Response to “misinformation” allegation.
It was recently brought to our attention that FAC was “called out” in a YouTube video for allegedly posting an article containing misinformation. While we don’t want to link to the YouTube video and give it unnecessary promotion (especially since he likened FAC to QAnon), we did want to acknowledge this person’s opinion and briefly respond to the general allegations.
The accusation was that THIS ARTICLE on International Travel contained material misinformation and that it’s author didn’t verify sources.
While we appreciate constructive criticism, we want to assure our members that this writer absolutely did verify sources and investigate claims before we shared them.
We absolutely have received an increase in reports of people having difficulty traveling internationally and if you follow RegistrantTag.org’s Travel Matrix (RegistrantTAG is an independent organization) you can verify that the list gets frequently updated, with more doors closing than opening.Naturally we don’t employ auditors who test entry restrictions on behalf of registrants, but we do have a member-base of more than 2000 individuals and communicate with other advocacy groups, so when three or four completely independent people report to us that they were prevented from entering into a certain country within a short time period, we’re going to share that information with our members, even if it’s anecdotal. (And, we’re not going to disclose our member’s identities or share personal details to “out” a registrant.)
The individual calling us out also suggested that it defies common sense that the US has agents blocking travel at both the domestic departing and international arriving airport. We have absolutely confirmed that individuals (including those NOT on probation) have been prevented from boarding international flights because documentation was shared with us. As far as having agents outside the country, the US Department of Homeland Security themselves acknowledges that they have HSI Attaché/CBP facilities at airports abroad. They also acknowledge their IAP program and even put out a fact sheet on it!
Look, at the end of the day this writer has no incentive to report misleading information. FAC wants all people to travel the world freely, not be prevented from doing so. If someone felt so strongly about one of our posts that they were compelled to make a video dissecting it, the least we can do is let them know their concerns were acknowledged and assure them that we did our homework.
The person who attacked FAC on this was/is probably a fed trying to protect his/her job. Just remember, they attack because you’re doing right.
Nah. We know who the person is. He’s definitely not a fed. I’m not looking at it as attacking us, just didn’t want to leave it hanging out there.
I’m not knocking the guy but we still live in “the States” and those of us still here know how quickly laws around here change. I’m watching his story because he’s trying to get asylum status in Germany but even if he gets it, it will be an anecdotal example because it will still be an isolated case. If he does get it, Germany could decide to change their policies down the road out of fears American “pedophiles” will flock there in droves.
It is not fearmonering to state that one person’s story is merely a possibility that experience will be also experienced by another person at aanother time. If I wasn’t afraid to fly I’d go to Greece to check it out for myself.
Here in Missouri several years ago during a committee hearing at the capitol where I testified a young family man, his mom, and his sister also testified regarding their vacation out of the country. When they arrived he was held in a room and informed that he was going to be sent back to the airport of origin. He gave all of the tickets for places the entire family was scheduled to visit to his mom. The rest of the family, whose vacation was obliterated, went on while he was sent back. During his testimony, he sadly stated he wished he had known at the time of his offense when younger it would impact his wife and child it might have made a difference. After the hearing concluded several state legislators walked out in the hallway and shook his hand thanking him for his testimony. It is a matter of record so the naysayer can look it up.
Philippines for SURE I travel in and out and always get scuntized
even not a rgistered person since 2005 dont get pulled in but at final destination I get asked where Im going to be stayin
You should consider Mr Whitsitt an ally. He has started the wheels turning in the German court system to help discredit the registry in the USA.
Nobody is saying otherwise or picking fights. This has already drawn more attention than it’s worth. I’m just saying if it bothered the guy so much that he posted a video on it, the least we can do is acknowledge his concern, let him know his opinion was heard, assure him that we did our due diligence before sharing information. If he doesn’t want to take our word for it, check the links to the government’s own sites where they acknowledge they have liaison offices with agents at airports in other countries. And if he still thinks we’re Q-Anon or a source for misinformation… I don’t know what more to tell him.
FAC
If your Q-Anon may a stack of Satanic Bibles fall from the sky and hit me upside the head. We might have different opinions from time to time; however we have the same goal in the end: registration laws need to go.
