidance ·How to apply
Canada — NSOR (police-only access)
Justice Canada: NSOR overview ·SOIRA statute

Key takeaways: U.S. registries grew from rare but high-profile cases and expanded via federal baselines. Other countries favor controlled police disclosure over broad public lists.

Origins Celebrity Religious Education Policy