International Megan's Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking
Floor Speech
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Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, for years, the parents of the children who have been preyed upon by pedophiles--and advocacy groups like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Megan Kanka Foundation--have been very supportive of legislation to better protect our children. Through their consistent, selfless work they have helped victims of abuse and have been an important part of the bipartisan, bicameral coalition supporting this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to read their statements submitted for the record, in support of passage of H.R. 515 The International Megan's Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking. January 20, 2016. Hon. Paul D. Ryan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Speaker and Madam Leader: On behalf of ECPAT-USA, a policy and advocacy organization that has been at the forefront of the fight to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children for the past two decades, I would like to respectfully ask you consider supporting International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders (H.R. 515). When ECPAT-USA first began our work, we focused on fighting sex tourism and holding Americans who traveled abroad to buy sex with minors accountable in the US for sexually exploiting children overseas. H.R. 515 or International Megan's Law protects children from this exact form of exploitation by establishing a notification system to provide advance notice of travel by registered sex offenders to destination countries. We strongly support this legislation and urge not only its swift passage but also a commitment to supporting this effort financially.
The Department of Homeland Security has a proven track record of working cooperatively with foreign governments, having made 99 arrests of traveling child sexual offenders since 2003. International Megan's Law will establish the Angel Watch Center at the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that all destination countries receive a notification that a convicted child sex predator is traveling to their country. It also formalizes the process for the U.S. Marshal's Service Sex Offender Targeting Center to provide advanced notice of travel by all registered sex offenders to destination countries using Interpol notification system. International Megan's Law also coordinates communication between Angel Watch Center and U.S. Marshal's Service Sex Offender Targeting center and streamlines the international notification system. We believe that these provisions are necessary to strengthen and protect vulnerable children from potential predators.
ECPAT-USA is part of a global network of over 80 ECPAT's in 77 countries all dedicated to protecting children from commercial sexual exploitation. Headquartered in Thailand, we are acutely familiar with the harm caused by sex offenders who travel overseas and continuously exploit children. As a member of the ECPAT network, we are committed to eradicating the practice of child sex tourism. For this reason, we were so pleased to see the Senate pass this bill late last year, and we applaud the efforts and dedication of the bill's original sponsor in the House Representative Chris Smith (R- NJ). We strongly urge the House to swiftly pass International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders (H.R. 515). Sincerely, Carol Smolenski, Executive Director, ECPAT-USA. ____ Family Research Council, Washington, DC, January 8, 2016. Representative, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Representative: On behalf of Family Research Council (FRC) and the families we represent, I urge you to vote for International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders (``Megan's Law,'' H.R. 515), to establish a system that prevents predators from traveling under the radar internationally.
Megan's Law would expand and codify Immigration and Customs Enforcement's ability to effectively alert countries about the travel of registered child-sex offenders, require convicted child-sex predators to have a unique passport identifier to ensure they can be identified at the border as they travel internationally, and ensure collaboration between the U.S. Marshal's Service and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, making government work more effectively. The bill would also provide an appeals process for persons who want their record and notification status reconsidered and make it a crime for registered sex offenders to fail to report intended international travel with less than twenty- one days of notice. Ultimately, the law would facilitate a network to reduce child-sex tourism and reduce recidivism of child-sex offenders.
Family Research Council recognizes that it is important to protect families from child-sex abusers, supports passage of International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders (H.R. 515), and encourages you to vote for this important legislation. Sincerely, David Christensen, Vice President of Government Affairs. ____ Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation, Trenton, NJ, September 2015. Hon. Mitch McConnell, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. Hon. Harry Reid, Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Senators: This past August marked the twenty-first anniversary of the violent rape and murder of our seven year old daughter Megan at the hands of a twice-convicted pedophile. As a result of our pain, determination and the support of the public and representatives like you we have Megan's Law throughout the United States. However, children abroad are still unprotected from U.S. sex offenders.
We are grateful that the Congress is advancing the International Megan's Law (H.R. 515/S. 1867) to stop sex offenders from exploiting children internationally--we eagerly await a Senate vote on the bill so that it will become law before the end of the year.
When do we as a society truly stand behind our vows to protect the children of this world? Unfortunately for us, it took the murder of our seven year old daughter Megan for us to get involved.
This law has been eight years in the making. We urgently need your help and support now to prevent new tragedies. Sincerely, Maureen & Richard Kanka. ____ National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Alexandria, VA, January 12, 2016. Hon. Christopher H. Smith, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Representative Smith: On behalf of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the families and children we serve, I am writing to express our support for your legislation, International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advance Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders (IML) (H.R. 515). NCMEC supports the goals of IML to help ensure the effective monitoring and compliance of sex offenders who have harmed children and pose a continuing risk to children in the United States and abroad.
NCMEC's Sex Offender Tracking Team (SOTT) assists federal, state, and local law enforcement in their efforts to locate and apprehend noncompliant, convicted sex offenders and determine if there is a possible link to unresolved cases of missing and sexually exploited children. Today, our SOTT analysts provide assistance to various law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service in the National Sex Offender Targeting Center.
Through our SOTT work, we have learned the difficulties law enforcement can face when monitoring sex offenders as well as the potential danger to children when noncompliant, convicted sex offenders travel within the United States or abroad, including the possibility that they will commit additional crimes against children. We believe the legislation you have sponsored--International Megan's Law--will enhance law enforcement's ability to monitor sex offenders when traveling abroad.
As you know, NCMEC also supported the companion bill sponsored in the Senate by Senators Richard Shelby and Barbara Mikulski. Provisions of their legislation were incorporated into H.R. 515 and then passed unanimously by the Senate in December. We now look forward to the House of Representatives prompt consideration of H.R. 515.
NCMEC is proud to lend our support to this important legislation, and we are grateful for your dedication to the safety of our nation's children. Sincerely, John F. Clark, President and CEO. ____ International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, Alexandria, VA, January 12, 2016. Re H.R. 515. Hon. Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Representative McCarthy and Representative Pelosi: On behalf of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), I am writing in reference to H.R. 515, International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advance Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders.
For almost two decades, ICMEC has been working around the world to advance child protection and safeguard children from abduction, sexual abuse and exploitation. ICMEC responds to requests for assistance from all over the world through advocacy, training and collaboration. We strive to inform and work with policy makers, law enforcement and others in an effort to enhance and enrich frontline child protection practices.
We strongly believe that all children have the right to live without fear of abduction and free from sexual abuse and exploitation. We believe every child deserves a safe childhood, where they are able to grow into healthy and successful adults.
We thank you for your efforts to protect children from exploitation, to keep known sex offenders from harming children again, and to promote and facilitate enhanced cooperation and information sharing within the global law enforcement community. Sincerely, Ambassador Maura Harty, ret. President & CEO.
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