I noticed that the guy in the video did EXACTLY the same things that he claimed made the FAC article unreliable. For example, we stated what the attitudes toward sexual behavior were in Greece, without any proof or references to back him up. He stated that American authorities would NEVER do such and such, but again offered no proof or references to back his OPINIONS. And that’s all that we see in that video, one person’s opinions, with absolutely ZERO verifiable FACTS. It’s no different than if someone made the claim that our trusted police officers would NEVER molest children or possess child pornography, even though there are officers in prison for those crimes now. It would be interesting to see how Greeks feel about this man’s inference that they ALL have loose morality regarding sexual behavior. He also seems to be ignorant about the requirements under the International Megan’s Law, which makes it mandatory to report international travel of anyone convicted of a sexual crime against a child. Other countries don’t need a huge force to investigate every person arriving in their country. They have already been notified before the plane or ship arrives.
FAC be sure to post this as a comment to the video. I recall FAC has a YouTube account.
I understand your discomfort with not linking to the video. But those who WILL come across it and view it, deserve to hear the other side without having to dig into FAC’s own site to find it.
And who knows, with a few Likes, your comment may rise to the top.
Okay, whoa.
I watched this vid your referencing and it was by far a “call out”.
For the most part he didn’t request or assert that FAC should release identities, that is simply false and misinformation. But he did state that evidence related to the article in question, be present in your articles. Simply putting forth in an article that S.O. travel is restricted or prevented doesn’t amount to tangible or confident information pertinent to the circumstances surrounding such events.
This does not require you revealing peoples personal identities for verification. And instead of taking an adversarial position, maybe reach out to that youtuber to see how y’all could PROFESSIONALLY coordinate validated representations so EVERYONE can be confident in the information their receiving. Especially considering that youtuber is an S.O. in the United States that successfully left the country.
FAC doesn’t own the perceptions of its subscribers and many times ive read articles from this site that could be worded far more professionally. Words have meaning and using the wrong ones, OR, having lack of pertinent context, can cause confusion and frustration with the very people you’re professing to help.
Frederic K Wenz, I have been closely involved with FAC for the past two years, having access to behind-the-scene knowledge of what the FAC leaders are doing and the wealth of information and expertise they have. You are very mislead in your description of FAC.
What FAC is doing for registrants in the state of Florida is giving us all hope.
As for ” articles from this site that could be worded far more professionally”, that is a dead giveaway you have no idea what you are talking about. Such a statement makes me wonder what your motive is. I doubt that it is to help Florida registrants and their families.
FAC volunteer reporters don’t need degrees in journalism. They already receive more information about what’s happening to registrants, than practically anyone else, and they put that scoop out there for the benefit of registrants and their families.
To do journalism ‘professionally,’ FAC would need to raise money to hire a journalist so as to give our volunteer writers a break. But I don’t think it’s worth it. I like what I see now.
I suspect Frederic k wenz has the same goal as the rest of us. We all just have to keep the above in mind.
To F.A.C and all other RSO’S out there. I was denied entry into a country to live for 1 year even after i got the visa from their embassy saying it was OK. It seems days before i was supposed to arrive someone from the united states had contacted the country i was going to live in and said it would be in their best interest if they banned me from entering. Now the country i was going to does not have a registry so they bowed to the pressure from the United States and gave me a 3 year ban instead 2 days before i arrived, Now, because i didn’t have a direct flight i did not know about the ban until i was half way there and they would not allow me to board the flight to my final destination. So after sitting in an airport for 9 additional hours i caught a flight “Home” where they don’t want us either. On top of all of that i had given up everything i had here in the States thinking since i got the visa i would be living abroad for at least a year. I paid to have my car and animal shipped there . My car is halfway there at which point i will have to pay to get it back. All in all our Government or police state cost me $17,000 on the trip alone. Now i had to settle in back here in florida a new apt new furniture etc… that’s another 5 or 6K So, short story long the United States Government doesn’t want us here but they also do not want us anywhere else either. On top of all of that my “Crime” was not a Harsh crime and i did my probation and paid my debt to society. So, If you decide to leave the country for another please check your visa the day before you leave or get a direct flight to see if they banned you from the country you are going to before you get halfway there(Total Nightmare)
Speaking of posting misinformation, check out this website:
https://www.coaxion-global.org/
What do you guys think of their claim that 98% of reported offenders were seemingly unknown to the child offline and the 97.5% increase in online enticement over the last 2 years?
