| For
Sex Offenders
Legislators
Propose Stricter Laws
August 17, 2005
Legislators Peter O’Leary (R-Shirley) and Allan Binder (R-Huntington)
recently put forth three initiatives that will strengthen Megan’s
Law, expand the measures taken to monitor sex offenders and place
stricter guidelines for hiring in the fields of youth services
and hotlines for children who are victims of sexual abuse
The first of the three
bills, which is sponsored by Binder, consists of amending and
strengthening existing state laws aimed at convicted sex offenders.
This bill places requirements and restrictions on convicted sex
offenders that are stricter than at any time in the past. These
restrictions include using electronic monitoring devices, such
as Global Positioning System bracelets, requirements for convicted
sex offenders to have updated annual photographs, mandatory distribution
of information available on level three sex offenders and the
potential for civil confinement for convicted sex offenders. This
initiative will be voted on in two weeks.
“After someone gets out of jail, and they are not able to
control themselves, we would give them mental help through an
institution,” said Binder, speaking of civil confinement.
“Updated photos are absolutely necessary for us to keep
track of sexual predators and GPS is very important also,”
he added.
“The Senate and
the governor are ready to go forward with this and make it a state
law, but the Assembly has been dragging their feet and not going
ahead and helping us,” Binder said. “These things
need to be done statewide because these people move around. One
county presents a new law; they’re just going to move on
to the next county.”
O’Leary, speaking
of convicted sex offenders, added, “These people are sick.
They need help. We need to place them in civil confinement where
their movements are monitored. Ideally you want to be able to
keep track of these people.”
The second bill has
been sponsored by O’Leary and is designed to protect workers
and service consumers in Suffolk County youth organizations. This
bill requires that any youth organization which serves youths
under the age of 18 and receives funding from the county, whether
through contract agencies or donations, must certify that all
their employees, whether paid or volunteer, are not found on the
New York State Sex Offender Registry.
Speaking of making
it mandatory to check for employees’ registration on the
New York State Sex Offender Registry, O’Leary commented,
“You would think that employers would want to do it voluntarily.
The most important part of their jobs is the protection and safeguarding
of children.”
Laura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan’s
Law, explained that without checking for employee registration
with the New York State Sex Offender Registry, organizations are
setting themselves up for inviting convicted sex offenders to
attain jobs with them.
“There was a
case awhile ago where there was a coach who was a convicted sex
offender who was working with boys the same age as the boys he
targeted,” Ahearn said, adding that this was due to the
inability of employers to check for previous convictions.
“I have to give
a lot of credit to Laura Ahearn,” O’Leary said. “I
have worked very close with her on this and it’s an area
where the end result is restricting the movement of sexual predators.”
The third law, also introduced by O’Leary, requires extensive
background checks for anyone working for a hotline service for
sexually abused children. The background checks will include fingerprinting,
criminal history checks and an inquiry with the New York State
Sex Offender Registry. “We’ve been trying to get this
type of legislation passed for years,” said Ahearn. “We’ve
been asking the state for years to fingerprint those who want
to work with our agency. The state wouldn’t allow us to
do that.”
Ahearn explained that
90% of sexual predators have an established relationship —
such as neighbors, coaches and friends — with the children
they victimize.
There are convicted
sex offenders being hired for positions at organizations like
hotlines and any youth organizations, as well as for organizations
like Parents for Megan’s law, because “they know they
could get to potential victims,” said Ahearn. “Ensuring
that the most vulnerable of children — sexually abused ones
— will be protected is the most important goal here.”
O’Leary added,
“We are strengthening existing state law where hopefully
New York State will follow suit after Suffolk County. Right now
it’s all at the local level but we want to get it up to
state level.”
Sources: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15049325&BRD=1776&PAG=461&dept_id=6365&rfi=6
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