Congressman Aderholt Joins House to Protect Children from Sexual Predators

CONGRESSMAN ADERHOLT JOINS HOUSE TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM SEXUAL PREDATORS

Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) joined his colleagues in passing the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 this afternoon in the House Chamber. The bill, which now goes to President Bush for signature, will help protect children from sexual predators.

"It's a tragic fact that there are violent criminals and sexual predators that are looking to prey on society's most vulnerable members - our children," said Congressman Aderholt. "The bill that we passed today will help prevent this by strengthening sex offender registries and public notification requirements, adopting tough mandatory minimum sentences for kidnapping or sexually assaulting a child, and increasing law enforcement's ability to combat child pornography and the sexual exploitation of children over the Internet."

Among other things, H.R. 4472, the Child Protection and Safety Act, will do the following:

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Improve the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Program to ensure that sex offenders register - and keep current - where they reside, work, and attend school;
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Create the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website to search for sex offender information in each community;
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Require states to notify each other when sex offenders move from one state to another;
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Increase penalties for using the Internet for the sexual exploitation of children; and
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Increase law enforcement's ability to combat child pornography.

Congressman Aderholt concluded, "To have a child become a victim of a violent criminal or sexual predator is a parent's worse nightmare. Today's action will help prevent that nightmare and help ensure that convicted sex offenders never have another opportunity to harm a child."

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/al04_aderholt/72506AdamWalshChildProtection.html