Smith Says Bill Will Help Protect Children from Sexual Predators
Smith Says Bill Will Help Protect Children from Sexual Predators
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) spoke in strong support of HR 4472 - the Children's Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2005 - which the House passed today. Smith, who co-sponsored of the bill, said that the bill enhances child protection from sex offenders by improving notification programs and strengthening criminal penalties.
"One-in-five girls and one-in-ten boys are sexually exploited prior to adulthood and recidivism rates of sex offenders makes it clear that a child predator will be a permanent threat against our children," said Smith, who has continually fought for increased penalties and streamlined registration systems to further protect children from sexual predators. "I believe that that those who commit sex crimes against children should be put away for life. In the interim, the Children's Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act increases the penalties against those who commit these despicable crimes and puts them where they belong - behind bars."
The bill strengthens sex offender registration and notification programs and improves verification systems for sex offender information by requiring monthly in-person verification. States will now be required to have a uniform, public access sex offender registration website. In addition, states will now be required to notify each other when a sex offender moves from one to another.
Smith noted that the bill also aims to protect children by increasing criminal penalties against child sexual predators and creates a new criminal penalty for a sex offender who fails to comply with registration requirements. It also deters violent crimes against and sexual exploitation of children, and establishes many more protections.
"It is the number one responsibility of government to protect its citizens - especially children - from harm," Smith said. "This bill makes it much more difficult for convicted sex offenders to have access to innocent children."
This year will mark the 12th anniversary of the murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka (Hamilton, New Jersey) by a convicted sex offender who lived across the street from her home. Rep. Smith has worked with the Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation - established by the Kanka family - to procure over $320,000 in federal funding for the "Check 'Em Out Program," which helps non-profit organizations in New Jersey to pay for state and federal fingerprint checks for chaperones, coaches and managers.
"Through tougher child sex offender laws, improving and streamlining registration programs and encouraging more initiatives like the Check Em Out Program', we create layers of security around our children," Smith said. "The more layers, the safer our children are."
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/nj04_smith/prchildrenssafety.html