Important legislation has been introduced which, if passed, would go a long way toward protecting our nation’s children from sexual predators. The proposal The Child Safety Act of 2005 it would increase criminal penalties against convicted child molesters, as well as close loopholes in laws that allow predators to roam free. Let’s take a look at the pending legislation and how you can play an important role in making it law.
HR 3132, also known as The Child Safety Act of 2005, was introduced by Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, on July 26 in response to several high-profile crimes involving children. Every crime committed involved the kidnapping, sexual exploitation, and murder of victims by predators, including these three cases:
David Onstott, 36, has been charged with the first degree murder of Sarah Lunde, 13. Law enforcement officials say Onstott, a registered sex offender, confessed to breaking into the teen’s home and strangling her to death. His body was found a week later in an abandoned fishing pond near his home.
John Evander Couey, 46, has been charged with capital murder, robbery, kidnapping and sexual assault on a child under the age of 12, as a result of breaking into Jessica Lunsford’s home while she was sleeping. Couey reportedly confessed to repeatedly raping the girl and then buried her alive in the backyard of her home located in Jessica’s neighborhood.
Joseph Edward Duncan III, 42, has been charged with the murder of four people from a family, as well as the kidnapping and rape of two children. Duncan stalked the Groene family home for several days before overpowering and killing three family members and kidnapping the two youngest children. One of the children, Dylan Groene, was later killed while rescuing his sister, Shasta.
In all three cases, all the perpetrators had criminal records, often extensive, and were able to allude to the law by not registering as sex offenders. The Child Safety Act of 2005 will include the following provisions as described in the press conference brochure distributed by Congress attendees:
Improves the sex offender registration and notification program to ensure sex offenders are registered and kept up-to-date where they reside, work, and attend school.
Improves sex offender information verification systems by requiring monthly verification, in-person verification of the sex offender every six months, and regular notarial verification emails.
Requires states to have a uniform, publicly accessible sex offender registry website
Creates the national public sex offender website Dru Sjodin to search for information on sex offenders in each community
Expand Sex Offenders to Include Juvenile Sex Offenders
Requires states to notify each other when a sex offender moves from one state to another
It expands the sex crimes covered by the registration and notification requirements to include military, tribal, foreign sex crimes and increases the duration of the registration requirements to protect the public.
Expands community notification requirements to include active efforts to report to law enforcement agencies, schools, public housing, social service agencies, and volunteer organizations in the area where the sex offender resides, works, or attends the school.
Creates a new criminal penalty from a mandatory minimum of 5 years to a maximum of 20 years for the sex offender who does not meet the registration requirements.
Expands the use of DNA by law enforcement agencies to solve sex crimes
Prevents and discourages violent crimes against children and sexual exploitation of children.
Protects foster children from sexual abuse and exploitation
Increase criminal penalties against child sexual predators
So what role can you play in protecting our children? Contact your two US senators as well as your House representative and ask them to support the bill. Nice, but firmly, emphasizes that our children must be protected from repeat sex offenders and that HR 3132 – The Child Safety Act of 2005 – should be passed on as a way to help keep our children safe.
Too many of our children are victims of sexual predators. You can participate in reducing the gaps that allow these monsters to roam freely. Our children deserve nothing less.