This petition comes from a place of real concern for our children and our community in Russellville, Alabama.

Our former District Attorney, John Pilati—now the owner of the Franklin Free Press— was charged with veiling unlawful acts under the color of law (18 U.S.C. § 242) through five felony counts perpetrated when he held his former position. One of the victims involved was a minor. This was a grave misuse of his position and a direct infringement upon the rights of people in our community.

After serving his sentence, he was required to register as a sex offender, and his appeal of that requirement was denied. This man, having been thoroughly processed by the judiciary system, has now found a way back into our lives in a most disturbing manner.

Today, he owns and operates a local newspaper that covers school and community events across Franklin County. Not only does this role give him access to photographs of children—images taken at schools, games, and public gatherings by his staff—he owns those photos.

For many families, this raises serious and understandable concerns.

We believe there should be clear legal safeguards to prevent situations like this. Registered sex offenders should not be in positions where they can access or control images of minors through a business they own or manage—even more so with AI on the rise.

This isn’t about politics—it’s about protecting children and giving parents peace of mind.

We are calling on lawmakers to close this gap in the law and take action to strengthen protections for minors in our community.

If you believe in putting children’s safety first, please sign and share this petition.

You can read about his case at the link below:

https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2010/12/14/pilati.pdf​

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-11th-circuit/1548906.html