New Laws for Child Predators

April 21, 2005

Dear Lawmakers:

Today I held my 4-year old daughter on my lap and explained to her what to do if a stranger ever tries to take her out of our house. I also explained to her what to do if a stranger tries to take her at a store or other places. At age 3 1/2 I enrolled my daughter and myself in karate classes where we learn self-defense and not to be afraid to fight. I shouldnt have to do these things, but in our society I feel that its necessary. Its never too early to prepare in case something bad would happen.

Ive watched the news in horror as Samantha Runnion, Drue Sjodin, Jessica Lunsford, and others have been taken by sexual predators, assaulted and killed. All of these predators had previous records. All of them got off too easily the first few times. Society says that these sexual predators have rights. Where are the rights of the children who want nothing more than to live their lives without having to worry about predators such as these?

Recently, as a Pennsylvania resident, I was able to go onto a website to view sexual predators who are domiciled in my area. There are nine in my zip code alone, and in the areas where we frequent there are even more. These websites do not provide exact addresses, nor do they describe the exact crime for which theyve been found guilty. Predators can easily drive by a playground or down a street in suburbia and see where the children are, but were not allowed to know their exact location. This is my first concern. Sexual predators shouldnt get all of their rights back. What really, does Megans Law do? Sexual predators are let loose in society, usually after serving a minimum or reduced sentence, often after getting probation for serving only a fraction of their sentence. When they get out, we tell them to, on their own volition, register in the communities where they will be living and working. Why should we trust these individuals to do that? Sexual predators should serve the mandatory maximum sentences, and maximum sentences should be increased dramatically.

Childrens lives and innocence are taken from them forever, yet we allow these predators the means to go do the same thing again. Predators that are let out of prison should be required to wear an ankle tracking device, similar to house arrest. Why should they have rights like other normal citizens? If you look at the recent cases, all of these predators were convicted of lesser crimes, and when it was time to commit again, they amplified their crimes. Unwanted touching turns into sexual assault, and sexual assault turns into rape and homicide. Imagine being Jessica Lunsfords father, knowing that his daughter was raped, bound and buried alive! Our laws are what allow this to happen and they need to change. Florida has decided to implement mandatory minimum sentences and ankle bracelet tracking devices and Pennsylvania and every other state should do the same.

Sexual predators are released back into society without having been rehabilitated because rehabilitation for sexual predators doesnt exist. If and when sexual predators are released back into society, they should be tracked with an ankle bracelet and chemically castrated. This would certainly serve as a deterrent for those who think about committing such crimes as well.

Law enforcement should also work hard to eliminate websites which promote child pornography and pornography in general. It is a proven fact that there is a progression of violence that begins with becoming desensitized to sexual images and violence. More work needs to be done to keep children safe in both communities and on the internet.

Children dont vote, nor do they lobby government officials for these changes, but concerned parents do vote and are terrified about the things that are happening in our communities. I urge you to work for and vote in favor of legislation that keeps sexual predators locked up permanently, or at least for longer amounts of time. If prison space is an issue, then certainly chemical castration is a viable option. Also, communities should have greater freedom in knowing who exactly their neighbors are, and where these sexual predators are employed.

It is a scary world for parents and children these days. Simple solutions include mandatory minimum sentences, ankle tracking bracelets for convicted offenders, and chemical castration. If you have children, and even if you dont, I urge you to work harder at finding solutions that would keep these predators from hurting our children.