Second Arrest Made in Amenia Girls Case

In the Connecticut Legislature, Senate Republicans announced on Jan. 24 that they will introduce legislation that would ensure tougher jail sentences for convicted child predators, including those who use the Internet to find and make contact with their victims.

One part of the proposal is modeled after Florida’s "Jessica’s Law." Under the Connecticut version proposed today, anyone convicted of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13 would be sentenced to 25 years in prison for a first offense and life imprisonment for a subsequent offense. The law also applies to anyone convicted of promoting prostitution or using a child under 13 to make pornography.

Once released from prison, a convicted child predator would be place on special probation and have to wear a GPS-type tracking device for life.

The Connecticut GOP is also proposing an Internet Child Protection Act, which would apply the same sentencing structure to anyone convicted of using a computer to attempt to entice a child under 13 into having sex.

As it stands now, sexual assault of a child under 13 is a class A felony and receives a sentence of 10 to 25 years in prison.

For enticing a minor through the Internet, the first offense is a class D felony and brings a sentence of 1 to 5 years. The second offense is a class C felony with a sentence of 1 to 10 years. Subsequent offenses are class B felonies with a sentence of 1 to 20 years.

Currently 21 states have passed versions of Jessica’s Law. The Connecticut Senate passed a "compromise" version of the law durig the 2006 legislative session, according to state republican spokesman Brett Cody. The bill never came up for a vote in the House.

New York state does not yet have a version of Jessica’s Law. However, the state’s office of the attorney general has an Internet bureau that it touts as "one of the first of its kind in the nation." The bureau helps coordinate statewide investigations and prosecutions of illegal Internet activity, and reviews and prepares relevant state legislation.

State Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30) said he doesn’t expect there to be much opposition to the bills, which are meant to "modernize Connecticut’s laws, which don’t keep up with technology."

There may be some discussion of the length of sentences, he said. "We are also talking about what to do in cases that involve children who are 13,14, 15 years old."

Internet sex crimes are increasing at an alarming rate, Roraback observed.

"Unfortunately, hardly a week goes by that we don’t learn of someone having been entrapped by the Internet. It’s a heinous, heinous business because people that are skilled in using this medium can misrepresent themselves, they can misrepresent their age, they can misrepresent their intentions. And they earn the confidence of, and prey on, young people."

With the proposed Internet Protection Act, Roraback said the senate is "trying to draw attention to a new type of crime that has to be dealt with seriously."