PROTECTING OUR VULNERABLE CHILDREN
The sexual abuse and exploitation of a child is one of the most despicable and vicious crimes conceivable. As a father of four and a district judge for over 20 years, I feel strongly about doing everything we can to keep our children protected-especially from sexual predators. This fast-paced, cyber world we live in has opened the door for more threats to our children. Child pornography and sexual crimes against children have exploded due to the Internet, chat rooms and social networking sites.
Every day, children are targeted by sexual predators. Whether it’s through online social networking or pornographic images of a minor, our children are becoming increasingly vulnerable to predators and pedophiles. Popular social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook make it easier for teens to post and share personal information, pictures and videos, which may make them more vulnerable to online predators. The national statistics paint a frightening picture.
• In 2007 alone, MySpace identified and removed the profiles of 17,000 sex offenders.
• 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood.
• According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 1 in 5 children ages 10-17 years old will be sexually solicited online. Of these, 70 percent are teenage girls.
• According to the FBI, 50,000 child sexual predators are online at any time searching for potential victims, and sex offenders are 4 times more likely to re-offend.
• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children averages 1,400 child pornography reports every week.
I am committed to protecting America’s children from sexual predators. Recently, I co-sponsored two bills, the Sex Offender Internet Prohibition Act and the Protecting America’s Children Act. The Sex Offender Internet Prohibition Act will impose mandatory penalties of 5 to 20 years in prison for registered sex offenders who knowingly access an Internet website with the intent to communicate with an unsuspecting child. The Protecting America’s Children Act ensures that state and local governments have provisions in place to prevent child predators, which have been arrested and are awaiting trial, from fleeing or committing additional crimes.
These are both good bills that take additional steps to protect our children from sexual predators, but Congress must continue to do more. As parents, we can also help alleviate the danger. We can talk to our children about not responding to any unknown e-mail, particularly offensive of dangerous e-mail, chat or any other communication. We can also keep the computer in a family room or other open area, and visit our children’s favorite sites and familiarize ourselves to stay informed. We should make sure our children’s screen names are non-descriptive so they cannot be identified as a child, and always get to know the adults in our children’s lives and stay in touch with them to make sure the relationship (both online and offline) remains within appropriate boundaries.
As a district judge for 20 years, I put criminals behind bars so our children might live in a safer world. If passed, these bills will send a clear message that those who prey on our children will be caught, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law. Since coming to Congress, I have worked to protect our nation’s children, and I will continue that fight for the safety of every vulnerable child.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I think this law that will take effect is a good way for society to strengthen against sex offenders on sites such as myspace, facebook or even AIM. But what will stop them from commititng these criminal acts when the controversy of this topic has been on the news over the past three years. Nothing has changed. Why and how would this law change the way these people think and do? We need to do more in order to keep our children safe. This is becoming a sick world were are children are such vulnerable targets.
May 29th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Sir,
I am a sexual offender. The laws that you and other elected officials pass with no regard to our rights only serves to continue to push those of us that have changed into the dark more and more. Statistics show that RSO’s that receive treatment are far less likely to re-offend against others, yet the laws that are issued and passed have nothing to do with actually stopping further sexual violence. Sexual violence against children, although heinous, is the minority of sexual violence of attacks, comprising less that 33% percent of reported cases.
The misconceptions being put out is Stranger Danger, which far and away is the lowest percentage reported, with sexual violence being more from persons that are known (Father, mother, uncle, guy next door, school teachers). 90% of Sexual assaults are caused by people that the victims KNOW.
As a sexual offender, I am in no way proud of the assault that I did. I can only hope that my Victim is now a survivor and has gone on to do great things with herself. What I can no longer let pass however is the agenda that person’s like yourself are pushing which is, the ones that are caught are creating the next victims. You logic, sir, is flawed. Sex Offenders have the second lowest recidivism rate, with murderers being the lowest. This is well documented.
Sexual assaults are on a downward turn since the year 2000, and I can only hope that it will continue this trend for everyone’s sake. I will say though sir, that we as registered sexual offenders are continuously having our rights eroded. This is not a good thing, and it is an UN-American thing. We are still members of this country, and we would like the same opportunity to show that we are treatable, and that we can again become members of society that can make a difference just as the murderers, thieves, drug-dealers, convicted DWI persons have been able to do. The continued onslaught of lies and fallacies that are pushed are turning everyones attention from the real issues at hand. As I know this will probably be deleted, I at least thank the person who read this prior to deletion.
S.O.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Sir, I ask you and all the readers of this to please examine this link. rickyslife.com Now please tell me of the threat this young man is to our society. He now cannot find employment at 19 years of age. If not for his parents, he would reside on the street maybe under a bridge near your home. How on earth are these laws making anyone safe. When your laws make a person homeless, jobless, unstable, and hungry that makes them more likely to reoffend. This boy is one of thousands who clutter the registries with men who are caught urinating in public.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
When I read these stories I am always amazed at the blatant disregard for the thousands of teens on the registry for consensual sex who are labled as predators or worse due to laws like the Adam Walsh Act (AWA) Read my son’s story http://www.rickyslife.com he was 16 and had teen sex with a young lady who lied to him and learned from cops she was truly only 13. Due to 3 year age difference he was given a deferred (no legal conviction) yet required by law to register as a aggravated offender for LIFe. So his case and thousands like him make real predators happy cause they can hide among these faces and no one will know whom is the real threat to any child.
We must educate teens and fix the laws and I am asking all to sahre Rickys story and tell friends please help me save our yuth from this life of destruction.
Mary
a_political_prisoner@yahoo.com
June 16th, 2008 at 3:17 am
I can’t believe how many real creeps are in the same boat with honest people who just get screwed over. Keep up the good work.
June 17th, 2008 at 11:36 am
If one Honest person is included in the registry, it is a travesty of justice. The continued practice of unconstitutional laws passing through Congress is not going by un-noticed. We ,voting sexual offenders, are beginning to show our voice, we are beginning to vote, and as a group we are over 600,000 Citizens on the United States of America.
The continued trampling of our rights with illegal retroact laws such as AWA only goes to further cement our resolve that we will find our answers in the voting booth. Sex Offenders agree that there needs to be accountability among our numbers and thoughtful legislation is the answer. Not the global net that you attempt to corral us into. The 93% majority of Registered sexual offenders NEVER go on to re-offend again. It isn’t that your laws cause us to stop, it is because we go through Treatment, we re-learn that harm that we caused to others, and we resolve ourselves NOT to offend again. Your laws mean nothing to the 7% that continue to re-offend, as they ignored the laws the first time, and continue to ignore them today.
Use some intelligence and some CONSTITUTIONAL guidance when creating your laws for sexual offenders. Your pandering for votes has gone on long enough.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
The Federal Government is not empowered by the constitution to legislate criminal law. This is a power reserved for the States and as such the Federal Government burdening the States by such legislation is Unconstitutional and criminal, in and of itself.