Coaxion cites NCMEC as the source of the 98% unknown-to-the-child figure.
That sounds exactly backwards. Do we know whether NCMEC actually says that, or is Coaxion misquoting their source (or typing a major typo)?
If NCMEC claims this then that is an even bigger deal.
It may be that coaxion is engaging in data mining, ie, counting only arrests from a specific type of child sex crime such as online sting operations.
I don’t know what they mean by “seemingly” unknown.
“Lies, damned lies and statistics.” I followed the links to NCMEC, and they do indeed use the 98% figure. While the percentage may be true, it is meaningless and is an example of fear mongering.
The assertion is that “98% of reported offenders” were unknown to the child. Of course most people whom a child meets online would not be acquaintances. Those known to the child would probably act in person. The word “seemingly” allows NCMEC to use the figure while not actually claiming accuracy. Most online contacts (children or not) are anonymous. There is no way to actually gauge whether or not a child knows a person online. So making this assertion is simply BS.
The term “offenders” implies that an offense has been committed. A simple report to NCMEC does not necessarily mean an offense occurred. An offense is a legal concept that can only be determined by the courts. NCMEC claimed it received 37,800+ reports in 2020. I am reasonably certain each of these did not result in court action or even an arrest; hence no offense.
Statistics can easily be used to make an irrelevant claim. To illustrate, it is probably true that more than 99% of online contacts with children do not result in abuse. (I just made than number up, so don’t get excited.) Taken at face value, such a statistic would serve to minimize online danger. This is precisely how the article’s 98% is being used, except that it overstates the danger. It is a red herring designed to stoke fears of “stranger danger”, and probably to justify more funding for NCMEC and law enforcement organizations.
Veritas.
The whole site sets off one’s bs detector. Seems run by charlatans and creeps.
I checked out their website and my head was spinning. Sounds like they are in bed with big government and I stopped wasting my time. Another organization wanting their fame to do something about child sex trafficking and exploitation.
Its run by Carlos Rodriguez. His former organization, Operation Underground Railroad, is currently under investigation, according to VICE, of raping sex trafficking victims in foreign countries, and he used his own daughter as a model when he sets up decoys in sting operations. Absolutely disgusting creep, needs to be taken down.
Misinformation alligations. Could the misinformation be oneself or who is shadow dsancing in the street of much of this machine induced factor. Police know exactly what they are doing and so does the FBI agents. Those in authority are just as carnal as any other in this devient behavior.
Much of this registry is like running a scam of thorns on those with this computer induced method. Talk about hooked on phonics, now its hooked on computers and add a bit of sex in the mixture and you have yourself a con game of trouble.
Inducing and seducing and steering one in the wrong direction with this is a bit shattering to anyone’s psyhic or mentality.
I am a member of FAC and I have enormous respect for what they do for all of us on the registry.
I have also been following the person in the video with his European experiences and research as an RSO from Florida and have a lot of respect for him as well.
Accurate information is important and hard to find in our position many times. I traveled domestically and have issues all the time with what laws say and how people interpret them when you get there.
What I do have a problem that FAC says that the person in the video linked FAC to Qanon when he did know such thing. All he did is relate that in this age of misinformation using Qanon as an example we have to be more diligent about digging for facts and that actual facts are more important today than they ever were.
I hope everybody can put this behind them and let’s move on and try and help each other live our lives. The spat doesn’t help at all. Especially when both involved provide such good information regularly.
IF YOU ALL ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE ABOVE…I WOULD BE MORE CONCERNED OF THE FOLLOWING:
PROBABLY THE MOST RACIST, I MEAN, MOST BLATANT, RACIST, AND TOTALLY OUT OF HAND…
THE CURRENT ‘Elmer Fudd’, AKA Grady Judd, RACIST DISPLAY:
https://www.complex.com/life/florida-sheriff-seized-chain-presser-grady-judd?utm_campaign=social_widget_share&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email
THIS IS TOTALLY OUT OF HAND
HE IS A RACIST FCK-A-ZOID….WHERE IS CNN, TO CALL THIS FCKER OUT?!?!?
Elmer Fudd is a better rapper than a sheriff. He’s a baller and citizens of Polk county like listening to him holler. Sheriffs like him give law enforcement a bad name; but I don’t expect anything else out of Floridum.