Springfield, IL–(ENEWSPF)–May 10, 2010. Last week two bills sponsored by State Representative Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights), which aim to protect our children by increasing restrictions and penalties for convicted sex offenders, moved closer to becoming the law of the land.
“We must do everything we can to protect our children from the dangers posed by sex offenders,” DeLuca said. “It is important that we harshly punish convicted sex offenders who attempt to gain employment in locations that would put them in close proximity to children.”
House Bill 5043 expands the lifetime registry list for sex offenders to include individuals who have been convicted of several crimes, including sexually motivated first degree murder of a minor and sexually motivated child abduction where the victim was lured into a vehicle or dwelling. Under current law, individuals convicted of these crimes would only have to be registered with local law enforcement for 10 years, but with the passage of House Bill 5043, they will be classified as ‘sexual predators.’
House Bill 4675 bars child sex offenders from any association with a local fair when minors are present, to close a loophole that allowed predators to be near children.
“By expanding the list of offenses that would require a sex offender to be tracked for the rest of their lives and by creating longer sentences for sex offenders who attempt to gain access to minors, hopefully we will be able to create safer communities by getting them off of the street or very far away from the would-be victims,” DeLuca said.
House Bill 5043 passed out of both the House and the Senate on April 29 and now awaits consideration by the Governor. House Bill 4675 passed the Senate on April 29 and now awaits concurrence vote in the House.
Source: Representative DeLuca
